Since 2004, Purba Paschim beginning to roll, the philosophical base has beenleading us in making better productions, arranging theatre workshops, seminar,exhibition, social awareness with our artists, members along with reputed theatrepersonalities, artistes, writers of fame, who have been interacted with us. Apart,every year we are publishing an Annual Theatre Magazine with rich contentsand photographs. We also have been able to hold the Twelveth Annual TheatreFestival in November 2019.

We are happy to revive this year one of our remarkable production ‘Potol Babu Film Star’ and this productionhad visited Darshana, Bangladesh in Anirban Theatre Festival along with other shows. It is needless to mentionthat with the revival of this production we have been able to perform more than 180 shows till it's firstpremiere a decade ago. Moreover, our regular productions 'Ek Mancha Ek Jibon' and 'Athoijol' havesimultaneously been performed in different stages both from our end and also invitation.

We have invited Mr Manish Mitra, to prepare a workshop based production involving our talents ‘O' RomMone Hoi’ and it also have been successfully staged and performed 11 shows. Purba Paschim have beeninvited in various theatre festival in different states of the country and different parts of West Bengal, amongstPaschimbanga Natya Academy.

The most vital thing of our group is getting an invitation to prepare a special production on the Bi Centenaryof Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar specially his meeting with Sri Ramakrishna Dev. Eastern Zonal Cultural Centreinvited Purba Paschim and ‘ Yugo Drashta’ (Man of the Epoch) written by Ujjwal Chattopadhyay and directedby Soumitra Mitra was staged at EZCC auditorium in Kolkata. It is long awaited programme of Ministry ofCulture and we believe that this small production will be showcased after this pandemic situation.

At the time we were preparing for a workshop in collaboration with Sangeet Natak Academy and rehearsalfor new production, the Pandemic which has been shivering the World and simultaneous lockdown whichstopped the work clock of the universe affected the theater severely like all other cultural wings. And, wehad to stop and to watch the situation. Our passion, theatre stopped, but our vision, our founding philosophyhelped us to be active in work and with the masses .

And, so more involvement with social response . As Purba Paschim always think and actively work forpeople, this year the standstill situation due to Covid 19 pandemic and worklessness of the people has ledus to stand beside the theatre activists, specially those who are dependant fully on theatre for their livelihood.So Purba Paschim Fund For Covid -19 for Theatre Activists" has been created with the help of our friendsand well-wishers and we have been financially helping 30 persons regularly every month with thedetermination to continue throughout this critical year.

And, then the sudden attack of ' Amphan', the devastating super Cyclone wrecked our state and the harshnessof it throughout the state again has involved us to move to those homeless people ignoring the red eye ofCorona virus . We have tried to reach to some people at least with our limited capacity and with the benevolenthands of our friends again. We have not stopped, we are stepping ahead.

We express our special thanks and gratitude to the Ministry of Culture, Govt of India for their continuoussupport in the form grants for keeping our theatre activities in roll . We are thankful to Information and CulturalAffairs Department, Govt of West Bengal for their cooperation and to Media for their concern with PurbaPaschim. We express our thanks to Sri Bratya Basu Minister & thespian, noted actor Sri Debshankar Halder &Sri Sanjib Sarkar for their constant support and concern for Purba Paschim. We express our gratitude to thecorporate houses who came forward in need . we would like to thank EZCC,Kolkata for their active cooperation.And obviously we would like to express our warm thanks and gratitude to those who are with us for our theatreand for our social activities, without whom we could not think broadly.

Soumitra Mitra

Director / President's Note

Covid - 19 & Amphan ChapterBrief Description of Our Relief Activities

DAY I 24 May 2020 ; Kolkata: Slum dwellers ofNorth Kolkata and street children were servedwith food materials and tiffin packets. About75 families and more than hundred childrenbenefitted. The President of Purbapaschim andimportant well-wisher Mr Jibon Sen werepresent in the program among others.

