I
The
first clear recollection of my life was my first day in the school,
which was an occasion for celebration in an average Indian family.
After the auspicious adieu from my home with a spoon of sweet curd in
my mouth, I was taken to the school by my uncles and cousins, as my
father was away on the day and repented for missing this historical
occasion badly. At the school my first experience was far from
pleasant because going to school for children of my age implied
curbing of liberties that a child enjoys at his home. Moreover the
separation from my family members, especially my mother, even though
for a couple of hours made this experience more bitter though my
cousin had promised that he would come and take him from the school
earlier that day. At the tender age of 4 years on that day I learnt
that all promises are not to be believed even if they have been given
by your nearest and the dearest ones. I was promised tender treatment
by the teacher at the school but what I saw was that as soon as we
entered the school the door of a room opened and my cousin handed me
over to a teacher and I found myself among the crying children of my
age and door of the room was shut at once. Every child was crying
whenever new child entered the room the other children, including the
new child started crying. Even the teacher was also on the verge of
crying seeing all of us crying in unison. The best part of the school
routine was the recess when I was allowed to finish my favourite
snacks from my tiffin box that my mother had prepared for me for this
occasion. After the meals were over I got opportunity to make new
friends and play with them till the bell announced that it was time
to go back to the classes, as was the routine of the school of a town
of average size in the country. That day as per promise my cousin
came to take me at the appointed time and school authorities let us
go earlier than usual as it was our first day in the school. At home
I got hero’s welcome as if I have returned back from the
battlefield after winning the battle and trouncing the foe
successfully. My house was in the middle of the town that was
considered as the best area of the town. Just like the traditional
pattern of native town the most respectable section of society,
enjoying high respect and dignity, dwelled in the centre of the town
and as the settlement moved to periphery the status of the colonies
and people living in it declined. It was not without reason as
traditionally natives believed it as duty to protect the think tank
intellectuals of the society from the attacks of enemy that is why
they were given central place in the town.
With
time my intimacy with the surroundings of my home town including my
school grew and my bond with the town and the school grew strong like
a good adhesive. I was getting more attached and glued to my home
town and its surroundings that were now familiar to me. As I was
getting older I was getting greater freedom of movement. In the
beginning I was allowed to move in my house only, as everybody became
apprehensive the moment I stepped even to the outer courtyard of the
house. But with time I was permitted to move to the end of our colony
where we resided and then to the little school that I attended for a
few days, situated at the end of the street. But still I was not
given license to move in the busy main street of the town fearing
that I will become the victim of merciless, senseless heavy traffic
of the town. In my family I was the youngest of the siblings. I had
two elder daughters. As I was the only male child of my parents so I
was rather a spoiled child in childhood as my every demand was
fulfilled while even the genuine demand of my sisters were ignored.
It was due to two reasons, one was the preference given to male child
in a middle class Indian family and secondly I was the only child in
my family. I was also a blue eyed child of my grandparents- both
maternal and paternal- as well.
During
my school days I enjoyed best of the life and facilities that my
parents could afford and certainly they did not leave any stone
unturned in providing me the best that the town could provide. I was
given a specially constructed four wheeler for children while most of
other children had to be contented with tricycles only. I was not
very demanding child except in food, as I had a limited choice and
wore whatever was provided by my parent though they always ensured
that I got the best and the latest thing. Perhaps I was the first
child to get little bicycle also and I rode it with pride in the
colony while other children ran behind me to get a chance to touch
it. It was difficult to restrain me in the house in the evenings
though I was always accompanied by my mother lest I may cause some
injury to other child and thus become source of trouble and
embarrassment for my parents. I loved playing outdoor games like
Football, Hockey, Basketball, Badminton, Tennis and of course Cricket
though I also like indoor games like Table-Tennis, Chess and Carrom.
After
the completion of my primary education I was put in a residential
English medium school. However as I son of a faculty member of the
school so I was allowed to come home in the evening. In this school
besides playing games and trying new games like Basdball, I was quite
active in co-curricular and extra curricular activities of the
school. In this arena I commenced my career by participating in
Poetry Recitation Competitive. I was given a fairly long poem by
Alfred Tennyson that was to be memorised and recited on the stage
with appropriate gestures and expressions. With time I became a
debater too and by the time I entered into the portals of higher
education I became an expert in Extempore speech too. In cultural
activities I made my appearance with a solo song but soon my career
here ended after I led a group of students in a nursery rhyme show.
We were given blue and white striped sleeping suit- Payjamas and
shirt- and our face beneath the nose was painted red like that of a
monkey.
So
I had a fairly nice life and pleasant memories of this school as this
provided the best of the educational facilities in the country as it
was modelled on the famous public residential schools of Europe-
Harrow and Eton- about whom it is said that the battle of Waterloo
was fought on the playgrounds of Harrow and Eton. Though here equal
stress was given on physical growth and development of the child also
so there was a regular hour of PT Exercises in the morning and one
hour of compulsory games in the evening. Though due to short stature,
weak lungs, drooping shoulders and short stamina I could not excel in
this field yet I envied my fellow being who excelled in this field
and brought laurels to the school by winning trophies and medals.
/Cultural
shows were mostly held in the evenings in the school auditorium-
which was a large hall with 500 seating capacity. There used to be
regular magic shows, Puppet shows- both string as well as glove
puppet, motivational talks, dance and music concerts, painting
workshop, sculpture shows, Japanese paper cutting shows,photo
journalism shows and the like. Such shows were held to inspire
creative, artistic and aesthetic instincts in the inmates. Besides
this there used to be regular Cultural Variety Programs organized by
the different classes every month under the guidance of their able
class teachers and other faculty. These shows were held almost every
month were primarily held to entertain the learners and inculcate
organizational skills in them.
The
atmosphere of my house was also equally academic and intellectual
inclined as my parents were well educated too. So there used to be
rational, passionate, objective discussions on literature, films,
music and of course other contemporary issues over tea and during all
the meals- breakfast, lunch and dinner, at the dinning table. As my
father was also a teacher whose school timings were from 9.00 a.m in
the morning to 2.00 p.m in the afternoon, so from very beginning my
family had developed the tradition of having three meals that is
breakfast at 8.30 a.m, Lunch at 2.00 p.m and dinner at 8.30 p.m.
Mostly News accompanied the dinner, on radio in earlier days and on
television later on.
Our
school’s motive was to give first hand knowledge experience of the
external world besides classroom teaching to students. So there used
to be frequent outings, picnics, excursions, cycle tours and
educational tours to some place of historical or geographical
significance during the vacations. I still recollect the educational
tour to the lone hill station of the state. This tour is special to
me due to this reason also that for the first time I went without any
family member accompanying him. I clearly remember the first night
that I spent outside without my family in the ruins of an ancient
temple where our teachers decided to stop on the way to the hill
station. As it was month of October so I moved ahead without caring
to take bath, as I neither
had courage, as it was fairly cool in the morning in the month of
October near a hill station nor I had time to do so as I had
overslept due to tiredness of earlier day’s journey. After a
journey of couple of hours we reached the highest point between the
Himalayas and Nilgiris where we took packed breakfast. From this
point we could view the couple of mountains surrounding a
breathtaking lush green valley with its winding road reaching towards
the summit and vehicles like miniature toys inching their way towards
their destination. While climbing down from this point many of us
threw out due to hill sickness as a result of overeating breakfast
though the view of the tall mountains and deep green valleys with
winding streams and rivers was simply indescribable. At
an ancient fortress we took our lunch and spent the afternoon and
early evening in sight seeing in seeing a large metal idol of Lord
Shiva and a palace in total ruin and a famous shrine of a saint.
Only this shrine was inhabited by devotees and priests even stayed
during the night while the imposing palaces were in total ruin were
abode of bats, owls and other birds.
As the darkness of the evening
descended we reached an inn where we were to stay for the night. It
was situated at the bank of a beautiful lake with clear blue water
reflecting the image of hills surrounding it. All of use went to see
the lake to spend some time sitting on its bank for some time and
enjoy the serene evening with moon rising behind a mountain. Though
there were boats also and provision of boating too but my parents and
our teachers accompanying us on this tour had forbidden us to boat on
this lake for the fear of some mishap as none of us knew swimming.
During the night I was given privilege of sleeping in the room where
our teachers and their families were sleeping, as I was son of
faculty member. Nest day after breakfast we went for shopping with a
warning from our teachers to come early as we have to start our
return journey just after lunch. All of us wanted to buy some
suitable memento for our family members and younger brothers and
sisters that can remind us of this tour later on. There was a sort of
competition between us as who can get the best deal from the
businessmen who were known for their trading acumen. The only thing
that allured me in the whole market was a small metal statue of deity
and as the shopkeeper also belonged to my faith so I gave whatever he
had asked for it, though my friends, teachers and even Principal
thought that I have given more money for it and asked that why I did
not bargain with the shopkeeper. My simple reply was that firstly
‘God is priceless.’ Secondly as shopkeeper also belonged to my
faith so how could he have taken more from the person of the same
faith for the same deity that were common to him and me. My Principal
was quite impressed with my reply and he gave it as a precedence also
at a number of places afterwards. After a heavy lunch we were so much
tired that on our return journey we started falling on each other and
by the time we reached home, almost all of us were sleeping. My
father again accorded a hero’s welcome to me as I had gone out for
the first time in my life. He was quite apprehensive about my health
and hesitated in sending me on this trip but apart from some journey
sickness I was fit and fine. However I had slept soundly during the
tour.
Our
school was also reputed for imparting pragmatic social training
through organizations like National Cadet Corps, Baden Powell Scouts
and the like. All the students of the school had to opt for one of
these programs and I went for National Cadet Corps that was created
as a second line of defence by imparting weapon training and other
training related to warfare to school, college and university
students that can prove useful in the times of emergency and crisis.
It had proved its worth by taking over the relief work in the times
of disaster like floods and earthquakes. This organization was
supervised by regular officers of the Indian Army while it also
involved the teachers-school, college and university as part time
officers while training of every unit was controlled by a regular JCO
or NCO or equivalent rank of Navy and Air Force. It had three
divisions – A Certificate for students of school, and B and C
Certificates for the students of college and university level. This
training had three basic components – Drill, Map Reading and Weapon
Training. The outfit of a cadet of this organization was Khaki Half
sleeves shirt with shoulder flaps and closed pockets, khaki
short or pant, brown shoes with khaki woollen socks and a Khaki beret
cap with NCC circular metallic emblem and a red flower known as Pomp
pomp in it. Similarly a metallic badge with words NCC was put on the
flaps of the both the shoulders and a leather or web belt to hold the
pant or shorts. The metal parts of the uniform were to be cleaned
with a brown liquid known as Brasso and web belt was to be polished
with grey circular soap known as Blanco. So the term brassoed and
blancoed came into existence
at least once a week as great
emphasis was given on proper turn out of the cadet at the biweekly
ceremonial parades on the levelled but stony hard parade ground.
Most
of us were quite enthusiastic about the weapon training as learning
about weapons even about a rifle gave us sense of power and
achievement. Mostly the weapon used for it in the Junior Division was
.22 Rifle or Air Gun. Every cadet was given ten rounds to be fired at
a target in lying position in two sessions of five rounds each. For
firing practice we were taken to a firing range situated in the local
College situated outside the town. As this was our first experience
with a weapon so most of us, students of eight standard were barely
able to balance and lift the rifle off the ground. So hitting the
target was simply out of question for us. So we were hitting every
where except the target even on the other’s targets. After the
firing we were to report with our target to NCO and JCO. Both of them
were confused when they found seven bullet marks on the target of my
neighbour while he was given only five rounds to fire. That simply
meant somebody else’s bullet had hit his target. As far as my
condition was concerned there was only one bullet mark in my target
while others had hit the bushes surrounding the targets making weird
noises. That day also I got
hero’s welcome as I had become first child in my family to handle a
weapon, particularly my father was so much impressed by it that he
ordered my mother to give me extra diet of food to me as I had done
something that day of which my father could feel proud of.
