COMRADES IN WAR

With mud smeared all over his half naked frame, a janewdhari wearing a boxer, was diligently faking a smile to my parents.Apparently he had heard about me before.After settling me in the room my parents left.Then I found myself in an awkward position in presence of three strangers darting their vision on me.One of them was lying on bed,buried under a blanket.Someone told me that he was suffering from fever.I remember lending an expert advice on the dosage of medicine administered to him,"Agar ek pura paracetamol khila dia to mar jaega".
There were five members in the room.Thankfully I knew one of them personally before coming to the new place.His presence gave me courage to stay put calmly.

Soon the moon showed up in the sky.

The janewdhari helped me with class notes while the bed ridden bloke and the dark complexioned guy kept murmuring something.
Next I was called for a ragging session by the seniors and after an hours time and with two small watery eyes,I returned to my room.Everybody had slept.I cursed my luck for clearing the entrance test for the new place.

Eventually everybody in the room became friendly and we started sharing things together.Though I kept failing in keeping up with the law of the room("Deka sir! They broke my bottle!!!","Murthy sir,this my comb.Not Vishwajeet's" )yet we gelled very fast and came close to each other.The bonding forged then, turned into an unbreakable metal and has stood every rough and mighty test of time,growing stronger with each passing second.

It was 1998 when I met these wonderful guys who have been more than "Best Friends" to me.Brothers in arm we marched ahead, defeating every hurdle that came our way.


Today on the eve of Friendship Day I pay my tribute to my four roomies,who have been pillars of support in every step of my life.

Do I need to name you Gentlemen?

LIFE IN A METRO:2

There are times in your life when you want to live the life of a murderer.

OK I see few saints and geeks are already disagreeing(Its for you people that I feel that feeling many a time).

I spent my last weekend at Banaras - the garrison of Hindus.I had a seminar at the heart of Hindu land, dealing with everything Hinduism and other religions are wrong about.A detailed analysis of the seminar and discussions will be put up real soon.
This post is about the train of events that followed the moment I started my return journey.

I bid adieu to all my friends at Banaras and caught a Vikram(shared one) to the Mugal Sarai station.For those who know what a Vikram auto is, would be well aware of its capacity.There at Banaras Vikram doesn't move an inch till there are 11 passengers packed like chickens, in it.The driver and the conductor swell the figure to 13.Imagine my plight.I started at 7:30 pm and I had to catch the train to Howrah at 8:15 pm.Thanks to the dexterity and the callousness of the driver I made to the station at 8:30 pm.Showering infinite admonishments I ran towards the platform.There they informed me the train was running 1 hour late.Pitying on the auto wallah I took a bite of veg patties only to spit it out the next second.Another round of admonishments followed.
The train arrived 1 and half hour late and I immediately took possession of my seat neglecting a plea from a fellow passenger, of exchanging seats.(He was offering a middle birth.F*** these intellectual junta who think very smart of themselves).My refusal didn't go well with him I suppose, for he was constantly staring at me for the next hour of our journey.

I woke up to a sunny morning and found the train stuck and sandwiched between two other trains somewhere in Bengal.Upon inquiring I learned that a group of people from Jharkhand had blocked the rail route connecting Howrah to Vardhaman,hence the impasse.I saw the time:6:30 am.Without a vestige of how events were going I was standing there,stuck and hungry.Finally the train moved,after 5 hours.I reached Howrah station at 1:30 pm.Inquired few cabs.None were ready below 300 bucks.Felt like killing them(Now you know when).Shouted at the conductor of a passing bus;9 bucks he said.I did the math.(I wish I hadn't).

It was raining outside and we closed our windows.The heat and filthy odour of human bodies filled the bus.Within minutes I was boiling in rage.Jams,signals,heavy traffic and narrow road all steady in welcoming me back here.

Finally I reached my stop.

It took me 2 and half hours to travel a distance of 17 kms.

NEED I WRITE MORE?