DAY II 31May, 2020 Taki (Hasnabad, North 24Parganas): A load of full truck packets containingall sorts of raw food materials and dressmaterials had to reach at a remote village,named Uttar Sulkani under Hasnabad block inan island on the verge of Ichhamoti River andso unloading the truck at Taki, and then boatto cycle van and again walking 1 kilometer wasthe way out. Ramakrishna Math, Taki prepareda list of 300 families and separately 300 childrenfor tiffin packets. Swami Parishuddha NandaMaharaj waited for us with his team and anxiousvillagers. Our team led by Our President andDirector Mr Soumitra Mitra, Secretary MrsMalabika Mitra and renowned actor MrDebsankar Halder. Besides food materials anddress materials we arranged a lunch with khichdifor 1000 people staying homeless in a reliefcamp. Moreover lots of ORS, other medicines,suthol, Boroline we have also handed over.

Covid -19 relief work in the streets of Kolkata

On the way to Sulkani, North 24 Parganas

Relief Works began from R. K. Mission , Taki, North 24 Parganas

People are at queue at the relief place Purba Paschim Secretary distributing Relief

DAY III 05 June, 2020 Mandir Bazar (DiamondHarbour SD, South 24 Parganas): We thoughtdifferently understanding the explicit need ofthe Amphan affected people and SDO ofDiamond Harbour extended support of hisadministration. So, We succeeded to arrangefor Rs.1000 each for 60 family/personimmensely destitute that included mostlyphysically challenged and above 80 years old.Besides the cash amount dress materials,medicines, suthol, Boroline etc also handedover. Youngs of Purba Paschim succeeded tocomplete this journey enthusiastically. Mandirbazar , South 24 parganas

DAY IV 07 June 2020 Nazat (North 24 Parganas): Again Our President, Secretary , Mr. DebshankarHalder, another famous Artist Mr Sanjib Sarkarand Mr Jayanta Sen, business entepreneur anda well wisher of Purba Paschim came outchallenging the restricted life in lockdown ingrowing covid 19 situation with others of PurbaPaschim to reach to the people in distress andthis time Dakshin Akhratala village near Vebiaat Kalinagar Block of Nazath area was ourdestination under guidance and support of SriRamakrishna Sevashram, Nazath. More thanseven hundred people still were staying in schoolpremises and we arranged a day's food for themand 1000 litre of mineral water bottles includingothers like dress materials, medicine, Suthol, Borolineand ORS etc. Revered Swami AbhinnanandaMaharaj of Bagbazar, Mayer Bari had supervisedthe entire relief work.

Our team at Nazath, North 24 Parganas

Sri Debshankar Halder and Sri Sanjib Sarkar werewith our relief teams all along

Relief works by our team at Nazath Relief works by our team at Nazath

DAY VII 17 June 2020 Magrahat, Diamond Harbour ( South 24 Parganas): Our direct inertaction with thevillage poor people while visiting for relief work and suggestion from administrave section helped us torealise a few other essential necessity of the poor people at the time of forthcoming rainy season and sowe arranged for Mosquito Net, Umbrella, Torch Light, Watar Bucket and Mug for100 families. Our PresidentMr Soumitra Mitra, Secretary Mrs Malabika Mitra like all other journey this time again accompanied andguided us overcoming all obstacles of journey.

DAY V 10 June 2020 Mathurapur ( South 24 Pargans): Flood water again inundated the village after accuteAmphan devastation. It was Narayanpur gram under Nandakumarpur Panchayat in Mathurapur 2 Block.The higher authority Purba Paschim again with Mr Sanjib Sarkar led the team and again we served RS 1000each to 50 families with dress materials for adult and children and also tiffin packets for children. SDODiamond Harbour administratrative support was this time also.

Women were in queue for relief at Narayananpur Distribution going on at Narayananpur

DAY VI 13 June 2020 Bagbazar Khalpar (Kolkata): This time again in Kolkata. Bagbazar Mayer Barisupported to choose 75 families living on thekhal par of the area and we served raw foodmaterials to them including medicine, suthol,boroline etc in the presence of Mr SoumitraMitra, Swami Abhinnananda Maharaj amongothers.

