Sankat’s cousin is getting married. He is quite happy for him, and along
with him the whole lodge is happy as he has invited everybody to be part of
this happiness. A sweetness and curiosity has evolved in the environment. As
the auspicious day is coming near the suspense is rising. They will have to
leave for the place tomorrow after taking lectures of first half. It is not
much far, hardly 100 km. But 3-4 hours along with 2 hours waiting period is
normal. Actually the route is not in good condition. Sankat says his village
has got electrified this year itself and still there is no surety of its
availability. It comes like lightening, and disappears. Sometimes there will be
a big gap. There is a small rocky patch in between, which is named as Meja ki
pahdi. People say that black deers are found in this area but it will not be a
surprise if they would be just on paper as sariska. Even if they would have
been there, the continuous draught from last 3 years would have already given
them rid of their hardships. The forest department is fully sure that rural
people of this area would be helping them drink some water along with their
cattle. How positive minded Indian administration is! The trees are felled and
poaching is done down their nose and forest department doesn’t do anything.
They think that everything will be alright by God’s grace as it has been said
in Ramcharitmanas – “It will certainly happen what God has decided, so don’t be
trapped in worrying for what will happen?”
The vehicle had passed Meja ki pahdi now. Paddy fields could be seen both
the sides of road. The golden paddy was adding beauty to the scene. But this
beauty was being enjoyed most by Sankat and Madhusudan. Ganpat loves Bajri and
Asgar the Toor Daal where as Param had loved the sound of money till now. Fushhh... and tyre got punctured. And the
Stepney is already punctured, what a bad luck. It’s good that meja chauki is
nearby, something will be arranged.
“How much time will it take Sankat.”
“I think we will reach by 8:00 PM, but we may have to walk for 4-5
kilometres.”
“It’s ok dear!” everybody spoke immediately.
Sankat had estimated rightly. It was 8:00 PM till Daramalgunj and now it
was time to go walking. It was really relieving that there was a proper road
till Rateh cross-road and after that it’s not much.
Everybody started strolling quietly. This is called nature’s discipline,
in difficulties everyone becomes calm. But something is going on in the inner
core. No one is silent from inner heart; some uneasiness is creeping in
everybody. But above surface everything is calm just like our Indian public
everything calm and under control, happy and prosperous but turmoil going
beneath to meet the ends, to gather peace and to defeat the daily stress
arising from daily struggle for living. Big-small, rich-poor, male-female,
elite-disdained; everyone is on common platform for this suffering.
Ganpat had been seeing village outside Gujarat for first time from so
close. So he was very excited and curious. Again and again he starts comparing
this place with his native and he has been going through continuous thought
process.
Really villages have not changed much. Cities look like power house under
brightness of light in the night but villages are still covered under blanket
of darkness waiting for first ray of morning in the hope that there may be a
bright future in coming time. And the Villages which are lucky enough to boast
for connectivity to electricity, their situation is also not better. They seem
to be like a lamp in the sea of darkness. It seems as if they have got the ray
of hope, and through that ray they are trying to search their way towards
development and globalisation. But if really the development is to be done
there are a lot of things to be done.
“Param do you think government really wishes to do something for this
country?” Ganpat could not stop himself from raising this question.
“What? What did you say? Oh yes!” as if Param would have been awakened
from sleep. “Government!!! Have politicians ever done anything till now, that
they will do something now? You know what? They know just one thing. They know
how to make the common people remember at the end of every five years about
their duty to vote, and beg for the same.”
“Why do you say so Param? We are in Loktantra (democracy), at least we
are having right to select.” Asgar commented.
“How do you deem it a proper selection/election Asgar when you are bound
to elect an unskilled thief from a bunch of thieves so that he too becomes
master in next five years?” Madhusudan put a remark.
“Why you people are becoming so negative dear?”
“What shall we do, if not be negative? Do you remember the step of
government regarding the reservations in Medical and Engineering admissions?”
“The same for which there was a lot of chaos by students all over India?”
“Yes, the same; and people in the government tried to suppress it by all
means and when they failed to do so they blamed that the students had been
aggravated by some people.”
“Hmm, for sake of votes these people will consider the youngsters aged 18
as an Adult, and when there will be something against them then the most
intelligent lost of those youngsters will be considered as immature enough to
be aggravated by someone.”
