Nameless Friends

There are so many persons we meet while travelling. We get acquainted and share our time with them. When we reach our respective destinations, we alight and disperse in different directions never to meet again! But the moments we spend with them remain etched in our memory for long. In the 25 years I’ve live on mother earth, I’ve undertaken so many journeys and met so many different types of people. Some have been pleasure to meet; some have been just co-passengers and some just pain in the ass. The second category people get erased from your mind as soon as you alight. The third category is deliberately erased while the first category remains in the memory forever. I’m chronicling a few of such meetings. In most of them, I don’t remember the names and in others we didn’t bother to ask each other’s name.

Howrah-Mumbai Mail, June 2000

I was coming back to Chikhla with my parents and my brother after a month long vacation. We had four berths reserved to us. In the 8-seat coup, the other 4 berths were reserved to 3 Mizo girls and their guardian. I was a boy all of 15 and they were older by about 5-7 years. Almost everyone is fascinated when they meet people from North-East and we were no exception. The girls were on an India tour and were now going to Nagpur. When they came to know that we were from a place near Nagpur, they started chatting with us. For the records, at that time, I’d not seen Nagpur at all. So, my knowledge was very limited. Another hindrance was language. They had very less knowledge of Hindi and I couldn’t speak fluent English. But still we spent a quality 16 hours together. When we alighted at Tumsar Road, they came to the windows to bid us goodbyes. I felt a lump in my throat as I was leaving a family behind. After that I’d many Mizo friends and it was because of them my English speaking improved.

Azad Hind Express, June 2004

I was travelling alone for the first time and hence this journey has a big importance in my life. My parents had given me a load of instructions of what to do and what not to do on the train. My co-passengers were a family of three including a 5-year boy named Girish and an affable Bengali guy from Chandrapur. Girish was a sprightly boy who kept his parents on toe with his antics. The Bengali guy, whose name I forgot, soon befriended all of us and we started chatting. He even bought Girish an ice-cream. Girish’s mother offered us food which I neglected, as instructed. But soon the other guy forced me to eat and I conceded. Girish and his family alighted at Tatanagar. I went on to Howrah. It was because of this nameless friend that I was able to travel without fear and since then I’ve travelled alone all around the country fearlessly.

Khurana Travels, August 2007

This was one of the most troublesome times of my life. I’d failed to gain admission in Pune for my masters and had thoroughly rejected Nagpur as an option. I’d no idea what to do whatsoever. I’d a job offer with Infosys Progeon (now Infosys BPO) and I decided to go to Pune to join it. When I started from Nagpur at 9 in the night it was cloudy but by the time I’d reached Chikhli in Marathwada next morning, I was amidst a flood. We were stuck and had nowhere to go. But then the villagers of Dahigaon came to rescue and we had one meal at their village. They showed us the way to reach Mehkar Fata which was at an altitude and had food. The two days that I stayed there is one of the most trying days of my life. All the co-passengers became one family and supported each other. Only Airtel coverage was there and my phone became the contact for all present there. I don’t remember anybody’s name now but will always remember the kindness and love they showered on me.

Azad Hind Express, August 2007

I came back to Nagpur and went back to Pune after a week. I went to Infosys for the first two days of orientation but somehow didn’t find myself suitable for the job and left on the second day itself. I came to Pune station at about 3 PM bought a wait-listed ticket for Nagpur and waited in the station wondering if I’d made the right decision. I was unsure of my future and even about my next course of action. I boarded the train hoping to find someone who would allow me to sleep in the alley between the berths. I was lucky to find one uncle who not only helped me but on hearing my story soothed me as well. I was tired, afraid and confused but because of that uncle, I was able to reach Nagpur in sound mind.

Prerna Express, May 2010

 I was going to Ahmedabad for a PhD entrance at PRL. My ticket was RAC and I was happy because I was to share it with a girl. But the TTE played spoilsport and confirmed my ticket. My co-passengers over there were going on a trip to Udaipur. They were playing cards and were all in their banians and shorts. At first I thoroughly disliked them. But seeing my discomfort, they stopped playing. We soon became friends and they shared their tasty food with me. They were really nice guys whom I’d mistakenly thought otherwise.

