Dakshinayan @ WhatsApp

Hi!

I don't know how many of you still follow this blog. But I thought I'd let you know that Dakshinayan is now on WhatsApp. I have set up a Dakshinayan Roldih WhatsApp group and you can be part of it if you want regular updates on what's happening at Baba Gyan Mandir in Roldih and also in my life. My WhatsApp number is +91 9932256477. Send me a message and I will add you.

Group Visit to Roldih

As I had mentioned earlier, I am trying to introduce the project to people in Kolkata. My plan is to involve members of various photography groups (where I too am a member) to the project. A sort of DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION PROGRAMME that we used to have. Only this time, we are hoping to attract Indians to the project. 

But why photography groups? Well, to begin with, they are the only groups I know. And I want people to experience the place -- the beauty of the project and its surrounding. I also somehow believe that the passion for photography takes people to places where most people would not be willing to go. 

Perhaps I am not so wrong considering that I was able to convince a small group to visit the project with me when I went there on the 14th of this month. With me were Utpal Dutt, Srikumar Bhattacharya and his wife Dwipanita, Deepak Mitra and his wife Sorbani and Runa.

The road to Roldih is now very good and so it wasn't a tiring trip and we reached there just as school was ending. Repair work was underway too. We had picked up Bhola from Dewdandr and so he helped to organize a simple lunch for us with the help of Pushpa, Shankar and Mangal. The former two are back and have restarted school and Mangal seems to be a permanent fixture on the project these days. He also gives tuitions to some of our ex-students who are now enrolled in government schools elsewhere. 

Parvati, who is now married and living near Masanjore, happened to be home and came over to visit me and was complaining to all that I had abandoned her when she was still a little girl! Hemanti and her cousin from Rai tola, came for tuition and were happy to find me there. They have all grown so big in the five years that I have been away!

While food was being prepared, the group went to visit Roldih village, while Bhola got busy supervising the repair work. Runa started collecting saplings and mangoes and cashew nuts and I just sat around soaking in the ambiance! It felt good to be back home. I can hardly wait for my room to be ready so that I can come back and stay here for longer periods. It breaks my heart every time that I have to leave.

The verandah of the "volunteer room" was completely destroyed. They have managed to retrieve some of the corrugated tin sheets that were blown away and Bhola says that most of them can be reused. 

Bhola says my room should be ready within a week. Work is ongoing at the moment and Bhola has sent me some pictures which I am inserting here.

  My room and verandah without the roof

We are increasing the height of the wall at the back so that the slope is steeper and there will be no water stagnating on the roof after the rains. Bhola was talking about extending the verandah. I don't know what it will finally look like, but it may be useful to have a bigger verandah, especially during the rains. 

The back of my room as seen from the road

Once my room is ready, we will start work on repairing Baba's temple. One of the pillars is in critical condition and if we don't fix it soon, the entire roof may come down. Here's a picture of the temple:

I don't know what happened to me while I was on the project. I had my camera with me and I had gone there with the intention of taking pictures of the project. But once there, I forgot all about my camera. So this morning I called Bhola and asked him to send me a few pictures and these were sent by him. I must mention how much I appreciate Bhola's help. He is no longer a staff member. Yet he does so much for the project. I do appreciate his contribution.

We didn't stay long on the project. I had to get back before dark as I can't see very well after sunset because of the cataract I have in my right eye. But it was a great trip for all concerned. My friends got to see an authentic santhal village that hasn't changed much (though there's electricity now). I was happy to be back home even if it was for a short while. Also, I managed to bring back some mangoes -- and I just had one. They are very sweet!

I should also mention that I got a call from Rahul a few days ago. He said he was sending any money right away but would be willing to send whatever we need whenever we need it. That's a great assurance!

By the way, is anyone reading the blog? I am not getting any comments. So I have no way of knowing. Please leave a comment if you read this. Thank you.

Pushpa Weds Shankar Tomorrow

Yesterday I got a call from Pushpa. She and Shankar are leaving the project to get married. They had mentioned this when we were on the project and had also invited us to the wedding, which is to take place in Danga.

A little about Danga. It's a village close to Roldih which, till recently, used to be known as Danga-Roldih as it used to be a TOLA of Danga. To explain, a TOLA is an "offshoot settlement" set up by one or more families that have moved out of the main village because they either face a shortage of house building space or wish to be close to their fields. Roldih is now a "big" village with a hundred families and it has its own TOLAS.