In
the drill we were taught to swag in a rhythm and obey the commands
simultaneously like Left Turn, Right Turn, About Turn, Right Dress,
General Salute, Salute with a message and of course march past or
parade. During one such
training session I recollect a humourous incident of one of our class
fellow. Instructor was teaching us Salute Right eyes that required
eyes to be turned right for six steps and then they are to be
straightened automatically without any command. This fellow was
perhaps taking a nap while the
Instructor was giving instructions for it and perhaps he had
observed him dozing off. Instructed pointed his finger towards him
and asked him to get up and to demonstrate it for the benefit of
others. After he got command he turned his eyes right but he forgot
it to straighten them after six steps and he continued walking on the
road and when the road ended he continued marching looking right
jumping over the stones and bushes and ultimately came to halt as he
came against a wall that would neither permit him to move forward nor
to climb over it. To make the matters worse he moved right on his own
and continued his march but still his eyes were turned right and he
came before the instructor who slapped him so soundly that his eyes
remained in that position for a couple of days more.
One
of the requirement to be fulfilled in order to become eligible to
appear for A Certificate Exam was to attend atleast one camp. Though
there were a number of camps organized by the organization like Army
Attachment Camp, Advance Leadership Camp, Mountaineering Camp,Rock
climbing Camp and the like. As I was a boy of short stature and weak
lungs so the only option before me was to attend Annual Training Camp
for Sainik Schools in the year 1978 which was held in Khrew in Jammu
and Kashmir. After my matriculation exam I decided to go for this
camp as school authorities too had no option but to select me for
that. I was given the intimation and asked to report at NCC office of
the school to get NCC uniform and Khakee Pagree, as I was a Sikh with
long unshorn hair at that time and other necessary articles like
blankets and sheets. Since the camp was to be held in the hilly state
of Kashmir, where nights are really chilly even in the month of May
and June so we were given at least two blankets though some of my
friends got four blankets but as I had reported at NCC office at the
eleventh hour so I had to remain content with two blankets only.
We
started for the camp in the uniform which was a strange outfit to
startle fellow passengers on the train. And it was equally strange
outfit for an outing. Though
our train was at sometime past midnight but we were brought to the
station bag and baggage right in the evening. So we had to spend a
few hours at the platform moving idly on the platform. The train that
we boarded at midnight took us to a place after a journey of four
hours to a place where we had to change the train that was to take us
to National Capital via Provincial Capital. After reaching the
national capital we had to wait for couple of hours more for the
train. As soon as the train came we threw our baggage and some cadets
through the open windows of the coach and wrote on the coach with a
white chalk in bold letters ‘FOR NCC CADETS ONLY’. After the
overnight journey this train took us to a place situated at the foot
of the hills which was the beginning point of this hilly state where
camp was to be held. From here we were to proceed to the camp site by
road in the buses owned by State Transport Department. But
before that we were asked to take some food at the railway station.
As I had seen Chola
and Bhaturas
for the first time so I took an entire plate of it. After the
breakfast we were packed into
the buses and as soon as we were inside the buses, parked outside the
railway station, our journey towards the camp site began at once.
This was another arduous journey on the serpentine zig-zag roads of
the mountainous terrain for a
long period of nine hours. As
this was first experience of a hilly journey to most of us and nobody
had advised us to take light food, so most of us were vomiting from
the windows of the bus as soon as the bus started the sharp ascent of
the hill. When the buses stopped for a break we decided to have some
snacks and a cup of tea. Some of my friends saw two buns in a glass
container. They asked the rate of the longer bun, but shopkeeper
either cunningly or innocently told the price of smaller bun. They
took a couple of buns along with tea and ordered another couple of
buns to be packed for further use. But when they asked for the bill
they were stunned to find that they had spent more than they had
money in their pockets. However, our accompanying teacher intervened
and the shopkeeper also apologized for this misunderstanding.
Ultimately
we reached the camp site in the stark darkness of the night and our
accompanying teacher reported our arrival to the Camp Commandant.
After a hurried dinner we were put in a large square tent. It was
spacious but not spacious enough to accommodate us as a result of
which one of our friend had to keep his legs outside the tent for the
whole night in the chill of the night. Even after taking two blankets
and keeping our woollen Khaki jersey of the uniform on we were
shivering terribly during the night. In the morning we came to know
that after breakfast we have to put up tents in the area provided to
us with the help of a wooden
hammer, pegs and ropes and of course a central pole.
We had to complete this task
before evening and by afternoon camp started taking shape. In each
tent ten cadets were put up -five in a row facing each other. Bedding
was cleanly put with blankets folded at one end and pillow at the
other. And our utensils like plate, spoon, mug were put on the side.
We also came to know that five contingents from different Sainik
Schools of the country were participating in this camp- Sainik School
Kunjpura (Haryana), Sainik School Ghorakhal ( that time U.P), Sainik
School Rewa (Madhya Pradesh) Sainik School Kazakootam (Kerala) and
our school Sainik School Chittorgarh (Rajasthan). Our tents were
pitched in a semi-circle with Officer’s Tent and CO’s tent in the
beginning facing the tent of Quarter Guard. Nearly
500 cadets were participating in this camp which was managed by Camp
Commandant, officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Deputy Camp
Commandant, officer of the rank of Major and an Adjutant, officer of
the rank of Captain, other NCC ANO’s who mostly were teachers
accompanying the contingents and JCO’ s and NCO’s. Quarter Guard
Tent had treasury of the camp so it was guarded round the clock by
four armed cadets. Then there were tents of Canteen, Dispensary, and
of course Mess. Camp was given two three ton trucks to bring
provisions from the nearby town for the mess. So
the first day of the camp was mostly spent in pitching up tents both
of triangular pyramidical shape and quadrangular pyramidical shape.
The
actual routine of the camp commenced from the second day when we were
to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fetch tea in
tumblers(mugs) from the camp mess and after cleaning them we had to
wear white uniform with white canvas shoes and report for the P.T
roll call. In roll call our
troop commander reported to NCO incharge’s then senior most NCO
reported to JCO and senior most JCO reported the attendance to
Subedar Major and he reported it to Adjutant and if Camp Commandant
was present on the camp, then Adjutant reported the attendance to
Camp Commandant. This ritual was followed at least thrice a day.
After P.T. roll call we were sent for jogging around the ground and
simple physical exercises. After P.T we were let off for half an hour
during which we had to take bath, run to mess to take hurried
breakfast, change into Khaki uniform and report back for ceremonial
parade and morning assembly. After it there used to be various
activities like fire-fighting demonstration classes, first-aid
demonstration classes, route march, firing practice and the like.
After that lunch was
announced and after the rest for an hour we again had to assemble in
the main ground for the games. After the games some people used to
wash and change while others simply waited for the dinner time in
front of mess looking at a black board, which
used to be main attraction for many of us as menu of the day used to
be written on that board.
So the first thing that we used to do was to go before the mess tent
in the morning to get the glimpse of the menu of the meals that we
are going to get that day.
Between dinner and games there used to be rehearsals for cultural
show that was to be held on the last day of the camp by every
contingent. One day we were
taken on a long route march to an artillery unit where we were shown
artillery charge during a battle and various other weapons, signal
bombs and missiles that were normally used by army during the war and
various canons and guns and ammunitions used in them like mortars,
etc. Another day we were
taken for outing to the beautiful scenic capital of the state that
had a number of gardens, a large lake and a historical shrine. We
were put in a bus, hired for this purpose and taken for outing for
one day. During this trip I had nearly missed a bus as I went to take
water and by the time I returned I found to my surprise that the bus
had disappeared. Driver and conductor did not care to see whether
everybody has returned or not. Fortunately the bus of other troop was
still there so I reported to the officer and told him that I am with
them and I have missed my bus. So they took me along with them and I
joined my troop at the next site that we were to visit that day.
One day was reserved for
firing practice and we were taken to a valley for it and asked to
fire five rounds each from .22 rifle in lying position, of course at
the targets placed against a mud wall. After the first round I was
given duty of patrolling the area so that any cattle or person may
not come in the firing area and get injured. I was to hold a red flag
in the hand but I was so tired that I placed the flag on a rock and
in no time I was sleeping soundly. Only the cracking loud voice of
NCO brought me out of sleep. One day we were again ordered for the
route march of about 10-12 kms in a hilly terrain. I opted out of it
by offering myself for Quarter Guard Duty which was treasury and
heart of the camp and had to be guarded round the clock. There were
sixteen cadets and each batch of four cadets was replaced after the
duty of four hours. One daily
ritual of the camp, that I have forgotten to mention was march past
in which all contingents marched around the rectangular parade
ground and saluting Camp Commandant or Adjutant standing at a dais
placed in the centre of one of the edge of the parade ground. During
the camp there was a strong rumour that some fox comes daily to one
or the other tent and some cadets have also complained that it has
taken the blanket that was found later on in the ditch at some
distance from the tent. So everyday before sleeping we used to ensure
that tent was tightly closed from all the corners and the lantern on
the central pole burnt the whole night. On the last day of the camp
was a variety cultural show that was popularly known as Camp Fire.
Our contingent also gave the presentation of folk songs and dances of
Rajasthan.
On
the morning of next day we started our journey back first by bus and
then by train. But before that we were given packed breakfast of
bread and four boiled eggs. During the camp our faces and noses were
disfigured by snow bites and we had grown so much darker that by the
time we reached home we were nearly unrecognizable. Even my sister
who visited me at a railway station where we were to change the train
did not recognize me at once. My parent also gave the same reaction.
This camp totally transformed my attitude towards life as it taught
me that life was not a bed of roses, always catering to your wishes
but rather a bed of thorns and challenges that are to be faced and
encountered in life. It showed me that all that mattered was survival
and till you survive everything has meaning and existence for you.
I
completed my school education a couple of years after the life
transforming experience of this camp. After matriculation there was
no option in my school but to take science stream at + 2 level.
During the last year of my study I even had to attend extra classes
and finish my practicals- particularly in Biology-even during the
night and that too in the winters which was quite difficult for the
girl students as their parents would not allow them to leave the
house after the darkness of the evening set in. In Biology we had
dissection of animals in our syllabus. In XI class we did the
dissection of frog while in XII standard we dissected white rat. Now
the dissection has been banned in most of the school due to
organization that are against cruelty to animals like People for
Animals. Now mostly the schools are using plastic models to
demonstrate the anatomy and inner viscera of different animals to the
learners. I remember clearly that we were afraid of the skeleton of a
human being hanging on the one of the walls of the laboratory. Even
the bravest of our class fellow was scared to step into the lab alone
in the evening and put on the light. We were also given the knowledge
of plant world and we were requited to make TS( Traverse Section) and
LS ( Longitudenal Section) of the stem of a plant during the
practical which was to be cut very finely by razor. One
of our class fellows cut his finger with razor instead of the stem of
the plant and when the section of plant was dyed red in his blood and
placed it on the glass slide and putting it under microscope reported
to our teacher that the slide has red hue in the plant stem.
