Kolkata’s known for many things, but hardly for not having a soul. But it looks like this particular incident might make us rethink that. Last week, Facebook user Dilashi Hemnani posted an update claiming that a popular Park Street restaurant refused entry to her long-term acquaintance and driver, Manish, on grounds that are clearly classist and discriminatory.
Dilashi was at the restaurant with Manish for dinner and not only were the two made to wait for a ridiculously long time while the staff went about stalling them with excuses, but they also accused Manish of being drunk and not properly dressed when asked why he was being denied entry.
This created an uproar on social media, with netizens expressing their anger and disgust at the restaurant’s behaviour. It also led to some social media users creating fake profiles of the restaurant and posting comments.
The restaurant, on Wednesday put out an “official” clarification on the issue, also acknowledging that the previous posts were made by fake profile users.
Whether this is their official page has not been verified yet.
Predictably, the response from the restaurant invited a host of reactions across social media, with people condemning the eatery for an insensitive reply.
Mocambo is one of Kolkata’s oldest restaurants, having been around since the 1950’s. It also happens to be a Park Street landmark – a street Calcuttans associate, more often than not, with celebration, nostalgia and a general feeling of warmth and belonging. It is a pity that such behaviour was experienced in a part of the city with such rich heritage.