According to Santhal tradition, Pushpa and Shankar, who are the only permanent staff on the project these days, have been living together. Now they are getting married. This is socially acceptable. 

Repair work has started. The damaged roofs have been dismantled and sheets were taken off. A portion of the parapet walls had to be broken down and will be rebuilt before the new sheets are put in place. Just spoke to Bhola. He has ordered bricks, sand and cement, but work will only start in earnest when Pushpa and Shankar return. Bhola is too busy with his shop to spare time supervising the work. 

Meanwhile, I am counting the days to the next visit on the 14th. Pushpa and Shankar are going to be back. And school will have started and hopefully, repair work will be underway. I am also looking forward to "showing off" the project to my photographer friends.

Perhaps, I should have mentioned this earlier, some support has already come in from friends. Jayati Goswami, Manas and Preeti, have already given me some money for repair work. This, along with the small amount that I have been able to spare, should be adequate for the moment. I am sure more help is on the way. 

Well, that's all for the moment. There will be more news coming your way so keep in touch with the blog even if you can't find to keep in touch with me!

I'm Back in the Saddle

On 16th May, when I visited the project with Mitali, Raj and Runa, I was informed by the villagers that I had been away for 5 years. What was most touching was that most of them turned out to meet me. And also they had assumed that I had come back to stay!

To tell the truth, it was a brief visit to see the project and figure out whether we should continue running it or simply hand it over to the people (villagers or others) who are interested. In fact, I got the impression that many, many people (who had never been involved with the project) were interested in taking over the project. And the visit helped me to understand why.

All the trees we had planted over the years have now grown big. The timber trees -- gamhar and segun -- would a worth a fortune in a few years time. The fruit bearing trees are just as valuable as timer -- mango, kalajam -- are much in demand these days. No wonder people wish to take over the project. But they are not willing to SUPPORT the project!

To cut a long story short, after the brief visit, I decided to return to Roldih. The warmth of the reception I got, the hope in the eyes that I saw and my own realization that I have left things unfinished, all convinced me that I need to go back and spent a few more years on the project to ensure that I create/motivate people to use the resources we have gathered over the years is used for the community and not serve to provide money for people who wish to exploit the situation.

I am very grateful to Mitali and Rajiv, who have been over the past few years, taking care of the project with whatever resources they could gather. Some of you have been most generous and supportive. I hope I will continue to receive the same support while I continue with the same work.

This time round, however, I will not be staying on the project on a permanent basis. I now have a house in Shantiniketan (Prantik) and I hope to divide my time between the project and my home here. The road to the project is now fantastically smooth and so driving there on my motorcyle or getting there by car will not be such a harrowing experience. Hence, I will be spending a week on the project and a week off it. At least, that is my plan at the moment. Who knows, the situation may once more demand that I stay there permanently.

While away from the project, I have acquired a new hobby -- photography. Some of you can see my photos at Sid's Photography on Facebook. I also post to many photography groups on FB. I have realized that I could invite fellow photographers to visit the project to take pictures and and also provide support to run it. The few people that I met on a recent visit to Kolkata were very excited by the idea and they will be visiting the project with me on the 14th of this month and we will take it from there. Their visits may provide some funding for the project just like the volunteers visiting the project did. As you can see, we no longer get volunteers. Also, we can no longer have volunteers on the project except for short visits. Things have changed and we need to adapt to present conditions.

One thing that hasn't chaged is my own attitude towards funding. I'd rather beg to raise money for the project rather than approach the government or donor agencies for funding. Fortunately for me, Dakshinayan has a lot of well-wishers who are still willing to chip in and help out and I am sure once the photographers start visiting Rolding and the surrounding areas, we may find more supporters amongst them.

I don't know how many of you still visit this blog or if you really care any more. But if you do, drop me a line, leave a comment or email me at sanyalsid@gmail.com.

There are many things that are buzzing around in my head and I would like to share with you but we have time. There will be other blogs and we will get many opportunities to interact. If you are reading this, then I am happy I have been able to reach out to you.

Independence Day with the Volunteers.

We had a group of volunteers from Portugal last month. The group comprised of medical students and were a very cheerful and dedicated lot. They got down to teaching right from the beginning and the kids were so enamoured of them that they started coming back in the afternoons also. Joao took the blackboard out in the afternoons and taught out in the open. Sofia also took a few classes in the afternoon when the kids came back. Others also taught outside in the open fields during school hours whenever they got a chance.The kids had a lot of fun and learnt a lot also meanwhile.