Similarly one short sighted student wearing glasses traced his own
eye as he could not focus microsope properly and was scolded squarely
by the teacher. During
chemistry practicals, I recollect, that some student created an
explosion in a test tube after he mixed a few chemicals at will. Some
student created mischief by putting the long funnel of the water
bottle in the pocket of Half-pant of the neigbouring student. Once he
could not differentiate students from Lab boy who was also wearing a
pant of the same colour as students and he drenched his pocket and
even the currency notes in it. In Physics we had several experiments
with Tongs, Pendulums, Post Box Telegraph, Ammetres, Galvanometres
and Voltometres and of Diode and Triode Valves. Though I was quite
clumsy with handling the equipment in the practicals but in the final
practicals of XII standard I nearly got full marks. Even
the practical examiner who came from the neighbouring state remarked
that with a heavy heart he has to cut one mark as he does not give
full marks to anybody in practicals in his life. But it was quite
difficult for him to cut one mark as the results of the experiments
were simply perfect and flawless.
So
I was fortunate that in my early life I got the best possible
education of the times with the best possible infrastructure and
nearly perfect teaching staff. It was due to this congenial
environment of the school education that I always had an edge over
others in every field and at every time in my profession that was to
begin soon after the completion of my formal education at the school
level. After the successful
completion of school education I entered the portals of higher
education in the local college enrolling myself in a graduation
programme. Almost everything was different in the college in
comparison with the school routine. There was hardly any regularity
in the classes and both most of the students and faculty members were
not serious about the completion of syllabus in the class room. In
fact most of them were not interested in class room teaching. Even
many of the students also wanted to be excused from the classes as
they were working elsewhere as insurance agents or as helping hands
in shops and malls in order to augment the income of their family. In
the first year of my study I watched the complacent environment and
attitude of higher education with horror and sometimes disgust also.
There was hardly any planning , punctuality, and organization.
Flattery and nepotism was at its prime. However due to my regular
studies whether classes were held or not and due to my discipline
habits I was able to score first class marks in the annual exams.
Next year due to good academic performance I was nominated as
Organizing Secretary of one association of subject while Vice
President of another one. I
was given responsibility to hold academic and literary activities
like Extension lectures by prominent academicians from the state,
Debate competitions, Paper Reading Sessions every Saturday. One year
I even organized Picnic of my batch
to a nearby dam in which even
the girls of the class participated with great enthusiasm. At
one of the extension lecture I, with the help of my class fellows
even organized lunch in the college in which Principal, Guest Speaker
and faculty members of the department were invited. Due to my regular
life, discipline and punctuality I did not excel in literary
activities like Debates, Extempore speeches and Essay competitions
but I even excelled in sports to some extent as I was member of
Cricket Team and Football Team of the faculty and member of Hockey
Team of the college. Every day used to be busy day as planning an
event, finalising guests, printing invitations, bring out notice for
the faculty and students to attend it and finally to organize it by
making arrangements of light,mike and photographer and to arrange for
tea and snacks after the event. However in the final year also,
despite being busy in the activities I managed to get good marks and
even secured a place in the merit list of the state that made me
eligible for two years scholarship if I pursued studies in Masters
Program.
So
in order to avail the facility of scholarship I decided to enrol
myself for Post Graduate Studies. It occurred to me that these two
years are going to play a prominent role in shaping my career and
future life, so I got busy with the studies though I continued to
participate in literary and academic activities of the college
regularly and continued to organize the activities of PG Association
as well like Paper Reading Sessions, and Extension Lectures as on the
basis of merit I was nominated as Secretary of the Association in
the first year and Vice President in the final year of Post Graduate
Studies. I cleared my exams with a fair success and stood second in
the class. So
I spent nearly five years in completing my higher education. While I
was doing my PG my parents retired and I earned something by taking
Tuitions so as to meet the expenses of my books and exam fees to some
extent. That year though our
Hockey coach had promised that college team would participate in
Inter-Collegiate Tournament of the University but due to some reason
these tournaments could not be held that year, but still our college
hockey team went to play a the nearest place in the neighbouring
state to play a friendly match. Though I did not play in the match
but unfortunately our team lost though in the beginning we were
looking favourites. After the match we went to see the town and movie
at the local picture hall and returned back to our place. Similarly
our picnic was also one day long. We started from home town early in
the morning and reached the picnic site by early noon. We had snacks
and tea, and then while some of us got busy in preparing lunch others
went to have a round of the area near the waterfall. Our teachers had
strictly forbidden us to enter the pool as it was quite dangerous
near the place where water fell directly from a rock jutting out in
space. As a student we
preferred to travel by Railways as it was easy to get concession in
railways and besides ticket was cheaper in railways than in the bus.
However, for the picnic we had to hire a bus as there was no direct
rail connection to the place that we wanted to visit Besides we had a
number of utensils also that was difficult to carry it on the railway
platform. In the annual prize distribution function I was centre of
attraction for the faculty members and even object of envy for my
class fellows as I bagged a number of prizes and certificates.
Besides I was also conducting the program and thanked everybody from
the innermost core of my heart for their cooperation and support to
make my tenure successful. Principal of the college on this occasion
without taking my name mentioned proudly that the aim of higher
education had
been
realised as even one parent has also recognized the contribution of
higher education by transforming the introvert personality of an
individual to an extrovert one. Perhaps that day was the best day in
my entire education career.
Part-II
It
was due to quality education that I got at the school and college
level that helped me in securing good job. Here I must acknowledge
that even at the Higher Education Level in the college I was
fortunate to have some of the best faculty available in the state. I
am still indebted to the faculty members and would remain indebted
till the last moment of my life both at the school and college level
for making me what I am today. I would feel honoured and privileged
if I get any opportunity to serve my alma maters in any way. Due to
my job I had to leave my home town. I was so much absorbed
in my professional life that I nearly forgot my home town nearly for
three decades of life except
for a few days during my wedding. That time the town had not changed
much as much time had not elapsed since my leaving the town. After
my wedding since I had a good job with a sufficiently good salary so
I did not get time to visit my home town. I could grab a good job,
due to proficiency in the international language that I had acquired
during my school and college days-thanks chiefly to the excellent
teachers and the environment of my educational institutions where I
got my education as a result of which I had a place of prominence in
the town as I had a job with good salary, perks and other facilities.
There was only one drawback of this job that there was a great dearth
of leaves and it required attention all the years round. To
get a leave even for two days you have to give sound convincing
reasons to the authorities. When it occurred to me that this job
required 24x7 attention, I bought a two room flat near my workplace
on instalments after accepting the advise of an elder colleague who
believed that even after paying rent in a rented accommodation you
cannot become its owner while after paying instalments for ten years
you can own the house. With time I shifted by newly wed wife to this
place and we had two lovely sons who had all the privileges and
benefits of living in a metro town including good public school
education. As my salary was good so I faced little difficulty in
admitting them to a good public school affiliated to a leading board
of the country. Under the
supervision of good tutors that money could easily buy they were
doing well in academics and other fields and I was contented with
their progress and hoped that they too would have bright future
despite growing competition. Though I had limited vacations too but
my wife insisted on utilising them by going to some tourist place-
historical or scenic- to break the monotony of the daily life. And
that was good as I too could get some time to spend with my family.
Then Kids were in that formative phase of their life that would prove
to be a blessing, if well utilised, in moulding their career and
bright future. A couple of years hard work in the right direction
could decide the future course of their life. As my Kid’s teacher
often told them, “ Work hard now, and enjoy lifelong” or “
Enjoy now and repent life long.” The choice is up to you, you
have to decide the path that you want to take in life. Though every
body knows it but the attractions in young age are so strong that
they like a magnet attracts the will of working hard and everybody
says that today I will enjoy and start working hard from tomorrow but
that tomorrow never comes. Though
I could not get time in my working life of three decades to visit my
home town but still I cherished it and its easy and comfortable and
carefree life and longed for it again in my dreams. Somewhere deep
in my heart I was nurturing a desire to go away from the crowded and
polluted life of the city after retirement on a long vacation and
live there to my heart’s content.
My
day here began at 5.30 a.m in the morning. While waiting for a cup of
tea in morning lazily my kids used to turn up to greet me followed by
their mother with a steaming hot cup of tea. After tea and other
rituals I used to visit a club to have my daily dose of Tennis with
my friends, that I learnt to play during my school days. Mostly
people came to clubs to keep themselves fit and to maintain contacts
with leading personalities of the town that helped me to grow and
develop in their professions. After returning to the club I used to
escort my kids up to the bus point where they used to board the bus
to go to school. After the wash and hurried breakfast I used to rush
to my office so as to reach my office by 9.55 a.m. As
my working place was quite near my residence so I had privilege of
getting hot and fresh home made lunch daily during the break. After
lunch as the work decreased so I
used to enjoy a siesta of about 15 to 20 minutes as I had read
somewhere that Prime Minister of Britain during World War II Mr.
Winston Churchill had written that the afternoon siesta of 20 minutes
facilitated him to work till midnight easily. After 3 p.m work in the
office escalated as everybody tried to reach the target given to them
by 4.30 p.m positively so that they can reach their home early in the
evening as soon as the office closed at 5 p.m. After the evening tea
and snacks with my wife and kids I used to refresh myself with live
concert or some cultural activity or watched such activity on
Television. After dinner I used to go on a stroll for fifteen minutes
before retiring for the night. I
was fortunate that my wife, though she was not in job, she constantly
supervised and monitored the academic and intellectual growth of my
kids so well that I had no worries on that front.
I
had fully established myself in the literary and cultural circles of
this town. I used to attend the weekly meeting of such organizations
concerned with literary-cultural activities. So I was invited for
every concert, and literary- cultural activities like Kavi Durbar or
Poetry Reading Sessions, Qawali concerts, and concerts of
instrumental and classical music. As
most of these concerts were held in the premises of some educational
institution, so head of every educational institution of the town
became acquainted with me. So every weekend some or the other school
invited me to give motivational talk to their students. They even
invited me as subject expert to help them in the recruitment of
faculty and other staff particularly related to music, dancing,
drawing and painting.
During
my school days I had learnt to play the game of tennis and continued
to play it in order to keep myself fit. I had joined the The
Officer’s Club as official member and played Tennis in the mornings
at the neatly constructed synthetic Tennis courts. When I had learnt
playing Tennis it was the age of wooden racquets that had to be kept
in wooden frames, specially during the rains so as to prevent them
from bending due to moisture. Later on steel racquets came and then
graphite ones which were much more durable and lighter in weight. It
was nearly impossible to hold a racquet firmly with one hand at the
growing age of 12 or 13 years particularly while hitting backhand
shots. As the ball hit the racquet normally it used to bend sending
ball out of the courts or into the net. Though this club was
primarily meant for the government officials but there was provision
for the people belonging to private sector to become its members and
slowly the private members outnumbered the official member as most of
the officials came only for a tenure to three to five years so they
did not show much interest in taking the membership of the club. Only
those official who were fond of playing Tennis, Badminton, Table
Tennis and Billiards took its membership and visited it regularly
either in the morning or evening as it suited them. While
non-official members stayed even for years and even generations. So
they had better know of things and used to get their thing done in
one or the other way. Most of the non-official members were
businessmen and contractors who had to remain in constant touch with
government officials to achieve their ends, so they considered
membership of the Club as an investment that was bound to give return
sooner or later. Though mostly I played Tennis in the morning and
sometimes in the evening too but I also participated in its other
activities like Annual Picnics and Annual Dinner. Mostly picnics were
held at some spot of natural beauty and historical significance. I
remembered to have attended a picnic that was held at a place nearly
30 kms from District Headquarters. It was a waterfall surrounded by
mesmerising rocks, mountains and tall multi
canopied trees. Even
some of the path to it was unmetalled. Besides snack, tea and lunch a
number of activities were organized to entertain the members and in
most of the activities luck played a significant part but I emerged
winner in Quiz Contest. In fact I shared this honour with a gentleman
who had also answered the questions correctly. Picnics and Dinners
were good occasions for get- together as I cam to know about a number
of members and their family who do not visit the club regularly. As
mostly I used to go to club to play Tennis so I had close intimacy
only with the members who played Tennis or some other game at the
club regularly. Besides this on one occasion Club also organized a
Music concert of famous Ghazal Singers who were invited from the
state capital at the behest of Police Chief of the District who was
very much interested in literary and cultural activities. To my
knowledge he was the only Police officer who organized a music
concert in Police Lines for the benefit of the Sepoys.