LIFE IN A METRO

In the cacophony of hurried footsteps and screeching trains, I yelled for a taxi at the top of my vocal limits.Ten cab drivers came running towards me.
“Where do you want to go, sir?” All of them together.
“Park circus............” I was apprehensive.
“That will be 300 bucks, sir” again all of them together.
“F U” I said politely and walked away from them.
At the exit I found an old man gnawing a gum so hard that he almost bit his lips.He offered a decent fare and my first day at Kolkata started rolling.
A very rough driver he was.A bruise over my left eyebrow bears a testimony to that.
That was 28th of December 2008.I wish that day had never happened in my life.
For those who stay in other metropolitan cities-keep rocking and to all my brethren in Kolkata-my sympathies.
With great expectations I had come to Kolkata and today it will be an understatement to say that all my dreams have drowned in Hugli River.

The sobriquet “Eye of the east” purely describes Kolkata of the past.In the march of development Calcutta left no stone unturned and when Delhi and Mumbai were seeing the light of the day Calcutta was setting unprecedented standards.A phenomenal growth triggered by the ideas of Marx, Calcutta was an envy for the north and south alike.
BUT, then that was where the movie ended.The story of Calcutta remained untold and slowly lost its sheen in the gale of development that swept the rest of the country.
Tremendous traffic on the roads and crowd on the footpath greets you wherever you go in the present day Calcutta-Kolkata to be precise.Traveling a distance of 5km takes over 45 minutes and each time you hit the road you are in battle with myriad halts which are invisible in other metros.To make the things worse the traffic management is a total failure.Yesterday I was stuck in a jam for more than an hour and the direct casualty was our plans of partying in the house.As we snailed through the traffic I signaled my middle finger at the traffic police,who I guess, confused it to be a mark of appreciation.His stupid smile was a reflection of the thought.
Climate of Kolkata is hot and humid throughout the year. Occasionally Devil pees from hell and Kolkatans are spared relief for a brief period ranging anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.The sweltering heat that follows is another story.Mercury likes staying high for most months of the year and wearing jackets and sweaters is a rare experience.Thanks to my job, I spend my summers outside Kolkata and this year I had a blast in Bihar.Go here to know more.Lucky for me that I stay in the 6th floor of our apartment building and its cool up there.But when I move out I am all boiled from top to bottom.My ass soars and head reels as I stay jammed in the ever growing traffic of Kolkata.Having a personal vehicle doesn’t help either.To make the matters further complicated, Tata Nano is all set to set the Kolkata’s roads on fire(Hope I am wrong here or else our butts should gear up for an interminable and nasty rendezvous with the dilapidated seats of minis).Buying a bike has become imperative.Nothing much would change though.5 kms will take 30 minutes then.But the true essence of a bike- SPEED , will always elude you in the streets of Kolkata.To experience the thrill of biking accurately described in words, go here.
For shopaholics I have sad news-there are just two malls in Kolkata where you can hang around.(Malls of the size you would miss in Delhi and Mumbai in a blink of the eyes).One is very close to my place.South City they call it.Today you have better options in Guwahati than in Kolkata.Development in the city has taken a reverse gear and frequent bandhs are further damaging the image.Salaries are swelling everywhere and a owning car is no longer a luxury.The developers and planners of Kolkata seem to have neglected this possibility and today there are thrice the number of vehicles on the roads than the figure Kolkata Traffic police can handle.Who is to blame-the government or the people?
Awrodh ie to block the road as an instrument of protest, is very frequently exercised by the people of Kolkata.In my 5 days of stay in Kolkata I have witnessed 1 total bandh, 6 awrodhs and numerous jams.Have mercy on me. Unionizing assumes a different dimension on the lands of Bengal.Innumerable unions rule the roost here.Fighting for one’s space has never been this rigorous in any other part of India.Thanks to Mamata Banerjee I witnessed a scene of mob burning buses from close ‘quarters.A simple contention may spark a conflagration in the streets of Kolkata.Few days back Congress supporters charred 4 buses.Once the pride of India is fast losing the battle of ranks and is waning in comparison to 2nd tier cities like Baroda,Pune,Guwahati etc.Trajectory of growth here is spiral with vortex lying below.Recent incidents like Singur and Nandigram have shaken the confidence of India Inc..A reticent government and recalcitrant opposition are not searching for ways to bring Kolkata back on the track of development.Once pioneers of progress, are now lagging far behind.People here have resigned to their fate.Transition to total communism never took place and neither capitalism was allowed to spread wings.In this wild frenzy of human existence it becomes indispensable to ask if we are moving ahead?When the state of Kolkata is this then how is government expected to eliminate poverty and herald development in rural levels?Recent Lalgarh incident is still fresh in minds of the people.The movement of growth will be engineered by masses and the youth.The change is just round the corner.We have to step forward and fuel the engine of change.Change not just Kolkata but entire India.


