Hi Pals,
Here I am again with the latest edition of Bhopal Update featuring my adventures in the month of March. Here I have tried to weave in every interesting event of past month with as much detail as possible with my hardware and software i.e. memory and my ability to express the events. People say, that ‘man’ has been lucky to have the gift of forgetting, but honestly while compiling this update I was astonished to see that this blessing works so profoundly on me. Therefore, although I believe I have included everything in this current update I may not be blamed for leaving some bits because of my fast aging memory.
It does take a little effort on my part, a mental outline and a few rough drafts on paper, before finally setting out for keyboard and the events starts reshaping with their own special tenderness, freshness and unique fragrance lest they assume the distinction of ‘those good old days’. I enjoy this exercise not merely because I feel refreshed after this but more so because very subtly I convey my own thoughts to you people, whom I consider important to me.
As the Feb gave way to March, I started experiencing what one does after settling in comfortably at a place, getting used to Bhopal. The development, which might not seem very apt at this stage of my professional career, when I should rather be more focussed and determined to leave this place as soon as possible before getting ‘typed’ for an government institution. But sadly enough, I could not help it now! May be a ‘break’ some where else, would alter the course of my institutionalisation.
I do not remember what I did in the first weekend of March, (too much for the fast eroding memory) but what I did remember about first week is the meeting with one of my ‘entrepreneur’ cousins that made one odd evening, refreshingly special. Quite obviously, he was on a business trip & too busy to spend long hours with me, however I got a good share of what he used to call ‘quality time’. During the discussion he nonchalantly told me something, which, later struck to me as the bottom line for success in this capitalistic world. This is the age of ‘concept selling’, he said and I later wondered how true he was! Once again I confronted what I had always admired, the enormity and vastness of an idea, a concept, a thought, sheer force behind any phenomenal change.
Second weekend of March did not pose much difficulty to recollect, and with the least strain I can now describe how I felt so lucky to have left Bhopal for New Delhi. I was there for two very dissimilar reasons; one, I was visiting Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to add another new page to the life-long romance with this ‘red city’[1] which started way back in 2001 and second, to meet a special friend, precisely for third time since we knew each other, in the ‘Olive-Green settlement’ of the city. With ‘Olive-Green settlement’ I mean army tents where my lieutenant friend was camping soon to fly off for his foreign posting as a part of the coveted United Nations peace keeping force.
After reaching the army camp I was charged with a rather uncommon sensation, a feeling, that was much different from what I have been comfortable with, I was enthusiastic and yet cautious, alert and yet receptive, keeping myself at low profile I took this as an opportunity to learn and understand ‘what a soldier thinks’ or ‘does he even thinks?’ ‘how closely he resembles an ordinary civilian or how strongly he believes that he is from an entirely different lot’. I don’t think this is probably a better place to throw open my understanding and conclusions but I must acknowledge here that a soldier is, after all very much a human being and do have justifiable viewpoints or else, it may be the case that my friend is not a perfect representative of a typical soldier.
Having a warm, lazy but an interesting afternoon in the army camp, I set off for JNU in the evening. And sticking to my usual forte to surprise friends, I reached JNU and for a change found myself surprised. Fortunately this time it was not one amongst those instants where I have found my friends missing and witnessed my plan writhing and collapsing silently. I was really lucky to have chosen that Saturday for my Delhi trip and more so for planning a visit to JNU, as 12 march was the big night for the ‘Periyar Hostel’. ‘Palash’, as this annual event (hostel night) was named this year, has the same glitz and glamour, which I had so intensely enjoyed a year ago while being an inmate of this hostel. This time I was there as a guest but feelings doesn’t know such differentiation and I enjoyed being there in the same indifferent manner. Undoubtedly, it was rather a big surprise for my friends who had no idea of me turning up suddenly out of the blue.
Funny, as it may appear but next day when we chose a brand new ‘Bullet’ for criss-crossing the roads of the capital city, people gave way to that powerful machine! And when my friend dropped me at Delhi railway station I kept wondering why the time never tires and relax for a while.
After having a monotonous week at office I chose to stay in Bhopal over the third weekend as I found that there are still some places to be explored in and around the city. Oddly enough I picked ‘Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalaya’ which is in itself so peculiar in its conception and composition that it is just a sole museum of its kind in India! This museum is an ambitious attempt to showcase the lives, culture, art and religion of a widespread fraction of India’s 450 plus Adivasi tribes. It was indeed an unforeseen experience for me and while passing through a special section dedicated to the tribal and folk mythologies I came across an interesting explanation of the myth by J. Swaminathan, ‘Myth is a flight from reality in order to make the imaginable real’ but who in here can define categorically what is real and what is myth? I was perplexed.
It was on 25 March, almost 3 months since I came in Bhopal that I set forth for the World Heritage site located 46 km North of Bhopal that attracts tourists from round the world. I am referring here to the ‘Sanchi Stupas’. It’s among the list of places where I always wanted to go (Interestingly, Eiffel tower also appears in that list). I still remember very clearly when I first saw photo of Stupas in my history book and suddenly grew curious about the shape, size, peculiar construction and the age of these immense structures. I really feel that these historical treasures are not only the subject of national pride but also give us a point to ponder as what possibly could have been the source of inspiration of such a thought, an idea which was so powerful and strong that it persist even today and will go on possibly for many centuries. Also the colossal effort by emperor Ashok is worth a praise who nurtured, nourished and fortified an idea to make it immortal. Undoubtedly, not many such structures are left today to inspire us when we strongly believe, approve and recommend ‘living in present’, negating the thought and declining our responsibility for the time yet to come. Had this been the maxim of all ages and the people ardent believers as they are in present times, I am sure we would not have any heritage site or altogether a sense for it even.
Holi brought all shades and hues of brilliant colours that camouflaged the strong feelings I was having since my visit to Sanchi, and I let myself mingle with the environment. Soon it was all over and a sudden tiredness encompassed all of us, me and my three friends from the ‘God’s own country’. Quite intelligently they have arranged for something more suitable for the occasion, the Bollywood classic ‘SHOLAY’ and I joined them in the pleasant confines of their home. The day was called after enjoying the entertaining spell.
Quite understandably, the flight of time is so swift that it literally escapes ones’ attention but yet I feel this monthly update is a useful attempt to register the happenings and to document how time has been pouring fresh moments to my life. And I would like to thank all of you for being a source of motivation otherwise I would not have been treasured these precious moments. Lately, I was reading Ruskin Bond and I remember what he says in the book “… yet the butterflies will be beautiful” leaving this entirely upon the reader to interpret that ‘butterflies would be beautiful’ but lets keep our sense of admiring beauty else they will of no appeal to us. These interesting moments are scattered around like those ‘butterflies’, which will remain beautiful, lets enjoy their beauty today and always…
[1] Not just the bricks that makes it red, more often it’s the students’ allegiance with some political parties that is reverberated in the slogans during many protest marches in the campus
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