I
observed that playing regularly with the same set of individuals for
a long time has developed a sort of camaraderie, friendship and even
life long relationship with them. Club organized Intra club Matches
and then selected a team of the Club who represented it at other
Inter-Club tourneys as well as at other tournaments at District,
Division and even State level. Sometimes teams from other clubs used
to visit our club for playing while at other times our team went to
play at their place. Once our Club organized State Level Civil
Services Tennis and Table Tennis Tournament at the initiative of
Additional District Magistrate of the town who was quite interested
in playing games and adventure activities particularly Tennis.
Everything from venue to logistics, food catering and stay was
handled by the Government Departments and officials. I also got a
chance to play in the tournament as there was no civil servant in 50
plus category who could play Tennis. Though I was in no shape to
play, as I was out of practice for a long time due to ill health but
still I was put up as a member of a team to complete it and save the
team of our district from getting disqualified. Though I did not win
a single match in the tournament yet
due to the ingenuity of the Captain of our team and lucky and
intelligent planning of the Captain we reached the finals of this
tournament and lost to the State Capital team in the finals. In the
closing ceremony we were given runners up trophy and even individual
trophies- the replicas of the same.
The Chief Guest at the
closing ceremony were District Collector and Police Chief of the
district who handed us trophies to us.
I
was also quite active in the literary and cultural activities of the
town. I had joined an organization that was primarily a youth
organization aiming at preservation of rich classical culture and
heritage of country amongst the youth of the country through
classical music, dance and folk literature, folk music and folk
dance. Since the target audience of this organization was youth so
most of its concerts and programmes were held in the premises of
schools, colleges and universities. There
used to be vocal and instrumental music and dance concerts by
accomplished artistes, sometimes presentation by folk artistes like
Puppet show and talks by literary personalities and authors to young
students of the school, college and universities. It was very
difficult to make the young citizens of the country sit still even
for an hour as they are full of energy and bubbling with action.
This organization so as to
create cadre of volunteers and workers established chapters in
prominent schools, colleges and universities and held a monthly
meeting to celebrate the birth or death anniversary of some
intellectual stalwart, literary giant of the country or the world.
Whenever the concert was
allotted to the school, college or university department. These
volunteers used to get active under the supervision of a teacher who
used to be incharge of these activities. They took over the
responsibility of looking after logistic arrangement of the artistes,
ensuring to make their stay pleasant and comfortable and then after
the concert to see them off to next destination. Normally
there used to be two activities during an year Lec-Dem Series (
Lecture-Demonstration ) from July to December and then Fest series
from January to March as students used to get busy with exams in the
month of April. Normally the institution hosting these activities had
to pay for the transport or taxi of the artistes which was normally
shared by the chapters where the artistes performed. I
had observed that residential educational institution were proving to
be useful and apt for these type of the programmes as these
organizations had their own guest house where artistes stayed and
took meals in their mess.
This
organization held two conventions at state level and one
international convention annually. I had opportunity to attend three
state level conventions in which the financial situation of the
organization was discussed and ways to create funds were meditated
upon. Also the circuits of the artistes was drawn up. The effect of
this organization on me was that atleast I had learnt to recognize a
few names in classical music world, name of prominent authors and
folk artists and also the name of instruments like Mrindang, Rudra
Veena, Mohan Veena, Santoor, Pakahawaj and Rawan Hatha. In the
international convention the day started at 4.00 a.m in the morning
when you had to join some activity like Hath Yoga, Dance Yoga and
Nada Yoga that continued till 7 a.m. As I saw that there was minimal
physical activity in Nada Yoga so I joined it as there was only
incantation of the sargam for continuously for two and a half hours.
After wash and change we had to report for breakfast at the mess of
the institution hosting the convention. I
had even seen people had to skip their breakfast and had to go to
workshop directly for reporting late and there was no eating joint
for atleast four kilometres from the campus of the hosting
institution. After the breakfast it was mandatory for every body to
join some workshop on dancing, painting, sculpture,pottery,
Molela art, calligraphy, and
creative writing. I joined the workshop on creative writing which was
handled over by a Marathi author who also taught English at a college
in Maharashtra. These workshops continued till lunch. After lunch we
were asked to assemble at the auditorium of the hosting institute
where the concerts and presentation by the leading artistes of the
country were staged . This activity continued till 6. p.m when we
moved for early dinner and after dinner the concerts again continued
till midnight every day and on the last day these concerts continued
for the whole night till the
first ray of the Sun in the morning. As it was a voluntary
organization so you cannot order anybody to do some work but you have
to keep a volunteer so much committed and motivated that he will not
allow the program of the organization fail and let the organization
down. I was working actively
for this organization from more than one decade in various capacities
starting as a volunteer and ending as Chairperson and Senior Advisor
of the Chapter through the offices of Secretary, Coordinator,
Treasurer and Vice Chairperson. It appeared as if we were running
race against time throughout the year. Beginning with publicity and
invitations for the concert to the payment of the bills for
taxi,photography, music, light and tent system it appeared as endless
race and often sponsorers promised but did not pay as much as they
had promised on various reasons that this season our factory is
running in loss, our owner had died and the like. Sometimes we had to
pay even from our pockets and by the time all the bills of a concert
were cleared we were right in the middle of next concert. Sometimes
there was too much overlapping that it was confusing that which bill
was related to which concert.
During
an inservice training program sponsored by the University we felt a
need for our professional organization at the State Level so as to
enhance the professional competence of the individuals by updation of
the latest trends in the field. Quickly we passed the resolution and
formed a working executive and decided to hold one annual conference
of the body at some suitable place in the state and to bring out one
annual journal containing the research papers of the papers related
to different avenues of our field, particularly from young
academicians and research scholars so as to motivate them to the
field of research. Almost all the participants of this training
program became the members of the organization and I also made it a
point of my life that come what may I will try to attend its every
annual conference and not only that I will also try to contribute to
the academic annual journal of the organization. That will keep me
updated about the latest developments taking place in the field of my
interest. Mostly these conference were a two days or three days
affair. Though it was allowed to bring your family members to the
conference and many members brought their family whenever the
conference was held at a place of some tourist interest but the fact
was that family members felt bored in Seminar Sessions. These
sessions consisted of one or two plenary sessions by subject experts
and three paper presentation sessions known
as technical sessions each
day including the inaugural and valedictory session. In the evening
the organizers arranged a cultural show for the entertainment of the
members or outing to some spot of tourist significance. Sometimes
cultural shows were presented by the staff and students of the
hosting organization.
I
was also member of Guild of my profession. In my country almost every
profession of both organized and unorganized sector can boast of
their Guild association and trade union. They too have elections for
the office functionaries and annual General body meetings. These
guilds and trade unions were heavily loaded in favour of their rights
and rarely any union talked about their duties towards their
employer, society and nation. Most of them complained of poor wages
and uncongenial working conditions and they constantly opposed their
employers for poor salary, long working hours and retirement and
social security benefits like health facilities. They seldom pondered
over their contribution to improve human society by doing their
duties honestly. Though I was a member of such a union throughout my
life but I seldom worked actively in it as they talked only about
their benefits. Though they published a bi-annual newsletter
reiterating their demands that looked so similar that the only
difference between these letters were only date and year ofits
publication. I was fortunate to attend some of the their annual
conferences which were normally inaugurated by a politician, minister
or a bureaucrat belonging to the same profession. Mostly these type
of people were invited and felicitated as they were in position to
benefit atleast the functionaries of the trade union if not its
members. Most of these
functionaries wanted to remain in the good books of these people so
that they are not disturbed or tormented by their employers.. It was
strange that in such meetings the number of people doubled at the
times of meals and refreshments than in the inaugural or closing
sessions as if most of the participants came to taste the food and
hospitality of the organizers. Rarely any academician or intellectual
was invited to these functions who can really give some points to
ponder to the members of the guild. I stopped attending these meets
after some time as I observed that though the faces in the Executive
changed but their agenda almost remained the same like their lousy
newsletter. Their only interest was to maintain their position as
long as possible and they did not care a bit for the interests of the
common member. My only purpose in attending these conferences was to
meet my old friends and colleagues with whom I had worked in the
past. With time due to connivance between employers and bureaucrats
the union was split damaging the movement further as establishment
succeeded in dividing the movements so as to weaken it.
Normally
I attended these meets by going to these places by rails and road and
sometimes we colleagues used to hire a cab or some other vehicle and
normally used to return with them after the end of the convention.
Once I went with my
colleagues but returned by train with my senior colleague who
belonged to the same town and who was a bit handicapped. So we booked
first class ticket in a train as he used to get connection for being
a physical handicap and we had to change the train at some place to
get another train bound for our home town. Unfortunately we could not
get first class reservation in linking train and Ticket conductor
adjusted us in Sleeper Class. As soon as we got berth we slept so
soundly that it did not occur to us when train reached our home town.
When the train started for another station and I opened my eyes to
find the world famous fort of my home town sliding southwards, I got
a feeling that the train has left but my senior colleague was still
confident that train was still shunting the coaches but it gathered
speed and left the platform and now it was impossible to get down and
that too with handicapped colleague who was in advanced middle age.
So we got down when it stopped at the next station nearly 50 kms
from my home town and we got back by bus, nearly three hours behind
the schedule.
This
incident has reminded me of a similar event when I went to attend
wedding of one of my friend at Dehradun along with my teacher, who
belonged to that area. From Delhi we got into a packed train whose
half of the coaches were to go upto Dehradun while the other half
were to be detached from the train at a station named Najibabad and
proceed to Kotdwar. As my teacher belonged to this area so I was
completely relying on me. As we did not get a sleeping place in the
coach so my teacher started playing a game of cards along with the
passengers. So he could get sleep only in the early hours of the
morning as a result of which he was sleeping soundly at Najibabad
when the one half of the train detached from the train and proceeded
towards Dehradun but without us as we were sleeping peacefully in
that part of the train that was to go to Kotdwar. When my teacher
woke up train for Dehradun had already departed and we got out of the
train quickly as this train was also almost ready to proceed towards
Kotdwar. We waited for another hour on the platform before the next
train came and we reached Dehradun. We did not get even time to pack
our baggages so we nearly jumped out of the coaches taking our sheets
and bedding on our heads and then kept it under us on the cement
benches and my companion again began to doze off but however he got
up when the next train moved into the platform. Though
we attended all the ceremonies of the wedding but it caused
inconvenience to our hosts as we could not intimate them about the
delay in our arrival and they had sent people to receive us at the
station.
As
I had studied in a residential public school for a period of about
eight years so I had developed a unique kind of life long
relationship with my alma mater, class fellows and hostel companions.