On 15th August, our Independence day, the kids all came, some villagers also came. There was flag hoisting etc and boondi and sev were distributed to all present and everybody had a nice time.

The volunteers held medical camps for the local villagers who came with different kinds of maladies. They discussed among themselves in real earnest and treated the villagers who went away happy and satisfied. They had offered to send medicines prior to their coming but so little time was left that if they had sent the package it would not have reached me by the time they came to the project.

It was Joao's idea to paint one wall and fill up with the kids' handprints and footprints in multicolour. I arranged for the paints and they got down to business. First the whole wall was whitewashed and then the volunteers drew the Indian flag in the middle of the wall. The rest of the wall was filled up with the kid's hand and footprints in multicolours. On one side the volunteers also put their hand prints.

Some of the volunteers gave the elder kids a few things. Ricardo and Diogo gave their own class school uniforms and Joao gave his class school uniforms and also dresses, copies and pencils. The whole group together gave a football for the kids to play and made a swing out of tyre for them.

All in all, it was a good experience for everybody.

Poila Baishakh, foundation day

It was 15th April and Dakshinayan Roldih's foundation day. It is also called Baba Lokenath's day. I reached early morning from Kolkata by the night bus and reached the project by 6 in the morning. By 7.30 the kids started to come in. After bath we all gathered at the Baba Lokenath temple. The diya(lamp) and the incense sticks were lit. I decorated the statue with white flowers from the garden. We put a tika of abir on Him. The kids also sported a tika on their forehead. The conch shell was blown and temple bell was rung. Then it was time to give boondi and shev to the kids. The kids gave the food to Baba Lokenath first before tasting themselves. They even got double helping and there were smiles everywhere. The boys, Haldhar, Premanand and Promod all helped in the procedure. The new teacher was supposed to come but will join one day later. After everything was over i asked the kids "who wants to play badminton?" And i had all of them gathering around me in their eagerness. I had carried restrung badminton racquets and 20 shuttle corks with me from Kolkata. There was a lot of laughing and playing and then the kids went home and we got down to business. Meaning me and boys had our meeting. Lot of things were threshed about to find solutions. Then it was time to prepare lunch and the new gas cylinder was opened and the boys were happy that they didnt have to light up the chulah(earthen oven) anymore as it is a tedious job. I had arranged with Bhola that from now on cooking will be done in gas. After lunch there were some more discussions to be done and then it was time for me to return to Kolkata by the evening bus. So Bhola came to pick me up and i bade the boys and the project bye and was on my way to Godda bus stand. The night was spent  on bus and reached home at 4 in the morning. Last two nights my head didnt touch a pillow as both the nights I was travelling and it was hectic to do everything in one day but i wanted to be there on Dakshinayan's important day and the travel worn body took second place because spirit was high.

The Final Exams 2014

The academic year ended for the school and it was time for the final exams. I clubbed two things in one trip this time. The first one was taking the repairmen and materials with me for the much needed roof repairs and the second was the exam itself. Carrying the repair materials and the men along with me was a colourful affair indeed. A first time experience of riding a shining red matador(small truck) from Godda to the project. Work started right after we reached and had breakfast. The men worked hard till evening everyday. The idea of carrying everything from Kolkata was because of the cheaper rates and expert men available here. A big thank you to our ex volunteers, Philip Auinger and Rene Berkhout for their efforts at fund raising and making all the work possible.

The exams went off successfully and there were lesser number of failures than last year. Shows the hard work of teachers and students the whole year. The volunteers, specially Shahil helped them revise and prepare for the exam. I had carried the prizes for the 1st,2nd and 3rd student in each class and there were prizes also for the best attendance in each class. I also carried the English question papers with me. After the exams the students' work was done and it was the teacher's turn and there was a flurry of activity-correcting papers,re checking the marks, making the marksheet, adding up the attendance for the whole year to see who gets the prize etc. Then the report cards were made and signed.

On the result day the parents were also called and they came. Chocolates were given to every child to soften the blow. There were lot of claps for the first, second and third and the prizes were received with a lot of smiles.

After the results were over, it was time for the staff meeting, hearing their greivances and solutions etc which went on till late and lunch got delayed. But in the end it felt like a lot of work done and lot of lose ends tied.