Those who disagree with my opinions, I am sorry but you suck.



AND THIS IS JUST TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

Step forward

In a world of myriad problems, we create barriers around us to hide from them.People are dying in the want of basic necessities yet we are busy building barriers to deny our eyes from seeing them.60 years have rolled by,GDP has touched unbelievable heights,rich are becoming richer and there are more than 10 Indians among the 100 richest in the world.We see their lives and spend the rest of ours, in a vain pursuit of becoming 1 of them.Do we ever care about feeding a morsel to the people we meet everyday,sleeping on the foot path?We don't.
We blame the government,the authorities and the leaders.Ironically,there isnt much that we can do except for exhorting the people in power.Isn' it?
If that is the irony of your life then you are not strong enough to lead India out of the current mess.Stay within the boundaries of your own miserable barriers and count your wishes before eventually surrendering yourself to death.
But those with nerves of iron and will to move mountains will storm the portals of power and change the face of governance.
Just few questions to the intellectual junta - Will the poor remain thus forever?How will she compete with you when she doesn't get to even eat twice a day?How will she buy books that will fetch her the merit to come at par with you?How will she ever dare to break the fetters of casteism?And how will she stand up when the burden of religion,under which even the high and mighty wither,is put mercilessly on her tiny shoulders?
If you have answers to above,please step forward and join us in the final quest of freedom.60 years of Independent India has only aggravated the problem.Population is nearing perilious numbers.We have to act now.

Millions of eyes are staring into the darkness everyday.Dont you feel they deserve to see the light of tomorrow?

Fiesta in Bihar

As Manzar's Bolero picked up pace, the final vestige of camp Simalbari slowly dissolved into the horizon.With mixed emotions,I turned around to find people snaking their way into the airport lounge.Bagdogra airport is surely one of the strictest airport in the world!!
A tedious security check in (including an exhaustive full body frisk) leaves little room for doubt and as one emerges out of the security counter a stamp proclaiming "totally harmless" is writ all over his face.Same for me.
The lounge is over packed with people and as I am typing these words, few queer glances are properly reflected on the screen.Don't you people blog?
Every time I come to Bagdogra, the memories of my first day at camp GP-27 resurrect in my mind.

It all started from this place.

The date on calender read 5 January 2009.Time::2 'o clock.
After alighting the Jet Airliner I meekly enquired Banerjee Sir about the next destination.
"We now have to catch a rickety bus to Kishanganj and travel for another hour",a grin smeared on his face.Frankly speaking,after being airborne,the thought of travelling in a rustic village transport played a perfect damp squib.With a heavy heart I followed him out of the airport and as we reached the exit a swank SUV made a dash out of nowhere and stopped in front of us.
"Hop in",Banerjee Sir smirked.The same grin dancing on his face again.
Two hours journey:that separates Bagdogra from Kishanganj.
As we meandered through the villages of Bengal and Bihar I was awed by the simplicity of the rural life.An array of tea estates on either side of the road,brewed in the mood of nostalgia as I drifted into the world of dreams.The vehicle cruised through the wind like a wild horse and before my tryst with the surreal world could end,we were at the GP-27 camp.
An uneasy feeling gripped me,as I scrambled to get my luggages to my alloted quarter.Next,I met the party chief of our unit-Mr. D Mitra.
A brief chat ensued and an hour went by and I could elicit just few responses from him with most of our talks ending in monosyllables.Disciplined?Reticent?Many such impressions crowded my mind and I felt the uneasy feeling return to me.Before I could take leave,a figure drapped in a lungi stormed into the room.He started in Assamese and as his words hit my ear drum my heart sensed the purity of the person's mind.I was relieved to hear my mother tongue and to find a friend amongst a pool of strangers.Friendship was an instant relation and Razzaque Sir and I both left for our rooms.


The first night was unique.First time I slept under a roof of my own labour.


