When I was born I was so lazy, my parents had to feed me and dress me and carry me around with them all day. Our policy makers have become what I was as a Kid. Help them to grow!
Day before yesterday it was Rakshabandhan and it was very unusual for me to wake up early at 6’O clock so I decided not to sleep as it was already 4:30 AM. I was quite busy on twitter reading and replying messages. Anyways I reached munhboli sister’s place in Malviya Nagar just to find that she was sleeping, I decided not to disturb her. Flashback says I was a tenant in his house 10 years ago when this landlord family adopted me as their extended family and I became brother to 2 sisters. This Rakhi I couldn’t go home but seriously I didn’t miss it. I have a real sister too who is married and has two kids. Finally I got Raksha Sutra knot on my right wrist, which was looking beautiful and I was getting emotional. Both the families have become extended families. When I was born I was so lazy, my parents had to feed me and dress me and carry me around with them all day. Even today I feel like being a lazy one and want my parents with me.
I grew up in a village which boasts of its proximity to a city generally known as Muzaffarpur in United States of Bihar. I have had my own luck of growing up in green lush environment where you have pure desi ghee like every season, a dhibri at night, no telephone. The entire vicinity was our park where we could have had Mango, Jackfruit, Litchi, Guava, Papaya, Barhar, Amla, Amra, Sharifa, Cheeku, Aloobukhare and many such things at whims and theft. N 1999 I saw Road and electricity in my village. I used to play every form of rural games in gardens and in fields but we were happy to play on Pakka road. I never played Cricket, I don’t know why but I never liked this gentlemen’s game, last I saw World Cup final and boys took the cup to create a sense of revolution in India. While I marched towards my home after watching match at a Munirka Enclave home, I saw traffic was chocked, people were in drunk dancing mode on the road, everyone was shouting, Gulal was applied, I though some revolution has come true. Main dar gaya ki kahi koi coup to nahi ho gaya, but to my disappointment there was nothing as such thing except India won another world cup. Alas they would have had the same sense of patriotism to root out the evils we have.
I was just thinking of Independence which is a word from the lexicon of British concept of colonial rule. Liberation and freedom have separate meanings. In 1947 it was one country called “Bharat” but today everyone will agree with me:
“Swatantra huye din beet gaye par loktantra ek mithya hai;
is desh ke bhaiyya roop hain do ek Bharat hai ek India hai.
What happening is Swaraaj is a tractor brand, people know August Kranti as a road name,
Main to bhavnao me bah gaya. So my sister decided to buy me a cocoberry and a movie ticket out of the small amount that I offered to her after tying the knot. Even though it was long weekend and day of chhutti, we managed to get two front row seats to watch Prakash Jha’s Amitabh Bachhan starrer movie Aarakshan. Movies with social cause have always attracted me and Aarkshan was no exception. The movie took me to flashbacks of childhood. While first half was true about the sentiments of that Mandal Era. I could remember I was out to see Durga Puja with my dada jee when a mob attacked us. I don’t remember how old I was, I don’t know if it was pro reservation or anti reservation mob but it made me sad, I couldn’t see Durga Mela. Then came another part where menace of coaching was shown. I am a direct victim of it. I was admitted in a government high school to pass matric (those who don’t understand, matric is 10th class). There was a teacher at Navrashtra High School Patahi named Dharmnath Singh, over 50% of the students were taking his coaching classes. I always preferred to sit in back rows. One fine day in front of everyone he told me to join his coaching class and threatened if don’t join I will not be able to pass. He had the feeling that I am spreading anti Dharmanath coaching campaign in school. How shameless a teachers can be, he was the best example. In fact most teachers were more interested in giving private tuition than teaching at school except the teacher of Hindi, Sanskrit and arts subjects.
Few teachers who shaped up my studies in middle school includes Rajeshwar Mahto, Babulal Das, Maulavi Sahab (I don’t remember his full name) and Umashankar Singh. Today I realized they were most innocent and a role model for today’s greedy teachers. When I was in seventh class, Maulavi Sahab gave me chance to unfurl the national flag on Independence Day for teaching in a nearby colony. He said this is biggest honor I can give you. I couldn’t understand this then but today I realize he along with my late Dada jee cultivated my mind to become socially sensitive. My dadajee used to teach local kids for free till he died in 1992. He was no scholar but a freedom fighter who was cheated by his own elder brother during freedom movement. Even after freedom he didn’t claim freedom fighter pass but many other did. I am proud of him. I supported many social initiatives especially in the field of education starting from my village to works spread across Delhi, Bihar and Rajasthan. Today I support various non government organizations in capacity of executive member.
I don’t recollect exactly when but I think in same period I was influenced by Maoist literature as I was witness of police and feudal atrocities by so called upper caste and backward caste powerful people alike towards the so called poor upper caste, backward castes and Dalits. Even today Maoism could become primary force of India, if taken in right spirit.
Sorry I was watching Aarakshan, and put so much backwaas on you to read. Forgive me if you didn’t like it and if you liked it, say your two cents on independence.
Celebrate the feeling of being free in the meanwhile today our Prime Minister suggested not to protest whatever the reasons are. In protest of PM’s statement I have decided to be pro Anna after opposing him for so long.
PS - Next post will be on my tryst with destiny and transition from village to city life. I am co-writing a book which is projected to published by January 2012. Regret any spelling and grammar mistake in the piece of writing.