“You are absolutely true bhai jaan. Till now none of the rulers had been
stainless. They will take foreign visits for their medication and leave common
people in the hands of half-doctors and fuckers like this; as if we are not
human and these half doctors are having right to test medicines on us as if
done on primates. The water is rising above head sometimes it seems as if the
conditions would have been better under British.”
“Who knows dear? Who has seen those days?”
“I hope you people are aware of today’s news? The student union has been
abolished from Allahabad University. Now election and students will not have
any inter-link between them.”
“Hmm! really they are becoming too autocratic. They know that half of the
people are illiterates in India and half are educated illiterates. They know it
very well that only we can evaluate their mistakes and by stopping us they will
be able to make fool of everybody as they have been doing in the past.”
“That’s fine. But now onwards only management and administration of
university will be influential. Already there are so many discrepancies in
examination and evaluation of examination sheets. Sometimes even papers are
leaked this way or other and the wards of university personnel to in the merit.
They are not having any objective of infrastructural improvement or
facilitation. Good administration is just for say and in hostel there are so
many people with illegal possessions. The allotted rooms can be possessed after
years. They are showing raids on paper but everybody is aware of the reality. I
am really afraid who will raise these concerns after all this? I think no one
will dare to do so in such circumstances.”
“Your concern is quite valid. These people say that goons are increasing
in the student politics, but who has given importance and supported such
people? Those who are found culprits should be terminated at the spot whether
student or faculty. If this is done properly how can one participate in
politics and ruin the education and administrative system, but framing one’s
mistakes against other has become habit of people.”
“It’s not so that they would not be having even such common sense,
actually the matter is something else. Reality is that every government is colonialist
and imperialist whether it’s socialist Government of Russia, Communist
Government of China, Capitalist Government of USA or Democratic Government of
India every government is based on similar principals at core. All the
representatives are stuck as mites to their chairs and want to abolish all the
walls between their aims and themselves.”
“You are rightly saying Paramveer bhai. Government always wishes that
common people be lost in the issues like religious issues, classism, poverty
and dreams of golden future so that they can easily exploit the basis of these
golden dreams that is their present and crush them by all means. It is really
difficult to imagine how deep plot this is. Betraying common people had always
been fun and favourite pass time for politicians or rulers wandering in the
lobbies of power.”
“Fine friends! I have understood that all of you quite aware, but now we
are ready to enter the village. Please be silent now.”
And with this there was silence once again. In few minutes they reached
their destination where people were already waiting for dinner.
After dinner wedding songs were being sung. It seemed as if they were
Lori for these five friends and trying to make them sleep. Slowly sleep
surrounded them all. Before singing wedding songs all the Gods were given
invitation and asked for their blessings for the auspicious day. Slowly songs
of banna-banni and lastly the gaari (songs sung for teasing each other) were
sung. The teasing tones and competition of sister in laws’ friends etc could be
easily noticed in between. Whole environment had become quite interesting.
Songs are beautiful invention of women. The ladies highly engaged in
house hold work and different other labour oriented work know it quite well
that in the influence of music has power to get them rid of all the worries and
sorrows and get the happiness in stressful conditions. That’s why there are
different kind of songs for different kind of activities like weeding,
flouring, weaving etc. music has capacity to express the happiness too and
Sohar, Jhoola Geet, Vivah Geet, Banni banna are some of the singing forms for
the same. But unaware villagers have been influenced by today’s lusty life of
cities so much that all these things are losing their importance and existence
slowly. Media and television are most responsible for this loss. It’s good that
light and television have come over here just a few years ago so this patch is
a bit untouched from capitalization and western influence and emotions still
exist over here in their primitive form.
Had the five sleeping sons of this soil have not been sleeping, they
might have debated on this, but their conscious had not the strengths more than
this so they are in deep sleep after taking their dinner. They have gone in
some other world so that they may find nectar and strength when they awake
tomorrow and perform the work and responsibilities with double strength and affectivity.
There are a lot of things to be done and generally the span of work gets on
increasing at the time of marriages.
Today is janeu sanskar. Pandit ji is pouring the mantras form morning.