ST Bus, December 2010

I travel everyday from Nagpur to college in ST buses. I read my newspaper all along the way and if not reading I sleep. I seldom take interest in the scenery outside or in my fellow passengers. But this particular day was different. A beautiful girl had nowhere to seat as all seats were full. The auntie beside me offered her to seat in between me and her. The girl was a chatterbox and she started chattering. Soon she took out her laptop and gave me a thorough demonstration of how to use it. But the battery decayed and she resorted back to chattering again. Suddenly she said that she needed to vomit and I readily gave my window seat (I never do that). She was feeling nausea and readily informed her mother and then her boyfriend. She kept on informing small details to both of them every 5 minutes. In the passing, I inquired her about her college. She laughingly answered that she will give her 10^th in the coming March. I was stunned and disappointed. But it still remains one of the most cheerful journeys I’ve undertaken.

ST Bus, 26^th January 2011

After the Republic day function, me and my colleagues had gone to Paoni to see Gosikhurd dam. After coming back from there, I started for Nagpur. About 5 Kms from Mauda, the bus came to a halt. There were vehicles all in front of us. It was the longest traffic jam I’d seen. Soon the reasons were known. A religious organization called Parmatama Ek was having its annual gathering near Mauda and that had caused this trouble. I was tired and was looking forward to rest in my room at Nagpur. Everyone in the bus was getting restless and angry. A beautiful girl was sitting just in front of me. She was also getting restless and she started asking questions. She was from Delhi was mostly speaking in English. I jumped onto the chance and started talking with her reassuring that soon the blockade will be removed and we will reach Nagpur soon. She was a nice girl and started talking to the old man beside her. He was first afraid to talk to her but soon became friends with her as well. We kept chatting and I never realized when the 3 hour journey (originally 1 hour) came to an end.

Hope to find such people again in my life.

Change of Guard but Will Bengal Change?

34 long years later Bengal is set to get a new party at the Writers’ (Mahakaran). Mamata Banerjee has done what leaders from Siddharth Shankar Ray to Pranab Mukherjee have been trying to do so for long. They were up against a party which was just impossible to dislodge. The man from Indira Bhavan, Jyoti Basu, was the shrewdest adversary they had ever faced. Even after his retirement, he was a prominent force behind the CPI(M)’s gains in Bengal. At that time it seemed impossible to remove them from the Writers’. But the deaths of Jyoti Basu, Anil Biswas and Subhas Chakraborty have really affected the party and ultimately have led to such a downfall.

My uncle’s family has been staunch anti-CPI(M). My grandfather seldom used to eat without cursing the incumbent government. I found it amusing and used to ask him what the reason of his anger was. He explained to me that people of Bengal love intelligence, education and prosperity. While the CPI(M) leaders were highly educated themselves, they were hindering the paths of the educated youth who were not toeing their line. Adding insult to injury, they were also closing down industries, mostly small-scale, which could have taken Bengal to new heights of prosperity. This led to mass exodus of educated and uneducated, skilled and unskilled persons out of the state. Thus, Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal) was turning into a garbage dump. And it was not only him but was the voice of many Bengalis who were living inside and outside Bengal. I reasoned with them if they were unhappy with the regime, why they don’t throw it out. They explained that CPI(M) was known to employ strong arm tactics and resorted to rigging during the elections. And hence it was impossible to remove them. And there rested the case.

In the last assembly elections, I was in Bengal. I am an ardent fan of Barun Sengupta, the late editor of Bartaman. He used to write elaborately about the misgivings of the government and how the public resented it and what they wanted was a change. Bengal was a case of trouble and even the Election commission accepted it as the last election was also a multi-round affair. Mr. Sengupta as well as all the Bengalis who wanted a change were sure that CPI(M) was to make an exit after 29 years. But the result stupefied us all. Not only the Left front won but it won with such a majority that the opposition was all but eliminated. Conventional rigging could not have taken place as the security arrangements were elaborate. Anti-CPI(M) people came with theories that “Scientific rigging” was the reason for the win. They said that the EVMs were tampered and whatever button you pressed the vote went to CPI(M)! Nothing could be proved but the joke about the tampered EVMs are doing this time as well. On Facebook you will find people commenting, “EVM gulo kharap chhilo” (EVMs were faulty)!

