‘Netaji’s shop’; Fast food joint serving free fritters since 1942!!!

A cafe in North Kolkata was visited by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose when he was studying at Scottish Church College. Today, everybody identifies Lakshmi Narayan Shaw and Sons as ‘Netaji’s shop’.Khedu Shaw started Lakshmi Narayan Shaw and Sons in the year 1918. India was under the British government and our freedom fighters were engaged in the struggle for a free country.

Kolkata has been the center of freedom fighters, intellectuals, and revolutionists. And one of the various elements that carried them together was tea and fritters. The tradition extends even now in the town. On the birth anniversary of the admired freedom fighter, it should be recognized that he too could not provide the famous Telebhaja [fritters] and bearer cha [tea in clay cups] a miss. Keshto Kumar Gupta, the owner of Lakshmi Narayan Shaw and Sons and he described to us the way how his grandfather met Netaji and formed a relationship which is lasting for over 103 years now.

“My grandfather was entrusted with supplying tiffin to the freedom fighters when they used to hold meetings. He would serve them puffed rice, hot fritters, green chilly, and tea in a newspaper wrapper and tea in clay cups or kulhad or Kolkata’s famous bharer cha,” he said.

“This is how my grandfather once met Netaji and served him the same tea and fritters. When Netaji was studying in Scottish Church, he used to visit our shop for the fritters and tea. And that’s when my grandfather acquired unmatchable respect for him,” Keshto Kumar Gupta said. In 1942, on January 23rd – Netaji’s birthday, Khedu Shaw gave fritters to all his friends and neighbors and told them it was for the moment of the freedom fighter’s birthday. The ritual proceeds to date.

“On Jan 23rd of 1948 when we gained Independence, we had put up boards of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and given fritters cooked in our shops to everyone. Two fritters for children and four for adults,” Keshto Kumar Gupta said. The shop has been serving fritters since 8 am today, and on the menu is – alur chop, phuluri, peyaji and phulkopir chop [Potato, lentil, onion, and cauliflower fritters]. No Bengali can ever have the heart to resist telebhaja and turns out our freedom fighter was no different.