Though school invited us every year at the Alumni Meet and school
founder day but being busy in the family I could not find time to
attend it despite planning it every year as some or the other problem
would crop up in the nick of time. However I made it a point to
attend the silver jubilee reunion of my batch in the school. Earlier
I used to contend and console myself with the news of growth and
development in the campus from the annual newsletter of the school
and from my friends who attended these meets regularly, particularly
those who were local. A
number of my friends who had settled at the same place where they had
studied had formed a local chapter of Alumni Union. I became its life
member at once and even conducted the proceedings of the annual
meeting of the Union at some conspicuous place of the town. Mostly
the responsibility of organizing these meets is given to fresh pass
out students who were studying in the college and universities. One
clear cut advantage of giving the management to them was that they
had the latest knowledge about the staff members of the institute and
other developments in the school. An Executive body of this
organization was also formed almost unanimously as it was a thankless
job. Normally the boys who had studied in our school was strange
assortment of bureaucrats, technocrats, diplomats, teachers, doctors,
scientists, service and police officers and of course a large number
of businessmen. The oldest member of the organization was elected
unanimously as its President, similarly Executive was also elected
unanimously. At its annual meets retired and current teachers,
Principals, Headmasters, Adm Officers were invited and felicitated.
In it Principal apprised the members about the developments and
achievements made by the school in the different fields. It was
followed by Tea and Snacks with the staff and photographic session in
which normally the boys attending the meet along with their families
posed for the group photograph with the school faculty and
administration. It was
followed by business meet in which members discussed the needs and
problems of the institution and suggested steps to solve them even by
volunteering their services and money. Before
that secretary used to read out the minutes of the last meet and
apprise the members about the steps taken to solve the issues taken
up in the last meet. Treasures apprised the members briefly about the
financial situation of the organization and Principal in his address
used to update the members about the latest developments and
achievements of the school throughout the session.
School
also celebrated Annual Day Meet or Founder’s Day that began with
special assembly in which some old students of the school who had
settled well in life and is enjoying a reputed place in society
addresses students in order to motivate and inspire them to progress
and do well in life despite a number of problems and difficulties and
uncertainties of life. After the tea and photo session old boys used
to visit their hostels where they had spent five to six years of
their life. It was followed
by lunch with the students of the school in school mess . After the
lunch there used to be a basket ball or volleyball match between the
old students and school team or teachers team.
It was followed by evening
team with Adm Staff again in school canteen; and it was followed by
cultural evening which normally used to be presented by the students
of the school and some cultural items used to be given by old boys
who had come to celebrate the function. Every chapter of the
association set up in the different cities of the province and the
nation and even abroad celebrated Annual Union Meet of the Old Boys
Association.
Different
chapters of Association also organized sight seeing tours and picnics
at the place of historical significance or natural landscape. Usually
these picnics used to be one day affair that used to be at some
natural secluded place full of greenery and water either in the form
of a lake or pond, river or waterfall or a dam managed by the
Irrigation Department of the State. Normally such picnics used to
commence at mid day with tea and snacks along with party games like
chess, Chinese Checkers, Carom, Lotto Housie, and even Badminton.
While people are busy in chatting or playing games or wandering and
exploring the area volunteers used to prepare the lunch. After the
lunch there used to be some cultural program in which every member
contributed by giving some song or joke or mimicry and mono acting.
Meanwhile it was time for tea
and pack up and by the time of dusk we used to return back to the
town but we used to get so much tired that hardly anybody cared for
dinner that day.
I
also remembered going on a tour with two to three families to a place
of natural beauty or nicknamed The Queen of Hills of course on
contributory basis. We had hired a Tempo Traveller Bus which was
bulky in size so it moved at a slower pace particularly on the hilly
and mountainous zig-zag roads. In fact we had arranged this tour due
to the fact some of our friends who belonged
to
that
hill station
and had agreed to arrange our board and lodging at of course payment
basis. So we took a couple of hours more than any other vehicle would
have taken to cover this distance. We reached at our destination at
11 p.m but even at that unearthly hour our hosts were waiting eagerly
for us with their families in attendance. We regretted that we were
later partly due to our late start and partly due to slow pace of the
vehicle that we had hired on the windy roads of the mountains and we
regretted for the inconvenience caused to them due to our late
arrival. But as we were meeting after a long time of two decades so
we had a good dinner together at the resort of course which was
arranged by our host friends. After the dinner we retired for the
rest of the night. In the morning our hosts were ready before us and
accompanied us to the hall where complimentary breakfast of the
resort was laid. After enjoying the complimentary hospitality of the
resort our hosts took us to see the museums of
the institution
where they were working. Then we visited Natural Science Museum where
my children were overjoyed to see the solid compressed air in a jar
that was amber in colour. Everybody was excited to see the wonders of
science exhibited there like Electric Man sitting on an iron chair
holding a tube light. If you touched the other end of the tubelight
it twinkled and if you touched the man, you get a mild shock. Then
there was a man from Mars who had only head and neck and every other
part of his body was disappeared due to reflection and refraction
techniques by placing the mirrors at a particular angle. In the
evening we were taken to the museum of historical and architectural
artefacts of the past which was housed in the place of the ex-ruler
of that place and who had donated this palace to archaeological
department of the State. This palace had one room dedicated to
different artefacts of the past- coins, arms, sculpture, statues,
paintings, pottery, clocks, crockery of glass and china clay, watches
to keep time, wooden carvings and stone sculpture. In its courtyard
were vintage buggies and cars used by different rulers of the state.
It nearly took us nearly three hours to see this museum cursorily at
the cantering speed. Other wise it is nearly impossible to see every
object in detail even in a day. By
the time we returned to our resort lights of the town were already
twinkling like stars in the sky. Our hosts had another surprise
waiting for us in the form of cultural evening. We were so much tired
that we were already nearly snoring by the time the cultural evening
ended.
Next
day our hosts took us to a place 25 kms away from that place which
was a place where snow can be seen on the mountain tops even in the
Summers. It was my first experience to walk ona glacier and glide on
white fleece like snowy surface. The spot where they had taken us was
simply alluring and mesmerising with its natural unique beauty. In
the evening we did some shopping in the local market buying
handicrafts as mementoes of this grand visit. So this was my life in
the town that had kept me so busy that I had nearly forgotten about
my home town and its school that had transformed a semi-literate brat
into a skilled, sound and successful professional. I hoped that after
superannuation perhaps I would get some time to visit my home town
again.
_________________________________
Part-III
I was leading quite a contented and fulfilling life in this town
that had given me respect, dignity, livelihood, money and name and
fame. I was so much lost and engrossed in the life of this town that
I had nearly forgotten even about the locations of my home town. I
would have continued to spend my life in this town had I not got
nearly a SOS from my parents who were facing difficulty due to their
growing age that was encumbering in maintaining and looking after
their ancestral property which they were not ready to sell at any
cost. So the first step that I took was to look for my old phone
diaries from my almirah that contained the phone numbers and
addresses of my old friends, relatives and acquaintances of my home
whom I have not seen since I had left my school and come to work in
this town. But in this ever changing dynamic era almost every body
had changed his number according to the convenient and economical
service provider. However, I did not relent and kept on trying.
Ultimately I succeeded in getting the phone number of an employee of
my old school buddy who had perhaps given his old phone to the
employee with an aim to trace his movement and whereabouts. He
promised me that he will get me connected with his boss the moment he
reaches the shop that was their business site.
This employee whose name was Hari Prasad proved to be man of words
and promise and as soon as his master reached the shop he asked him
to talk to me on a number that appeared strange to him. However he
rang me and I picked it up quickly and introduced myself to him. He
took some time to recognize and locate me as we were conversing after
a gap of nearly three decades. After the exchange of pleasantries he
got increasingly informal as our conversation progressed. We nearly
talked for half an hour enquiring about the whereabouts of our common
friends and buddies at the school. I was so much engrossed in the
conversation that I had nearly forgotten the real motive to call my
friend of bygone years. After education while I came to this town
this friend whose name was Prabhjyot took on his father’s settled
business. I took his latest phone number and promised him to meet in
near future. He had built a house for himself in one of the outer
lying colonies of the town where he was living with his child,
however this colony was the posh area of the town. He assured me of
every help and even meeting my parents and helping them in sorting
out the property matters as he had good contacts with the local
authorities of the town. I thanked him for his positive and
encouraging reply and promised him to meet him as I was planning to
visit the town in near future as it was my belief that these matters
cannot be sorted out without one’s continuous and consistent
efforts.
So I drew up a plan to visit my home town despite protests from my
wife and children. I applied for one week’s leave and hoped that
the problem would be solved easily in this period and if need by the
leave can be extended by one another week. So after returning from
the office I started packing my bags for the journey. As I had
decided to go alone so I took a small leather bag and put some
clothes in it that would be sufficient to last one week and if need
be clothes can be washed according to the need and requirement. As I
was going by bus so I had planned to take early morning bus so that I
would reach my destination well before the darkness and lights of
evening that glittered like stars in heaven. Next morning I don’t
know why I overslept and could only get up when the Sun had already
risen. Taking the bath and breakfast hurriedly I moved quickly
towards the local bus stand of the town but every vehicle seemed to
be moving in the opposite direction and they even invited me to join
but as moving in that direction did not fall in line with my plan so
I had no option but to wait for the conveyance. At last he found one
three wheeler going in his desired direction and though it was full
driver agreed to give me a place beside him on his driving seat as in
my neat clothes I appeared a cultured and educated gentleman to the
semi-literate driver. As I rushed into the enquiry window of the bus
stand directly from the three wheeler I was disappointed to find that
the fast service bus to my home town had just left five minutes ago.
So now there was no option but to take a local bus and that too after
waiting for atleast half an hour. So I sat on the newly constructed
cement bench with the name of the donor written boldly over it in
both in the local language as well as in English. I watched a few
people who had clustered at the magazine shop and tea joints and even
a man was selling a glass of chilled water for one rupee. As the bus
took its position on the platform, driver and conductor came out of
it lazily as if they were in no hurry to leave the bus stand even
after twenty minutes scheduled stay and even when the bus was fairly
full of passengers. It appeared as if the slow pace of the local bus
has percolated into the actions of the driver and conductor also.
Even after coming out of the bus stand they were stopping it
frequently to take every potential passenger into it. They even
stopped it for a person who was waiting to cross the road and driver
expecting him to get him into the bus stopped it respectfully for him
and moved it only when the person crossed the road taking his own
time and entered his hut situated on the other side of the road.
Driver applied top gear of the bus only when it was well out of the
town on the open road passing through the trees of the forest lining
the road. Still driver slowed the bus at ever shade of the tree
hoping that some passenger would hop from behind the tree. It stopped
at every village, hamlet and stop to the driver’s content. Driver
and conductor simply did not care for the passengers who had to catch
a connecting bus or train to other places. Passengers were sweating
profusely in the stifling and humid environment of the bus.
Ultimately I reached my destination when it was already midnight and
I got immediate relief as soon as I got out of bus in the fresh cool
air of my home town at midnight and took a three wheeler instantly to
reach my home where my mother was waiting anxiously for me as I was
already late by atleast by four hours and though the time was well
past midnight but still my mother was ready with a warm and fresh
dinner and delicious and my favourite dessert rice pudding(kheer) for
me. As I was tired after a day long journey the suffocating, stifling
and sweating environment of the bus in the hot month of June so I
slept instantly as soon as my head touched the pillow after a hearty
dinner, on the fresh and new sheets provided by my mother to me. In
the morning I got up early and went for the morning walk to a nearby
college ground where I hoped to find some friend or acquaintance from
my school days. As I had come to the town after a long time so I
observed a number of changes in the town like a new railway
overbridge had come up that had changed the landscape of the town and
made the famous railway crossing nearly defunct. As this railway
crossing was frequently closed due to heavy railway traffic leading
to long queue of road traffic so it was a famous and popular saying
that poor man’s luck and this gate opens rarely. Then broad gauge
had come to the town with faster rails and new look to the railway
station. Though in recent years town has become a cement hub but
recently new metal plant had also come up in the town changing the
map of the town further. Roads too had improved in the last few
years. During the walk to my utter disappointment I could not find
anybody moving around in the track of the college. Only I could spot
two fellows who appeared to be known to me from their gait but both
of them had preferred to remain unmarried in their life. Most of my
friends it seemed were engrossed so much in their lives that they
were totally neglecting their health needs altogether.