The Annual Picnic

It was that time of the year again...the annual picnic. The kids were looking forward to it since the new year set in. This time my sister(Piali), my friend(Madhu), and the repairman went with me and we were joined at the Jasidih station by a volunteer(Sahil Patel) from Canada. Bhola came to pick us up and we all travelled to the project together. When we reached we had a cup of tea around the bonfire and sat around and had our dinner around the fire only. The repairman had come with us as the roofs needed repair and so he had to take measurements for the job to be done before the monsoon sets in with full force. All the preparations for the picnic was done before by the enthusiastic kids. The chulah(Clay oven) was dug in the back fields ready and waiting. Next day we all shifted to the back fields after a late breakfast. We had carried bar ones(chocolate bars) and gave them to the kids and then the fun and games started. Thanks to Madhu, Piali and Sahil there were lots of games like relay race, normal race, musical chair and other games which the kids enjoyed immensely and so did we. There were more bar ones as prizes which kept the kids happy. Bhola had brought her two kids who also joined whole heartedly. One one side there was serious cooking going on organised and executed by Bhola and helped by Haldhar, Premanand and Mongol. There were huge woks in which Khichri(mix of rice, different kinds of lentils, vegetables and spices) was being made. There was tomato chutney and papad fry also. It was quite late when the games and the cooking was done and the kids sat down to eat. The enthusiasm was infectious. After the kids were done we also had our late lunch on the plates made of leaves. In the evening we had different kinds of pakodas in the kitchen which was the warmest place in the very cold weather. We girls ultimately decided to bring the kitchen chulah(oven) to our bedroom at night! We also slept with our socks on and with hoodies, thermalwear etc. We left Sahil fortified with soup packets and bar ones to tide him over. He will be teaching English and try and help the kids prepare for their final exams in March.
One sad news is the Bruni has passed away. But I guess it was good for her as she no longer lived on the project and there was nobody to look after her.

March 2013, Final Exams

The academic session at Dakshinayan is over. The final exams were in the first week of March. I prepared the English question papers and went to the project for the exams.

After the exams were over it was our turn to correct the papers, which was a huge job. But the teachers, Premanand, Haladhar, Shanku and me, we finished them on time and the marksheets were drawn. Shanku was very helpful with the marksheets as he remembered the exact way guruji(Siddharth) used to do it. Finally the report cards were made and the fates sealed. On the result day the children and their guardians came and assembled in front of the Lokenath temple. The results were announced and report cards given. The pass average was good this year. There were prizes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd students of all the classes and also for the maximum attendance in each class for the whole year.

After the last year's results were out the new session's admission is going on. Shanku visited the various villages and told the villagers about the date when admission is to start, as, many of them were asking about the dates. At present the admission for the new session is going on.

We had a bit of a good news from our ex volunteer Philip Auinger who has contributed a nice amount of money to Dakshinayan which will go a long way in running the project. Thank you Philip for keeping us close to your heart and helping our cause.

ROLDIH in January 2013

It took me a while to upload this blog as I was a bit under the weather after returning from Roldih. This time Raj(my hubby), went with me as we were carrying two cartons of goodies for the children, which our Japanese volunteer, Daisuke Ura, had sent. After returning from India he has been working in the tsunami affected areas and had sent two huge cartons and was eagerly awaiting photos.

The first day after reaching in the morning and after breakfast the school started. I went into the classes and taught a little, revised a little and checked how far they have progressed after I had left them. They were quite up to date inspite of our problems in finding good English teachers in the area. The children have been told about the gifts from before and they were all agog with excitement wondering what they will get. We gave off school a little early. The children lined up as they line up for assembly in front of the temple. Then we distributed the things which included, inflatable balls, whistles, caps, bubble blowers, skipping ropes, exercise copies, erasers, lots of pens, pencils, sharpners, scales, sketch pens, colourful notebooks etc. There were smiles all around as they got their gifts. After it was over they started preparation for the next day’s picnic.

Next day was Sunday and the children were early at the gate in coloured clothes as they were told to come as they wanted and need not wear school uniform. The previous day a chulah(oven) was dug by the children in the field. Shanku, Bhola, Haladhar and Premanand with the help of the elder children  started the fire going with logs of woods which are in abandon on the grounds. Cooking was done in huge utensils brought from Bhola’s house. The menu was khichri(mixture of rice, pulses, vegetables and spices), papad fry and tomato chutney. Even though the utensils were huge, the cooking had to be done in batches. The children did all the cutting of the vegetables very efficiently. Then, after food was ready they were called and made to sit in a line with leaf plates in front of them. Shanku and Bhola did the serving. No need to say, food was much appreciated. After the children had finished we sat down for lunch. Some of the children stayed back and went on playing and had a second helping after they had finished packing everything up and before going home.