Bagbazar Khalpar, Kolkata (Covid - 19 Relief)

Relief works at Mograhat Block The team at Mograhat block

For Amphan Relief work, we are indebted to :Mr Goutam Gary Dutta (USA)

Ms. Sumita Basu (USA)Change Initiatives

Mr Debashish Dutta, Boroline ParibarMr Mayank Jalan, Keventers Group

Mr Pranab Chandra, Mukhorochak Paribar

AMPHAN Collection• Purba Paschim • Swati Gangopadhyay• Pradip Sarkar • Pratip Sengupta• Mita Shome (USA) • Bidita Chakroborty (USA)• Faruk Haider (UK) • Chiranjeeb Chakraborty (UK)• Asim Kumar Ray (France)• Kamalendra N Deb • Aniruddha Kar• Shaonli Ghosh • Kamal Mazumder• Rajat Mullick (Mullick Family)• Saurav Maitra • Sitanshu Khatua• Suparna Mazumder • Bikas & Priti Sanyal• Ushneek (Theatre Group) • Kabyakala• Sudipta Biswas • Dinesh Poddar• Swati Chatterjee • Shovan Gupta• Soumaditya Dey • Susmita Bhattacharya• Mousumi Hasan • Prasanto Roy Chowdhury• Dipanwita Ghosh • Biswanath Bose• Avery Chaurey (Delhi) • Sanjeeb Sarkar• Shuvabrata Choudhury • Partho• Diptendu Chakroborty • Saiful Islam• Indranil Ghosh • Sutapa Sengupta• Falguni Dutta Roy • Ratul Mazumder• Sambrita (Tori) • Soumitra Mitra

Persons helped with Garments and Food materials• Doyel Saha • Dipen Bhattacharya• Sanjoy Chakraborty • Prabir Ghosh • Arijit Roy• Farhin Sultana • Pradip Hait • Mansura Begum• Debabrata Bose & Sibabrata Bose• Nirmalya Roy • Dinesh Podder• Malabika Mitra

Purba Paschim Covid 19 Fund• ECTA, New Jersey (USA)• Raktim Sen (USA)• Kallol Nandi( USA)• Salil Kr Das ( USA)• Moumita Chakraborty, New Jersey (USA)• Sumita Basu (USA)• Bidita Chakraborty (USA)• Amit Sen• Sutapa Sengupta• Subrata Dhar• Abhijit Chatterjee• Chaitali Maitra• Malay Saha• Indranil Ghosh• Kumar Bhattacharya• Anita Agnihotri• Anushtuv• Prasanto Roy Chowdhury• Pallab Mukherjee• Monaj Kr Neogi• Anup Bandopadhyay• Soumitra Ghosh

Friends & Well-wishers who are withPurba Paschim during relief work

CondolenceWe deeply mourn the sad demise of Bidhan Patra on 30 March 2020who was a full time theatre worker of Purba Paschim, at a prematuredage. A man from remote village of South 24 paraganas came in thiscity with extreme poverty but with the association of Late SunilGangopadhayay he tried to overcome and always keep smiling.

He was very much careful in day to day work of ourorganisation and concerned about every ins & outs. Apart, Bidhanwas a regular actor in all productions of Purba Paschim.

May his soul be rest in peace.Bidhan Patra

Our gratitude to Team Abrittilok, Kolkata • Team Purba Paschim

Besides direct relief works we supported financially to some organization/ individual• Saraswati Sheet (Facebook appeal) • Nilanjon Mishra (Pathor Pratima)• Prashanta Pramanik • Bangiyo Natya Samhati • Soubhratritya • Bratyajon Ekannaborti Paribar• Ramakrishna Math and Ashram • Others

Post Amphan Relief Work.We have already started installation of two deep tubwells for Drinking Water at Nazath, North 24Pgs.with the help of Jayanta Sen and Ashit Talukder. The project is to be completed by October 2020.We Plan to assist more than 1000 affected villagers with common necessities like Mosquito net, Blanket,Torch Light, Umbrella, Bucket & Mug Etc. in different Blocks in Sunderbon area in September 2020.We also have a plan to be with 50 Baul (Folk Artists) of Bolpur, Birbhum.We need more fund for these project

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