After returning from the college ground and making minute
observations of the changes that have taken place in the town in the
last two decades it appeared to me that most of the changes were
superficial and the rhythm of the town was more or less same as it
had been two decades ago when I left this town to get a job. I got
ready for breakfast after a quick wash and change. My father was busy
in observing rituals of daily puja while my mother was in the kitchen
cooking my favourite breakfast of stuffed Paranthas which is perhaps
one of the most nutritious and healthy breakfast in the entire world
though it requires a few accessories like butter, chutney of mint or
coriander leaves and sauce and after it of course a hot cup of tea.
After the breakfast I left the house to meet my friend, so as to sort
the issues, at the appointed time but mostly I found that either he
had already left for some work or he hadn’t reached the appointed
place yet from some previous errand. I was taken aback when I did not
find him at the pre decided place and pre decided time but then it
occurred to me that I had come to town after nearly two decade and
this fellow who was living and had to earn his livelihood in order
to rear his family, so I should not expect that he would sacrifice
his daily routine just for a useless person like me who did not care
to come to the town from a long period of twenty years. However, that
fellow turned up after ten minutes and felt sorry that he kept me
waiting. Though I had ample time of two full day to do this job but
still I showed enough dignity to accept his apology gracefully.
Experience during these couple of days gave me this much knowledge
that a lot has changed in the town as many of the rules, many of the
offices and officers have changed during this time period. My work
was just to get a copy of document related to my plot from the office
of Municipal Council but I ran from pillar to post in these two days
to get my work done despite a number of recommendations from the
influential people and constant pursuing by my friend. This led me to
rethink about my decision to settle in this town after
superannuation. It occurred to me that I will have to start from the
beginning to cultivate the relationships and contacts if I wanted to
return to this town after retirement though my children and spouse
were against this decision of mine. However I thanked my friends and
class fellows and other citizens of this town who had helped me in
getting my work done. Still this incident made me realise that though
my friends and class fellows have lost no affection for me but they
have their own lives and professions to look after and their own
preoccupations and I should not expect that they should respond at my
every beck and call and be with me all the twenty four hours of the
day and night.
I returned to my home in the evening at 5.30 p.m and while I was
sipping a cup of masala tea prepared by mother I realised that
howsoever early you may go to a government office most of the
official work is done after lunch between 3 and 5 p.m when the staff
themselves, including the clerks and officers, are also in hurry to
rush back to their homes so as to be in time for evening tea with
their families so that no body can blame of punctuality that they
followed meticulously of atleast leaving the office if not coming to
the office in the morning. I enjoyed tea and snacks prepared by
mother fully that were badly needed after spending so much time in
the damp, badly lighted and badly ventilated rooms of the office
building. After the tea I went outside for another round of the town
to some of its familiar place but this time not on foot but on
scooter of my younger sibling. When I returned back after a couple of
hours after visiting a local park and a lake and spending some time
holding the iron railing and enjoying the cool breeze coming from the
lake there was an agitated debate going on between my parents
regarding the ancestral property of the village. An immediate visit
to the village was direly needed in order to sort out this dispute
with my uncles and cousins. My father insisted me to accompany him to
the village. Though my leave was at end but I could not refuse my
ageing father and hence sent a letter to my office for extension of
my leave for another week.
This was my opportunity to see countryside after a long time. In
childhood during the vacations we used to go to the village along
with my parents. So after mailing the leave application I joined my
parents on this rural safari. It was decided to go by train as the
journey to our village was an overnight journey and timely intimation
about our arrival would bring one of my uncles or cousins to the
nearest railway station to take us to the village on his second hand
Jonga Jeep, last time used during the World War II, which was a rough
and tough vehicle fit for the rural roads. This vehicle originated in
America as General Purpose Vehicle to overcome the uncertainties of
the horses during the military operations. The berths in the train
were reserved that was to leave in the evening and reach our
destination in the morning after an overnight journey. Both of my
parents and I reached the station well in time and occupied the seats
on the arrival of the train much in peace in comparison with the
others due to rush of passengers in the unreserved and general
coaches of the train. We had taken our dinner from our home along
with us and opened the tiffin box as soon as we boarded the train
though my parents were not in mood of early dinner but I thought that
after dinner they can repose on their berths and get a good rest
during the night and rise up fresh before reaching the village in the
morning even after a long journey of twelve hours. As the train moved
on the darkness of the dusk was descending though the objects
outside were still visible. After some time my parents laid down on
their berths while I was still sitting on my side berth as it was a
constant source of irritation for me the whole night as the passing
passengers disturbed me constantly and then you have to keep constant
vigil of your slippers. At midnight I felt the urge to go to the wash
room but to my dismay I found that one of my slippers was missing. In
the darkness of the night I discovered that it had already reached
the destination I intended to visit by somebody who had dragged it
unconsciously up to this place. I went barefoot to the wash room to
bring back my missing slippers to its proper place. As I was about to
doze off to sleep ticket conductor came to verify the identity of the
passengers. The whole night passed in animated restlessness despite
having the reserved berth but it was a side berth so I had to face
all the vagaries attached to it.
As the light of the dawn spread in the sky the train had reached an
entirely different terrain of endlessly stretched green fields
extended to the edge of the railway line on which the train was
running. From the window of my coach I saw that villagers were busy
in their morning activities of drawing water, taking out cattle for
grazing, and even washing the cattle and even themselves. Our train
glided slowly on to the platform of an important garrison town of the
country that was quite near the international border. As train was to
stop here for nearly half an hour as the engine would change the
direction so we took light breakfast along with tea as it would well
be afternoon before we reached the village. Other platforms were full
of carriages with military vehicles like tanks, armoured vehicles,
canons and military trucks. Train moved out of the platform exactly
at the appointed time and after a couple of hour’s more journey we
reached the final destination though the train was late by ten
minutes but it was considered nothing seeing to the history of the
railways of the nation.
As the train moved into the platform I spotted out my cousin and
uncle standing on the platform. Though my cousin was now fully grown
up with dark moustaches but still he was recognizable. I waved to him
in glee and he too along with his father waved back to me in visible
joy. My father was first to get down from the coach, followed by my
mother and me trailing with the bags and other luggage in my hands.
My cousin moved forward to help me by taking the suitcase from my
hand. My father and uncle embraced each other while I and my cousin
bent down before my uncle and my father respectively to greet them
and to get their blessings. All of us started moving towards the exit
of the station and my cousin arranged our suitcases and other luggage
at the backside of his vehicle and we started off towards the
village. As we moved towards the hinterland roads became narrower and
traffic thinner though the hearts of the people appeared to be
getting larger and more generous. They did not care even for a piece
of land lying unused while people of the city would fight tooth and
nail even for a stone leave aside a piece of land.
Jeep stopped at the large entrance made of iron of a farm house. The
entrance gate was large enough even to allow a tractor to pass
without any inconvenience. The whole farm was surrounded by iron
angels with barbed wire stretched over it keep cattle away form it so
as to avoid the damage to the crop. At one end of the farmhouse there
was a two storey construction of about half a dozen rooms where my
uncles and cousins resided with their families. My cousin stopped the
jeep at the gate of the house where the families of my uncles and
cousins were waiting to welcome us while the people from
neighbouring farms were peering over from other farms and waving at
us as a gesture of welcome. My cousin and I took the luggage to the
Central Hall, where the whole family was waiting for us with snacks
and a warm cup of tea. After the tea our luggage was moved to a room
which was specially vacated for the purpose of our comfortable stay
in the house and we also moved to that room for a wash and change and
get some rest for a couple of hours before the lunch would be
announced. Though mostly villagers had the routine of a couple of
meals per day but they had altered their routine to three meals a day
so that we may not feel odd, strange and uncomfortable.
During both my meals the quality of milk products like butter,
buttermilk and curd was par excellence and there was even a flavour
and aroma in the vegetables, that were picked fresh from the back
yard garden of the house that was missing in the cuisines of the
towns and perhaps created synthetically in the meals served in the
restaurants and hotels. After the lunch we had another bout of siesta
for a couple of hours when tea was ready to be served along with the
home made rustic biscuits- both sweet as well as salty. After taking
tea I came out of my room and to my surprise I found that a person
was putting up tent in the forecourt of the house and an electrician
was putting rice lights to decorate the house and another man was
installing speakers and sound system. My uncles and cousins had
arranged a party and invited all the people of the village to welcome
us to the village after a long time. As by 7.00 p.m evening was
getting cooler people started pouring in while the light music was
floating in the environment accompanied by twinkling colourful
decorative lights. As I came into the tent after having bath and
change I found nearly half a dozen circular tables arranged in the
tent and two high neck chairs on a raised stage in the centre to
welcome my parents back to the village. In one corner was dancing
floor with two vertical large speakers giving out soft light music in
the beginning and as the party progressed it switched to pop and folk
music as per the demands of the audience. In another corner was a
table laid in L pattern on which were arranged bottles of hard and
soft drinks and on the other wing of the table dongas of edible
things were placed. Villagers soon started enjoying both party as
well as music and food and drink was being served by smartly attired
waiters who were moving consistently around the tables perhaps due to
fear of my cousin who had threatened then that he is not going to pay
them even a penny if some guest complains or feels neglected. They
were showing much concern particularly for the guests form the town
that is us and other prominent people of the village. To the
accompaniment of their favourite music some young boys of the
village- mostly friends and class fellows of my cousins started
dancing on the semi-circular floor placed in the one corner of the
tent just in front of two large speakers. Everybody had nice time,
nice food, nice entertainment and nice enjoyment of this pleasant
morning. It was nearly midnight when every guest departed for his
house though some were taken with the help of their friends and
relatives.
As we had slept late in night due to celebrations so some of us
slept late in the morning. However some, particularly womenfolk got
up at the same time to look after the cattle as their routine cannot
be changed so as to get good quality products from them. Not only
their milk but even their waste matter had economic and medicinal
properties. After the usual breakfast of stuffed paranthas with
butter and buttermilk we were taken around the village so that we can
observe the latest achievements and developments in the village. We
saw village bank, village dispensary, village dairy, and village
school and a youth club that had gymnasium equipped with the latest
equipments and a library developed by some of the enthusiastic young
educated people of the village. It was only in the late afternoon
that we came back from the tour of the village. My father was
overjoyed to see the familiar place of the village after a long time
and to see the latest developments in the village like water and
electric supply facilities and even telephone connections with a mini
exchange in the village. When we returned lunch was waiting for us
consisting of garden fresh vegetables and rice pilaf along with curd
and buttermilk. As we had gone to the village tour on foot and as
weather was hot, so naturally we were tired and after this heavy
lunch it did not occur to me atleast on which cot I am lying for a
couple of hours. We were shaken off from the sleep by aromatic
brewing of tea leaves in the boiling water. So I got up for a
steaming hot cup of tea with cookies.
After the early dinner everybody was sitting in the compound of the
house when discussion on business matter commenced. My father’s
contention was that the annual revenue from the land was declining
consistently while the yield of the land had increased over the years
by the use of high breed seeds, insecticides, pesticides and
fertilizers while my uncle’s argument was that land has to be
tended like a child, soil is to be turned and replaced, it has to be
updated by rooting out weeds constantly and even sometimes land had
to be kept fallow too so as to strengthen its vitality and fertility.
