`LANGCHA ( Home/Hut/Palace/Sagar)'

After about 90 minutes of the start of our journey by `GreenLine' , the Bus Service, the bus stopped. Passengers got down. I too followed. Before me was the entrance of the sweet meat shop - `Langcha Sagar'. There were several shops on both sides of the road. All but a few had the word, `Langcha' as the first word in its name. The names read as `Langcha Home', `Langcha Hut' , `Langcha Palace', `Langcha Sagar' etc.,. It was nice to see all shops in the area with the word, `Langcha', I stepped into `Langcha Sagar' sipped tea and `singara' and ended my breakfast a `Langcha'. I ate the smallest of the various sizes lying immersed in sweet syrup. I enjoyed the sweet. Several persons walked into the shop and ordered a `Langcha'. Some asked the shopkeeper to pack , `Langchas' to be taken home which is the last destination on earth for a man. Wherever we go we all want to finally go home. It need not be having a bed of roses. The name, `home' is just enough. In English we say, `home' and in Hindi we say `ghar' and in Bengali we say, `bari'.

The place where there are so many shops with the word, `Langcha'. There is competition among the shops but none object if a shop in the area uses the word, `Langcha'. The shops do not fight in the Trade Mark Department or Court regarding the use of the word, `Langcha' in its name. All are doing doing business. I wanted to know which was considered the best, `Langcha' sweet shop . Went up to a vendor selling `Jhal Muri' and asked him to name the shop which served the most tasteful, `Langcha'. He told me in a low voice that the shop, `Balaji' sold the most tasty `Langcha'. `Adi Langcha Bhawan' came second. Cars, Buses, stopped by on their way to eat langcha along with other food items with tea.

The place I am speaking of is Shaktigarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal. The fifteen minutes halt at Shaktigarh is considered a great experience for those travelling in the route. Name any one in West Bengal , parts of Bihar , Jharkhand and Orissa they know about langcha of Shaktigarh. Government of West Bengal has received GI tag for ` Shitabhog' and `Mihidana' the famous sweets. It is learnt that `Langcha' GI is not far away.

How does the sweet, `Langcha' look ? It is dark brown in colour with `chana' ( milk preparation') inside. The sweet is drowned in sweet syrup which adds sweetness to the product. Molu likes langcha so does Surojit the Economist. Most like langcha. It is yet to earn internaitonal recognition . However, with GI registration the sweet will gain international recognition.

`Langcha' generates employment It requires both skilled and unskilled work force. Those skilled are hard to get. If more people are trained to make `langcha' then there will be higher production. More number of `langchas' will result in higher exports. It would lead to higher earnings for the shops in Shaktigarh selling `langchas' . This will help to improve the wages of the workers involved in making `langchas'. So boosting langcha production in Shaktigarh will increase the GDP of the West Bengal in turn the country. GDP need not always depend on production of steel , cars and white goods. `Langcha' can be included in the list also. With introduction of modern techniques in the production of the sweet cost of production could come down leading to higher sales volume of shop keepers and generation of employment with higher wages.

`Langcha' of Shaktigarh is famous. However, it does not mean that the sweet is not produced else where in West Bengal. It is produced through out the state but `langcha' of Shaktigarh stands apart. We get the sweet in the holi place, `Tarapith'. Langchas are not restricted to any single site. It is of various sizes. The variety is a enjoyable to watch.

Langcha production can be covered by registration under the Trade Mark Act, 1999 under collective mark. All the shops can register under a collective mark to add value to the product of each shop.

Can increase in `langcha' production add to the growth of the country ? Can the increased production solve issues faced by the Government ? It is time that we focus on small issues that could result in development index for the overall growth of the nation.

We all know the inventor of electricity but do not know who invented the sweet `langcha'. It has grown from the kitchen of Bengal. If `langcha' would have was patented then we would have known the inventor. There is activity around `langcha' . People make , sell, purchase,enjoy it. There is so much activity all round. There is a market for the sweet . All speak of it and its taste. Varied sizes of the sweet is also discussed . It is sometimes a topic. People drive miles to eat the sweet. `Langcha' unlike Idly which is usually eaten for breakfast is a 24 x7 food item. It can be eaten during breakfast, lunch, tea time and dinner.

In Bengal the name of the sweet is known to about 1 crore people. There is a ready market for the sweet. With packaging the sweet can go places. The airport at Andal is an advantage point for the sweet `langcha'. If packet properly it can be taken to different places in India. Who knows it might reach the shores of the Pacific in the age of globalisation. Langcha and its taste has miles to go. It remains unexplored. It is a contributor to the economy. Above everything it creates jobs. The taste of the sweet makes one come back again and again. When the sweet is eaten the taste remains. The power of taste draws one and all to it.