The next morning I met more people at the camp and pretty soon I was introduced to all members of our unit.My day began with the repair of a Macha blaster system.In the afternoon Hazarika Sir and I thoroughly analysed geophones whilst learning the basic functions and components of the field electronics.In the evening I sat in the instrument with Razzaque Sir where he explained the process of data acquisition in ONGC.
As days progressed I learnt more about my work and much about the field operations.After a week's time Sarvind bhaiya arrived.En route to the field we discussed on social issues.Since then every discussion of ours involves tremendous dynamism.Talking about a range of topics, varying from mysticism to theory of symmetry, but finally converging to realistic approaches towards human lives.Marx,Ambedkar,Vivekananda,Politics all come together in the pursuit of the ultimate - FREEDOM. The details of all such talks will be put up real soon.I fervently invite you readers, to take the pain of discussing with me further on such issues.I plan to talk more about them in my next posts.Keep track of this space for more.
Coming back to the camp.We at GP-27 camp are dedicated to the service of the nation.We strive continuously in the pursuit of OIL reseves to enrich the motherland of the most precious recource of human race.
But the targets we set for ouselves were collosal and the resources paltry.We employed the Sercel's UL408 seismograph and analog geophones for data acquisition.FDUs,LAUXs and LAULs being the rest of the ground electronics.For the first few months we had cables just enough to lay a spread for three salvos.Then the intermittent problems of cables,groups and the blaster machas and not to forget the frequent VHF sets' communication failure.Today when I look back to the day we started,an incredible feeling runs down my body.Completing the targets set out for 2 years in 1 year's time was beating the impossible.Had it not been for Razzaque Sir and Banerjee Sir's vision and our collective effort the result would have been entirely different.It was their persistence and efficient plan that did the unthinkable.But for few occassional jolts the targets would have been completed many days in advance.Let bygones be bygones and let us all bask in the glory of the mammoth standards we have set for ourselves.
Today was my last day at the camp.When Manzar turned the ignition key,emotions buried under the heap of busy schedule suddenly hit my chest.I turned to catch the last glimpse of the place where I started my first job.Being on your own is a wonderful feeling.This is where I learnt it and the experiences gathered here will remain an indellible part of my memories.May be there are more adventures to come and more lessons to learn but till they happen,GP-27 Camp Simalbari will be the most prolific experience of my 24 year old psyche.

Reminiscences of an old friend

The entire room was in chaos.The "seniors" were taking a test of our physical and mental limits.Slaps,kicks and abuses were flying all around.It was then that I got the first glimpse of his corpulent physique.With his sheer size he outweighed every mortal in the room.Being the most visible, he was the obvious prey.The cruel seniors meted out the worst punishments to him.Yet, like everyone of us, he accepted the misery silently.

With the ogres satisfied, we were allowed to take a seat on the floor.A brief introductory session followed, bringing relief to our tortured souls.Now we knew our brothers by name.

"SUKALPA BHUYAN" the giant squeked.

Soon the monsters started the fun time where we were made to laugh at our helplessness.Thereafter we were sent to our rooms only to be summoned at a later time to replay the entire drama again and again.

As the days passed such meetings became bearable.The fun time at the end always included Sukalpa and his antics.It was him who made us really enjoy the grief of morbidity.It was fun to watch him act and shower preposterous ideas.Probably he was the most famous fresher of our batch.

The months flipped by and we grew up - from juniors into seniors.

The bonding amongst us witnessed a change and the solidarity of the ragging period waned away.Exclusive circle of friends emerged and compulsive relations of ragging days were trashed.But with his loud and "heavy" presence Sukalpa was everybody's friend.His ability to churn fun out of any situation was his hallmark.His taste of music was rich and his mountain of information about every rock band and various genre were exuberant.Apart from being a humorous person he could sport an entirely different persona if his friends demanded so.I have had my share of fun with him.Our constant mild scuffles and fake ultimatums would always be a part of my cherished memories of those days.Though we never spent much time together yet the memories of old days gushes in all the energy we put up in every meeting of ours.

God has mysterious ways of judging human existence but when he took away a son from the face of earth he inflicted deep wounds in the hearts of many.His untimely demise has left all his friends in deep lull.

I dont know where he is today but I sincerely pray to almighty to keep him happy.He brought smiles to many dry lips and when we were disturbed he always played away our tensions.His mortal coil may have seen an end but he will always live on in the memories of all his friends.


A part of him has remained deeply engraved in me.I always remember him whenever someone calls me by my surname.