My uncle and cousins rather accused us of neglecting the land and
even killing it still it was nature’s miracle that land was giving
something and not asking anything to be invested. My father felt that
the neighbouring farmers were encroaching on their fields which was
the main cause of decline in land revenue as he cannot remain in the
village as he had a job to do in the town, so he was paying penalty
for being the only educated working man from the village who had
brought laurels to the village by getting the government job. He
suspected that he was being cheated by somebody near and dear. Hardly
had he uttered these words when my uncle and cousins retorted back
angrily that they have cared for our land as their own, they have
sweated for it and even picked up quarrels for it and now this the
reward that they are getting for their efforts that they are being
branded as cheats. This argument would have taken an ugly turn but
for the village elders who interceded and suggested that
identification and measurement of land would be right step to solve
this problem and remove the doubt of encroachment if any. Somebody
even suggested to take electric connection and install water pump
that can enhance the rent of the land as well as its yield. But this
idea did not appeal to my father as first of all there was a long
waiting list for the applicants for the connection and secondly my
father at this stage of life did not want to run from office to
office and table to table to get the electric connection. I was
unable to comprehend all these things and terms as I was nearly twice
remove from reality. So before going to bed it was decided to file an
application in the office of local revenue office to identify and
measure the land owned by us in order to convince my father that his
land was still intact and nobody had encroached upon his land.
Though next day everything was normal but still there was some
tension in the air and the generosity of our host has disappeared to
some extent. Even the breeze seemed to have stopped for some time. It
is rightly said about Indian peasant that you can get anything from
him- food, drink , hospitality till you demand the information about
your land from him. The moment you ask him about your land he will
turn your sworn foe even though he may be your one of the closest
relative. Though the warmth of our host was reduced but still they
escorted us to the village revenue office after hosting a lavish
breakfast. A lone Peon was sitting on the steps of village revenue
office who informed that that Village Revenue Officer ( Patwari)
would only be able to come after lunch as he was busy in the tour of
some Revenue Secretary in the adjoining villages as those villages
were also being looked after by him as there was shortage of
personnel in revenue department of the state government like other
departments as the vacancies for fresh appointments were pending from
a long time and with time the work load was increasing day by day.
However it suited the officials well as it would facilitate them in
showing their importance and taking bribes from the people even for
the routine work under the cover of being too much busy. It was
strange that despite being corrupt these revenue officials enjoyed
great respect and reputation in the rural society even more than
village teacher who was much more educated than them and people
equated them even with God as they had power to harm the interests of
the people. Villagers prostrated before them as if they were their
masters while the truth in democracy was that public was the master
our of whose taxes these officials are being paid salary. These
things not only prevail but even thrive in our so called democratic
society and only God knows when these things will change.
Due to persistent and constant efforts of my cousins and
recommendation of village elders finally this official obliged by
agreeing to visit the site day after tomorrow. At the appointed time
and appointed place everybody required for the operation was present
at the site. Patwari along with his peon came with his measuring tape
and ranging rods came and marked the land owned by my father with
wooden pegs with the help of other villagers. It was found that
neighbouring farmers had encroached upon our land and though they
claimed it to to be their path to the main road that they had right
to but still they agreed to vacate the land as soon as the crop
ripened and was reaped. Though the neighbouring farmers appeared to
have accepted the verdict of the Revenue Official by nodding their
head meekly but who knows what were they planning to do in future as
none of us can not afford to be in village for ever. As soon as this
exercise was over my uncle and cousins exclaimed in one voice to my
father that now your land has been demarcated and identified, so now
you free us from this responsibility and look after your land
yourself and do not complain if it gets encroached upon again in
future or you get less yield or rent on land. My father suddenly felt
himself left out as he had no option but to leave land with my uncle
and cousins and accept whatever they offer as its rent in future as
he did not knew anybody in the village except close neighbours and no
body in the village was ready to interfere between the matters of two
brothers and that too on the issues related to land. Now tension in
the family was released to a great extent though the relations were
still a bit estranged. My uncle and cousin agreed to pay a certain
amount to my father in return annually to till the land and get the
crops. Still my father was contented that he had been able to prove
the ownership of his land before the rural peasant society though he
felt that income from land is surely going to decline in coming years
as now he was dependent on his brother and nephews and will have to
accept whatever they offered. This was the cost that he had to give
for getting educated and a job in the town and for leaving the
village in order to get better life for his family. My father knew
that his brother and nephews would be ready with excuses like less
rainfall, more rainfall, crop destroyed due to hailstorm, due to
excessive cold and so on and so forth so as to get exemption in the
payment of full amount. It is an unacknowledged fact that a farmer is
amicable and generous till you do not touch his land and income from
it. Machiavelli had rightly remarked that a King is safe till he
spares the property and women of the people. So whether a man belongs
to rural or urban society he is likely to become victim of greed and
avarice for money and property.
So nothing more to do in the village we decided to return to the
town and luckily got seats for the next day in the train. Though my
father and uncle had difference of opinion still they had not
quarrelled with each other. Even their families and children were
quite sincere in their request to visit them again in future. Again
the villagers collected in the compound of the farm house to bid
adieu to us as soon as they got the news that we are leaving for the
town. As the Jonga carried us out of the gate of the farm house
everybody present was giving us farewell with folded hands and tears
in the eyes. It did not appear in the slightest that these people
were shouting and opposing each other only a couple of days back. Had
it happened in the town people would not have spoken for the rest of
their lives. Though, like my parents, I also agreed to visit the
village again yet in the heart of my hearts even I also did not know
whether I would be able to visit the village again in my life or it
would be my last visit. The most admirable feature of the behaviour
of the rural people was that there was no artificiality in their
behaviour. They were simple hearted, yet alert people. My cousin
dropped us at the station and though he was reluctant to stay till
train came but as the train was late by couple of hours so we forced
him to go and reach the house before the darkness of the evening
descended. As train was late so very few passengers were left at the
platform. Most of the local people went for buses or other modes of
transport when they came to know that the train was running behind
the schedule.
As usual I got the side berth and all the inconveniences associated
with it. As train reached late in the morning so I could not proceed
to my work place the same day. So from the station we took the cab
and reached our house. My father was quite happy and contented with
the support that I gave to him that enabled him to visit his native
village once again and he felt that most of the motives of the visit
had been realised as he had visualised to a great extent. As at home
we were back after a week long absence so were welcomed quite warmly
by the family members. I planned to start for my working place next
day early in the morning so that I can reach the place by the time
the office opens. After lunch I took a quick round of the town to
thank my friends and well wishers who had helped and cooperated with
me to realise the aims of my visit. After evening tea I spent most of
the time with the members of my family telling them the experiences
of the visit and distributing the gifts that we had brought from the
village like home made organic jaggery, peanuts and village bakery’s
healthy and nutritious biscuits made of milk, pure ghee, butter and
sugar. My cousin’s eldest son took a whole day to get them made by
taking the ingredients to the village bakery and stood at its door
the hole day keeping an eye of the ingredients till they were put in
the process of making biscuits as he had heard that Village Baker was
a cheat and would do some mischief the moment he moved away from the
bakery. His hard work, along with the skill of the baker, was being
reflected in the aroma, flavour and taste of the biscuits that was
entirely different from the biscuits available in the town as they
were fresh, healthy, nutritious and much crispier than the biscuits
of the market. I took early dinner and went to bed early as I had to
get up early next morning and leave just after taking morning tea. .
Next morning I was very much on time but as it was early morning I
was unable to find the conveyance to the bus stand till I had covered
half the distance on foot. I was just in time to catch the first bus
to my work place. Since I had woken up early today so I dozed off as
soon as bus came out of town and the sweet cool fresh breeze hit my
face and slept atleast for a couple of hours when nearly half of the
distance was covered. I woke up when the rays of the rising Sun
coming through the window panes hit my face. At a stop I took a cup
of tea in order to shed off sloth and laziness from my body. After
the journey of five hours I rushed straight away to my office from
the bus stand and office had just opened for fifteen minutes when I
made entry and straight away to my table. In office too I dozed off
and on and everybody knew that I had come to office today after
undertaking the journey of 200 kms so they ignored my dozing during
the office hours,particularly my post lunch siesta as I had a heavy
lunch that I had ordered from the office canteen. In the evening
somebody got me a cup of tea and after an hour after having tea
office time was over and i rushed to my residence which was a Three
room flat in a multi-storied housing society on its third floor. This
place was nearly 8 kms from my working place.
As I am covering the distance between office and my flat let me tell
you the story of acquiring this flat in a housing society. In today’s
modern era due to rising population particularly in the metro towns
land was proving to be inadequate to house all the people, so some of
the enterprising businessmen and builders thought to go vertical by
constructing multi-storied buildings containing all the basic
amenities of life like security, water and power back up, swimming
pool , garden, shopping areas and a common hall of the society where
functions can be held and organized besides flats for the inmates
living in that particular society. Of course this process started
first of all in bigger towns of the country like Delhi, Kokotta,
Chennai,Mumbai and Bengaluru and later on it came to smaller towns
like Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Bhopal. Their idea was to
build multi-storied buildings offering different flats of different
sizes for sale like three bedroom flats, two bedroom flats, single
bed room flat and studios for students and single strugglers. So
nearly a decade ago I thought to buy a flat in order to escape the
hegemony of paying rent to house owner who often threatened to keep
the house neat, clean and tidy other wise look for some other
accommodation and raised the rent punctually every year. With the
help of my parents I somehow managed to collect the down payment and
luckily I got finance from the bank easily. So I decided to buy this
flat thinking that even after paying the rent life long I am not
going to own that house while after paying EMI’s to the bank after
a decade I will become owner of the flat. Like most of the office
going salaried class I preferred to get finance from the bank as I
would get rebate in Income Tax under payment of interest. So after
repeated meeting with officials and submitting various documents from
the office and personal record again and again and after signing a
number of forms and putting finger prints on it bank officials
obliged to gave me loan. They even took post dated signed cheques
from me that in case I defaulted in payment of EMI they can retrieve
the amount of the instalment. After submitting all the relevant
documents like salary slips, promissory notes from my employer,
signatures and profiles of guarantors as in these days rarely a
person gives consent to become a guarantor I was sanctioned the loan
by the bank officials whose repayment would begin after six months
on agreed amount of EMI that would be automatically deducted from the
salary account. I wonder even if such stringent paper work still the
scams in the bank happened and people ran away after taking the loan
of huge amounts from the bank. Surely this cannot happen without the
unholy alliance connivance between the bank officials and powerful
politicians. While a common man had to spend an umpteen number of tea
and refreshment parties and a dinner party to the court officials,
bank officials and guarantors to oblige.
After paying the down payment I was registered with the housing
society and a certain space in the air was allotted in my name as my
flat was on the second floor of the G+4 structure that builders had
promised to build and deliver within the period of two years.
However, at present it was just a piece of land in which some
machines were working to dig a vast hole in it it which I was told
was basement that would be used for the parking space of the vehicles
of the inmates of the building. My builder was true to his promise as
nearly in a couple of years his machines had transformed the barren
rocky land with a lone wall at one corner into a multi-storied
building with hundred flats ready to be occupied by the owners. This
building had its own Gen-Set as power back up to generate electricity
for the inmates in the times of power cut, its own water supply
system out of the well that they had dug before starting the
construction, escalators and fire alarm system with long never ending
rubber pipes rolled on to the steel circular holder. I got builder’s
notice to occupy the flat by getting it registered in my name as the
whole amount has been paid by the bank and only maintenance amount is
to be paid out of which security services, cleaning services, and
services of electricians and plumbers would be met. Again the whole
officialdom of green, pink and white stamp papers ensued, witnesses
were being asked not only to sign the papers but also to produce
their photographs and identity cards. So on the appointed day we
marched into a dark, narrow , gloomy looking building at the corner
of the market known as Registration Office where no t only I had to
sign a number of papers but my photograph was taken by the digital
camera, finger prints of both the hands were taken and even the
colour of the retina of my eyes was taken along with a number of
documents like UID cards, DOB Certificate, Address Proof, PAN Card,
Passport and even photocopy of the account book of my salary account.
