The trail of Kolkata’s Kabuliwalas comes alive in this comic

125 years after the publication of Rabindranath Tagore’s popular short story Kabuliwala, this community of Afghan traders remain very much a part of Kolkata society.

It’s been 125 years since the publication of Rabindranath Tagore’s short story, Kabuliwala. The story, which has also been adapted into screen classics in both Hindi and Bengali, made the Afghan traders who are believed to have started coming here in the nineteenth century – called Kabuliwalas in Bengal – popular figures. But are there Kabuliwalas in Kolkata today? And if yes, what is life like for them? Are they at home in the city, become a part of Kolkata society? Or do they remain outsiders in a foreign land? Here’s an attempt to answer all such questions.

Illustration: Mohit Suneja

Read the full story here.