This trip covered three things which were - checking to see the progress and fixing till how much will be taught before the exams, distributing the gifts which Daisuke had sent and the ever important January picnic.

The brief break is over. The children have returned to their respective classrooms. I decided to use the  remaining battery on my laptop to write another blog. Tomorrow, this time I will be on a train headed towards Kolkata and then after a short wait, on another train going to Bolpur. My brief sojourn will be over. I don't know when I will be back. I am due to  leave for Delhi end of this month so I am hoping I will be able to make yet another motorcycle trip to the project before I leave. If the weather remains the way it is now, then that should not be a problem.

I has been raining every day since I arrived on the project. Bhola claims we brought the rain with us. I find the rain refreshing, but also rather inconvenient. The roof of my veranda leaks. So one is forced to stay in the room which gets rather stuffy. But rain is good for farming. And this year hopefully with Harish's (villager -- Parvati's father) help we will plant something. He came last evening and promised  to plough the field and plant some lentils, corn and vegetables. He will be entitled to half the produce. But that's ok with us. He will be doing most of the work, so I guess he deserves it. We only provide the land and the seeds.

Though I have been ill most of the time, I am glad I came. Even Shantiniketan does not have such wide open spaces and greenery. Now that I am feeling better, I am able to enjoy the overcast skies and cool breeze that is blowing. But I do wish I could also like the way the project is being  run.

Despite my presence here and the good weather, I have not seen anyone make any effort to visit the village. Those living here seem to be happy to wake up, eat breakfast, teach for a few hours, eat lunch, sleep, wake up and cook dinner and then eat and sleep. I dropped a few hints, but all I got were excuses -- it's too hot, we don't have umbrellas, etc. Yet, it's not too hot if they have to go to Dumka or for a drive. Sad. Very sad. I'm beyond caring. I'm just glad the school is regular. The kids seem happy and to me that's all that counts.

Bruni is Back

When the children were leaving school we asked them if they had spotted Bruni.  A few of them claimed they had seen her in Siayarkatia, close to Devadand. And an hour later she was at the gates demanding to be let in. She had obviously sprinted all the way from there to the project. So the question is: does she understand human language? How did she know we were back? Did other dogs inform her? It's one of nature's mysteries. But we are happy she is back and obviously she's happy to see us. But Bruni has changed.

She no longer jumps on you when she sees you. She no longer demands food or biscuits -- patiently waits to be given something to eat. She no longer bangs on the gates to be let in. And it's obvious that she prefers to spend off the project than on it. As soon as the gates are opened in the morning to let in the school children, she leaves and comes back only in the late afternoon. She, however, insists on sleeping under my bed and spend more time sticking to Mitali who never tires of petting her. But unlike before, she no longer demands to be petted.

School is doing fine. At least it is regular. Mitali is still teaching Class 2 and all those kids are doing these days is learn English, English and more English. Mitali is making up for lost time. Raju and Susanti are teaching in their respective classes. But seem to be doing little else. No village visits and apart of helping Shanku with cooking, nothing else on the project. I don't like their tendencies of asking the school kids to do personal chores. I've already warned them, but I don't think it has much effect.

Shanku is doing most of the project work -- cooking, cleaning and taking care of the guests -- Mitali and me. Mitali is at least teaching. I am doing nothing.

It has been raining since yesterday -- off and on. We had some heavy rains yesterday. The weather has become cooler. But I have not been able to enjoy any of it as I have been quite ill with flu since yesterday morning. I'm a bit better today, but still feeling under the weather. What a pity.

School timings have changed. Before we arrived, school was starting at 6:30 and finishing at 9:00. Now it starts at 7:30 and goes on till 11:00. This is possible because the weather has improved considerably. Perhaps that explains the near 100% attendance.

I can hear thunder. I can hear the children playing in the field. It's break time. Good sounds. I am somewhat at peace. Om shanti, shanti, shantih....

No Rain in Roldih

I'm sitting on the veranda in Roldih. Arrived here last night via Jasidih with Mitali. Bhola went to fetch us. He is no longer working with us, but is always there to help out with work on the project and off it -- shopping, repairs, bank work and of course fetching people from the station or bus stop.