So, the result of 2006 proved one thing that CPI(M) were irreplaceable for whatever reasons that existed. But then Mamata came with her “Maa, Maati, Maanush” (Mother, Land and People) slogan and a successful Singur agitation helped her dent the prospects of CPI(M) in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. From that time, it was becoming apparent that a change was inevitable. Her stint as railway minister where she doled out sops to her home state helped her as well. But still there was a chance that CPI(M) could have stopped it’s derailment. Nobody knows Bengal better than them and nobody knows better than them how to rule Bengal! Also the Rajas and the Kalmadis provided enough opportunities to exploit (AIADMK has removed DMK on that factor) but it seems the death of the aforesaid leaders have crippled them beyond recovery. Mr. Karat would now need to answer a lot of questions as they have lost Kerala by a whisker as well.

“Badla noi Badal chai” (We want change and not revenge) were doing the rounds and they have got what they wanted. For the next 5 years they are officially going to be there. But now the million-taka question is that whether the new fellows will be able to rotate the wheels of prosperity which have been stationery and stuck for so long. Will the mass exodus of Bengali intelligentsia stop? Will the common man get better living conditions? Will the industries reopen? Will Bengal be back among the top states of India? Will Bengal change? Will Bengal again become “Sonar Bangla “?

13 has proved to be a unlucky number for CPI(M). Hope it doesn’t prove to be unlucky for the Bengalis. Let’s hope that they have not replaced one daemon with other.

Jai Bangla!!!

Pakistan: Life After Osama

It’s over a week now since Osama Bin Laden, world’s most dreaded terrorist, was killed at Abbottabad, Pakistan. It is still hard to believe and I for one waited for the news that the killed man was not Osama. No, I’m certainly not an Osamaphile but it is very difficult to believe that a man, such as him, will be killed in a gunfight that lasted only 40 minutes and that also in his own den.

But the amount of mourning going on in the Muslim world and especially in Pakistan does confirm his death. Also the constant bickering of Pakistani government, ISI and the Pakistani Military over the issue does favour the death of Mr. Bin Laden.

About two years ago I had written a piece on this very platform about how Pakistan was ailing with a disease called Islamic terrorism or Jehad and will sooner or later need amputation.(Pakistan: A grievous unsolvable jigsaw) Well it seems their most trusted aides, USA, have at least started to hover the knife over their head if not start the actual operation.

It would be foolish on anybody’s part to accept that the Pakistani upper echelon had no idea whatsoever of the ‘safe house’ just under their nose in a town where the military academy is just 500 metres away. Because if that be the case it would be wise for all the powers-to-be to step down immediately. But we all how that country is. It is a two-mouthed snake which feeds from both group of FIIs, Foreigners and Fidayeens, alike. It makes no sense when one day they say that they have been able to curb terrorism on their land and on the other day the chief perpetrator and instigator is found killed in the hospitality lounge of Abbottabad.

A joke that is doing the rounds is that whether or not Pakistan celebrates the death of Osama. Because since they have been party to the ‘War on Terror’, they should be happy but on the other hand they can’t as you don’t celebrate on the death of your guest and esteemed friend. This dilemma is killing them and hence they are coming out with all kind of bullshit theories and explanations. They are threatening India and even to some extent US.

It is now proven beyond doubt that the entire Pakistani machinery and not only the infamous ISI are not a party to the ‘War on Terror’ but are actually on the other team. They are the 12th player for that team or maybe are even in the playing 11. And this is known to US, their chief feeders. And that explains why they didn’t bother to inform their ‘friends’! From the 1950’s, US has fed them and used them as an outpost to counterbalance the rise of India, Iran and the erstwhile USSR. What they never imagined that they were creating a Frankenstein!

Pakistan nurtured well under US supervision and now has turned to new fathers, China, for further nourishment. It’s a failed state which has siphoned gazillion dollars into its system just to save it from India, which has not attacked them in any of the past 64 years. Instead of using the dollars for making a prosperous state, what they have done is created a country which no further needs any help to go downhill. It’s a country of poor and undereducated which suits in the best interest of the Jehadis. It’s in totality a fucked up nation. I’d thought that India may get a chance to play an important role in bringing Pakistan back from chaos and disaster. But it seems we will not get that chance. In between the jehadis of all hues, USA, China and their own butt headedness, they are not going to remove their hands off the ‘self-destructing’ button that they have pressed.

The death of Osama gives the nation to review its policies. But it seems they are never going to understand. God help the innocent souls of Pakistan who are neither a party to Obama and nor were party to Osama.