I still wonder despite following all these procedures stringently how
land scams happened in this country surely there is some cunning
connivance and unholy alliance between corrupt government officials
and power mad politicians. It nearly took the whole day to complete
the formalities and stars in the sky had appeared when we left the
precincts of the Registration Office and it was nearly dinner time by
the time we reached home. I was so much tired in the sweaty cramped
space of the government office that was badly lit and ill ventilated
that I fell sound asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow after
taking hurried dinner and two helpings of vanilla ice cream.
I got the papers of the ownership after a fortnight from the office
of the housing society and the Manager of the society handed me
over the keys of my flat. Then began the long excruciating process of
furnishing the flat. Though it was not easy to procure material also
like cement, sand, iron rods, sanitary fittings, electric switches
and the like but much more difficult than this was to run after the
technical workers like carpenters, electricians, masons, plumbers and
the like and then it was nearly impossible to get it completed within
the stipulated time to your satisfaction and within your budget. I am
highly disappointed with the non-professional attitude of these
workers in our country. First of all so as to lure you to give them
the work they would begin with giving you a wrong estimate both of
money and time. By the time a project is complete its cost nearly
doubles which is to be borne by the poor customer. Then they, so as
to ensure their steady income, take too much work on themselves than
their capacity and as a result they are unable to complete the work
of anybody in time. Mostly the workers are still giving finishing
touches till the last second of the time of house warming ceremony.
It took nearly six months, half a dozen leave and most of the
mornings and evenings of this time to get the work completed so as to
make it reasonably liveable. During this time I went to my home late
at night and straight way moved towards bed after taking dinner and
in the morning after taking tea used to rush to the flat. I was in
hurry to move to the flat as I wanted to get rid of paying the rent
to my landlord.
So ultimately I was able to decide the date of shifting to the flat.
Though I had become master of the flat yet I had to pay besides EMI’s
of the loan the maintenance amount annually to the housing society
for availing security, electricity, water and common utility area
facilities like park, lifts, gym, pool and the like. Housing society
consisted of Park, Swimming Pool, Entertainment Room consisting of
library, Table Tennis, Billiards and Carom facilities, a Common
Community Hall and a Gym. This building also housed an office of the
society where full time as well as part time workers were employed to
make the lives of the people comfortable and pleasant. Security
Guards and Cleaning Workers who cleaned the common utility areas of
the building like the lobbies twice a day were permanent workers.
Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and even doctors and para medic
staff were part-time workers who were available on demand at a fee.
Though the residents of the building had also formed a Management
Committee with President, Secretary and Treasurer that held regular
meetings to sort out the problems of the inmates related to water,
electric supply and even parking problems that led to frequent
squabbles between the residents. When I shifted to this society
nearly 70 % of the flats were occupied. A few flats were being used
by some family member of the owner of the flat,some were on rent and
some of them were lying vacant or in the process of getting
furnished. It appeared some of the people had bought flats just to
invest their money as they were interest neither in living it
themselves nor in giving it on rent to somebody. Some of then were
living abroad or in other parts of the country and the state and
merely using flats as their vacation homes.
At the house warning ceremony I invited only close members of
family, relatives and my colleagues of my office. A puja was
performed in the morning followed by tea and breakfast in the Common
Hall of the Society and then by the lunch. Mostly my friends and
colleagues from the office attended the lunch in the afternoon. Lunch
was ordered from the home where I had lived as a paying guest for a
few days when I began doing job. They were nice couple and their
preparation of food was just like home without any excess of spice,
chilly and oil. They were very much happy to know about my well being
and when I went to give the order for the lunch. I made it a point to
invite them too to the lunch because firstly they were one of my
first acquaintance in the city and secondly that assured the good
quality of the food that they are going to eat themselves.
As the cab put its brakes I was jerked into the present and I saw
myself in the front entrance of the building. After paying off the
cabman I was welcomed by the security guard warmly who handed me over
the mail that I had received during my absence. After taking mail it
occurred to me to take milk and eggs, so I moved towards the shopping
complex that contained four shops of grocery, vegetables, electric
and a general store. Most of the shopkeepers knew me from my face and
enquired about my absence and guessed it rightly that I must have
gone to my village. After buying the essential things I moved
southwards passing before he Gym, Club House and Common Hall. To
the north of it were children park and swimming pool. Passing before
a number of flats I took the nearest lift to reach my flat that was
situated at the southern tip of the building. I knocked the door of
my house. Though there were stairs too in the building but people
mostly used lifts and only used stairs in the times of emergencies
and exigencies. It was a pleasant surprise to meet my wife and
children who had just returned from their maternal grandparents in
the afternoon only.
After the bath and refreshing cup of tea I was relaxing before
taking dinner. After the I went for an evening walk around the
building coming across a number of people both known and unknown to
me. Known faces smiled at me and asked about my well being as mostly
they were people living in the nearby flats while unknown faces were
either new comers to the society or the guests of the owners of the
flats already living in the facility. From my both he neighbours I
updated myself about the latest developments in the society during my
absence like the number of families who have moved into or out of the
society and the squabbles, quarrels and arguments caused due to
wastage of electricity, water and parking issues. Though society had
allotted a parking slot to every resident but often people parked
vehicle according to their convenience and hence cause inconvenience
to some body.
Hardly a month had elapsed after my return from the visit to my home
town and ancestral village that humanity was assaulted by a strange
invisible enemy that caused a certain death if it succeeded in
infecting lungs. Even people can not be identified by some symptoms
as suffering from this killer disease. There was no medicine
available for it and prevention was the only cure. The only mantras
to confront it was isolation, using masks, using sanitisers and
keeping distance . It had nearly brought the human life to a halt.
Offices, schools, public places were closed at once to contain its
infection. As it was caused by a virus named as COVID-19 that was
spread due to air sacs ejected through man’s nose and mouth while
sneezing and coughing. So every sneezing and coughing person was
looked at with distrust and looked as being potential killer. Even
some of the most powerful and rich people of the society were
helpless before him and could do nothing but await their certain
death. People had come to know of certain terms like Sanitisers.
Earlier only helpers of the seriously patients had heard about it but
now it was on the mouth of ever y body. Nearly 15 lac people had
become its victim. Moreover a patient of this strange malady had to
die in isolation as even his nearest and the dearest were afraid of
going near him for the fear of being infected. Even they were afraid
to come near their dead bodies. You can only watch your near and dear
depart from this world from a safe distance and the patient had to
face the agony of dying in loneliness when he needed the company and
help of others the most. This was a very strange, unfortunate and
miserable phase that the humanity had to pass through from a couple
of years. Doctors and medical staff which was considered one of the
most coveted profession in the society became the most vulnerable and
dangerous profession of the world as doctors could not go to their
homes for months for the fear of infecting their near and dear ones.
Even it was also not known that this calamity was natural or man made
as it had originated from a certain town in China.
Wherever the infected people were found their houses were isolated,
their colonies were cut off from the external world till they were
pronounced negative of virus. They had to struggle a lot even to get
their daily need of groceries, eggs, milk , tea and even water. Even
penal steps were taken by the administration to keep people inside
their houses so as to contain the infection as far as possible.
People came forward for voluntary curfews so as to contain the spread
of virus for many days altogether. Restrictions were put on family
functions like marriage ceremonies and religious ceremonies so as to
avoid the collection of people at one place.
As schools, colleges and offices were closed due to this strange
malady and people were discouraged from moving outside their houses
so a new concept came of work from home as these days every body was
computer literate and had a laptop of his own so the employers
expected a person to work for the company or firm or office from
home. Earlier it appeared lucrative as one can work at his
inconvenience and according to his comfortable posture or place but
slowly people realised that this practice had made them servant for
twenty four hours and all the days of the week as a phone from your
boss even at midnight can ask you to update him on certain issue
whereas boss had no sway on his employees after working from 9 a.m or
10 a.m to 5 p.m or 6 p.m but now he can ask you to work at any time
even on Saturdays, Sundays and other holidays as you are destined to
carry your yoke of servility around your neck in the form of your lap
tops. A person is not free even on vacations and holidays. One good
thing that voluntary isolation and containment had done was that
people came back to roof tops in the morning and evenings to walk as
they cannot go outside their houses and secondly man who had become
cut off from his family members was now giving and spending more time
with his family members and children. He was playing indoor games and
some games like Badminton on roof tops with his children to spend his
time. It led to the re emergence of family as a social institution.
Even the students had to abstain themselves from attending classes
in the schools and colleges and they had to attend on line lectures
and classes given by their teachers. Teacher too had to update
themselves technologically and professionally to come at term with
the changed times and adopted online teaching methods by recording
and uploading their videos for the benefit of the students. This
scenario had altogether changed the attitude of man towards the life
as every day appeared to be one of the last day of your life as you
never know when you will be infected and who is living or walking by
your side is infected or not. It has made man realise that wealth is
not everything , it cannot make man immortal for ever. However with
the persistent efforts of scientists and doctors who had succeeded in
bringing its vaccine in a record time the spread of infection has
been contained to a large extent if not annihilated altogether.
As it COVID-19 was not a enough lesson for humanity to reform
another danger to humanity appeared in the form of a highly
destructive war between two prominent nations of the world that has
caused immense destruction of cities, buildings and caused untold
innumerable miseries to suffering humanity. Even hospitals, schools,
metro stations have also not been spared where civilians were taking
shelter. People were killed mercilessly, even women children and
psychic patients have also not been spared. In this war humanity has
touched its new nadir. God knows when the sense will prevail and
peace will come or this war has all the potentialities to break into
a World War and annihilate the human civilisation by wiping it for
ever and make this beautiful planet uninhabitable by using nuclear
weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. It is not yet know
that world bodies will succeed in containing this senseless mad
violence which is putting humanity to shame. Daily pictures of war
crimes appearing on Television and Newspapers are highly disturbing
and disgusting. In this scenario it is hard to tell whether humanity
will survive on the Earth or not.
It is my habit to reflect on these issues confronting human society
an hour before going to bed. My own experience of life as I had seen
at three places- my ancestral village, my home town and my working
place. When I think of my ancestral village I get the image of large
enormous farm houses with large rooms and equally large hearted
simple people of the village among whom my father spent his
childhood, got educated and came to work in the town. When I think
of the Penthouse that my father bought in the town where he got the
job and where I spent my childhood and got my education and when I
think of life in the multi-storied building in the flat of a housing
society where you neither own the floor nor the roof but a certain
space on a certain floor of a large structure. Life everywhere had
been a struggle for existence though the degrees of struggle may vary
according to the circumstances and place. At every level you will
find both good, average and evil people though the proportion may
vary. At every level whether it is a village, town or a metro the
struggle between good and evil is omnipresent and you are bound to
get your share decided by your destiny in life howsoever hard you may
try to avoid it. You are bound to confront evil whose only aim and
pleasure is to give pain to others but this pain and sufferings will
strengthen you as a human being and make you a maturer person like a
piece of gold that emerges in its pure form when it is heated in
fire. The best possible course for an honest decent average man is to
take help and aid it in the struggle of life so as to empower it and
try to avoid and even ignore the evil by bearing the pains and
suffering inflicted on you quite stoically. As I tried to contemplate
more sleep overpowered me and I came to the oblivious world of sweet
sleep that is balm of nature.
End