Eight Brahmins are being searched now. Eight Brahmins in Brahmins, great! What
a way to divide the society-this thought striking in the mind of Madhusudan,
but being a question of prestige of friend’s family he was silent. At the same
time he liked that all the children are said as Shudra before janeu, even if
they are Brahmins. He is happy that at least there is no dividing line till the
childhood. Probably that’s why he had been able to see all the children playing
together till the age of 13. Sometimes he thinks that what is need of this show
by higher cast people like all this? They will have no hesitation in stocking
up all the grains grown by these Shudras in their warehouse and will deny to
take water by their hands. While whitewashing or cleaning the house help of
these people will be taken, and every auspicious thing can be done at such
place but they will not touch such people. “Chh. Chh. aa thuu.” as if he would
have been trying to spit his anger.
This is not happening in cities. Anybody can go or come to house, sit and
attend feast together. But maybe they would not know their neighbours, till
there is any interest or possibility of help in future. Such selfishness is
really difficult to compare. Villagers at least know and speak with each other
and take care of all the residents of village. Probably even after this
limitation the open, emotional, sober culture of village keeps them united
where as city dwellers are having quite artificial interrelations. Madhusudan
had been kept free from every work and same was the case of Asgar; that’s why
he had been able to think so much. His one eye was on the rituals of marriage
and other on Asgar.
Asgar was also lost somewhere. Probably he was remembering Nikaah of his cousin
Abbas. He is amazed that even after so much variation in the customs how easily
we accept each other and have been dwelling together for centuries. Probably it
is magic of this soil, otherwise a girl who has been brought up in a different
family with different thoughts and her mixing up with the new family as if it
would have been sword of the same case is really difficult. If I observe in
mine culture marriages had always been within close relatives, the bride and
groom must not real brother & sister; that’s it. But we are also changing
and ready to do new experiments.
Ganpat who was seeing all the rituals very keenly till now rose from his
seat. His heart was also throbbing due to excitement and happiness. He was
amazed that being so much away from Gujarat the same rituals and mantras were
being followed. Bride being annoyed by proposal of marriage and going to
Banaras for studies, maternal uncle (Mama) trying to console and convince him
and promising him to give anything he wishes if he stays at home and agrees for
marriage. Bua putting Kajal in a eye and leaving one eye for gift and may other
things. Everything looked so familiar. Really in spite of different taste-buds
and food-habits, different dressing style and sense the whole country is one in
its heart and feelings. From east to west and north to south there are so many
common things and the regional differences are so minor that they are
negligible.
Everybody was being called for feast. Param called all the friends for
the same. This team of Panch Pyare sat aside from the others for the feast. It
was wise to sit aside than listening comments from the elder people of family
or other villagers. With setting sun people started talking about up-coming
day’s programmes and rituals. When there is breeze of happiness people
generally become futuristic as everybody wishes to welcome future with a
pleasing smile and happiness. Similarly when things are unfavourable, a person
become past-oriented and tries to find such movement where they fought against
the odds and defeated them; this helps them regain courage and strength for
struggles in life. The evening converted into night and night into a pleasant
morning. In the morning everybody was active once again. Relatives started
gathering from all the places. The Baarat was gathering. Every new comer was
treated as if a great celebrity would have arrived. Water along with different
kind of sweets, paan and tobacco were being served lavishly along with smiles
and concerns for each other. It seemed as if warmth of the relations was making
the place hotter along with the running time.
Till 3:00 PM the Band-Baja had arrived. The sound of their instruments
enlightened the hidden desire of the young ladies to dance. Slowly their feet
started throbbing on their tune. Happiness and efforts could be seen altogether
on their faces. But there is something different. What’s that? Ladies dance in
our place to at such auspicious functions and the same is being done over here
too. Feets and hands of these ladies are not as free as in our place because of
the limitation of Ghunghat and consciousness regarding their respect. It seems
as if they are struggling for the freedom by throwing their feet and hands in
the sky, they are raising their heads again and again for visualising the
horizon of growth and trying to push hard the boundaries by their thumkaas for
their development but in vain. The chain of customaries and beliefs seem to be
too hard to break. But a time will come when they will be able to overpower
these bindings and match the speed of dance to the tune so that it becomes even
more attractive. These ladies will be shrilling and thrilling with happiness on
their success over here as well as there too to some extent.
Baarat started as per scheduled time. Everything went peacefully as per
the muhurat. Bride and groom finished all the customs of blessings and welcome
in the house. There was happiness everywhere.
Ganpat started prepration for Allahabad. All the friends were ready by
the time he packed his belongings. Ultimately what a student can do? Don’t they
feel that they should be able to enjoy the life as other people in the society
are able to do? But they are powerless against time. Today is the time to do
something, to perform and to achieve, once this time is lost, the whole game is
lost. Who will ask for the losers? May be after some time they may have to lose
the support of their family members and close ones too in such a case. It’s a
general tendency that if the burden becomes too much, people keep the same
down. And for how long burden may be carried out? In last stage of life it becomes difficult to
carry out one’s own load, expecting retired/old parents to do so for their
children is really a continuous torture to them.
All the friends had reached
Allahabad after 4 days. All of them have devoted themselves to studies. And
normally it’s a practice that society and way of working of students is always
different from the general public. Being a bit distant from society is normal
for them as it helps them to concentrate better and reduce the wastage of time.
Classesses are still going on and same is the case of their preparation
for exams. Dreaming about getting success without being concerned about the
carrier, is just as impossible as hitting flies from distance without movements
of hands. It’s just impossible.
One may get distracted from the target, but somehow at some moment of
time everybody realises and tries to align oneself towards his target. Our
warriors are also passing through such conditions. They are warriors as battle
of life has already blown the horn and demanded their all efforts to prove
their mettle. And they too are sharpening their weapons and skills to get over
the difficulties. It has rightly said that no one has learned from the womb of
mother and all the payment of registers maintained by Almighty is balanced over
here itself. You can claim for interest if you have some fixed deposit. Working
hard with devotion for the target is real fixed deposit. If you are new to
banking you have to take guidance for transactions same is the case of Civil
Preparation. Otherwise one will work like an oxen and never get the expected
results till all the time and money has gone away.
Proper guidance is generally misunderstood as coaching but it’s not
necessary that one gets proper guidance only through coaching. Any senior who
is knowledgeable and he without any prejudice and selfishness wants to help you
out can be a good guide. You have to take a list of good books, magazines and
build your taste towards them. Slowly the understanding and aptitude to crack
the exam develops on its own and once in the stream student becomes
knowledgeable and mature enough to decide which book or material will fetch
more results. Coaching is also not a bad option as it binds your time frame and
leads you towards continuous, consistent and committed studies. Normally the
dilemma regarding coaching is out of the mushrooming institutes on whom to rely
upon. As poisonous mushroom may ill effect your health and may be a threat to
your life similarly a wrong institute may lead to wastage of time and money and
put your career at backstage. That is why people generally say that preparing
for civil services is very tough task. At first you will have to select two
subjects then books for those two subjects and after that struggle with the
graves, rivers, mountains, economists, political experts, law experts,
biological substances, chemical formulations and phenomena of physics for the
general knowledge. If this also doesn’t work, choose some good coaching and
arrange for the fees of the same. After doing all this you may hope for
cracking preliminary exams.
These concernscan be easily noticed in the conversation of Ganpat and his
friends. It is always recommendable to have idea of depth of water before
jumping in to it. This increases the probability of success.
Sankat has once again got a letter as blessing of father and why not he
is appearing for preliminary exams after3-4 months. He certainly requires
mental and emotional support at this time and his father has given brahmaastra
in his familiar way, so that he can concentrate and win the race.
Dear nuts,
Blessings!
We are quite happy and contented and hope the same for you and your
family. Don’t be surprised by the word family as every youth wishes to have his
family some day; and being a young and dynamic person sometimes you also would
be dreaming of family. Every adult sees such dreams and you also ought to do
so, but my dear child let this dream be dream only for some time. With this
dream there are certain dreams which you need to realise and actualise first as
they will act like pillars or base for the former dreams. Airy dreams without
base are very fragile. So dreaming and preparing base for the same should go on
simultaneously. If family is co-operative and well to do, then it doesn’t let
the dreams of the children die and helps to strengthen the dreams. My parents and
your mother never let my dreams go waste or die regularly tried to strengthen
them. Whatever I am, howsoever, it’s because of mine, society’s and the most
their contribution.My son if you have real faith in the relations they always
empower you by moral and social support which helps you to counter any
situation with any extremity.
Once son becomes mature, father should not suggest or instruct must to
him. Just focus on your aim, for which you have been sent from here. Once the
time is gone, it doesn’t return back. Now there is very less time with you. You
have lost a lot of time because you were new in Allahabad. Dear, Allahabad is
city of sacrifices. For achieving your aim you will have to sacrifice your laziness,
hasten, your shortcomings etc. Try to understand your strength and weakness.
Put effort on eliminating weakness. You will certainly get result.
Your lovely father
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