School is on at the moment. Sushanti is teaching nursery so that Shanku, the usual teacher for that class can take care of chores. Mitali is teaching English in class 2, which is usually Sushanti's class. Raju is teaching in class 1 as usual. I'm not doing anything. So I decided to check the blog. What I discovered shocked me -- I haven't updated the blog for two months!

A lot has happened meanwhile. Shanku's mother died and he was away from the project for most of May and the early part of June. Bhola resigned. He is no longer on the payroll but helps out with work on the project and off it -- shopping, bank, fetching people from the station or bus stop. It's not a bad arrangement. And thought I used to complain about his absence from the project, I find that he is the ONLY person I can rely on. The others are simply happy to teach for 3 hours and goof off for the rest of the day. God knows what they do during the rest of the day. There have been no village visits. I can understand that. It's been terribly hot. But I do hope that once the weather improves there will be other activities on the project too. Otherwise, the expenses incurred in running this project can't be justified.

The weather has been really bad. It has rained only once in 3 months! That's bad. People are anxiously waiting for it to rain so that they can till their fields. People, especially children, are falling ill. And though the single rainfall has turned the leaves of trees green, it is simply not adequate.

Right now, there are clouds in the sky, but it doesn't look like rain. But fortunately, the day is not unbearably hot. We will change the school timings from tomorrow. Today school started at 6:30 and will end at 9:00. From tomorrow it will start at 7:30 and go on till 11:00. Attendance is very poor -- about 50%. I am told this is not normal. On other days, it seems, the attendance is close to 90%. So why poor attendance when I am around? Mitali and I will be here till the end of this week. So let's see.

I'm sad that Bruni is not here. Whatever happened to her? Shanku claims she stays away from the project these days? Why? Why would a dog stay away from a place where she gets fed twice a day? She's been living on the project ever since she was born! And has continued to live here even when there was no one living here. So why would  she abandon the project? Could it be that she is no longer alive and no one is willing to tell me so? Anyway, I've asked the kids to find her for me.

Though I haven't updated the blog since April. I have been visiting the project quite regularly all of April and May. I did  not come in June as it was simply too hot for the long drive from Prantik (Shantiniketan) to Roldih on the motorbike. At my age (a few months short of 60) it would be taking chances. Heat-stroke among mobike riders is quite common in India during summer. The air is dry and hot. Riding is similar to standing in front of a blast furnace and it's a 5-hour drive to Roldih.

The nights are not unpleasant thought it's not cool after sundown. We slept on the veranda and I dreamt of snakes! There are no mosquitoes. That's really strange. Perhaps because it hasn't  rained. I guess once it rains, they will emerge from wherever they are hiding at the moment.

It's drizzling now. School is over. I'm waiting for Bhola to  come so that we can settle the accounts. I have to  send him to the bank to fetch money to  pay the salaries and other expenses. I'm looking forward to his visit. He's the only person (besides Mitali) whom I can communicate with and get news from! Perhaps,  while I am here, I will keep updating the blog with news if there's any.

House of Cards

Sometimes I get the impression that I spend all my time arranging and re-arranging a house of cards that keeps collapsing every few minutes!

Raju and Sushanti seemed to have settled down on the ashram. They say they like it on the campus and seem to be getting involved in the daily chores. It's obvious that Sushanti wears the pants and Raju just can't function without her. But that's ok with me as long as they stay on and get the work done.

Right now they are mostly teaching early in the mornings and helping with the daily chores. It's too hot for anything else. Once the weather improves, I hope they will start visiting the villages and come up with some ideas for work. Otherwise, having four people to teach 60 kids will be an expensive proposition.

Bhola is still spending more time away from the project than on it. And Shanku has been away all of last week because he had gone to attend a wedding. Last night he got news of his mother's death and is right now probably on his way to his village. I don't expect him to return for another 20 days. it's understandable.

But my worry is -- who will show these new people the ropes or tell them about the way the project functions? I did talk to them but I think they will understand better if Bhola or Shanku explain to them what we are doing in that area. Well, one can only plan and put systems in place. But if it doesn't work.... nothing much can be done.

Right now I am in Prantik. I came back on Wednesday because I didn't have much to do on the project and the heat was killing me. Since there are 4 teachers, I had hoped to visit once a month instead of once every alternate week. Now, it seems I will have to go back sooner than expected.

There isn't much to report since my last blog but I thought I'd stay in touch by writing a few lines.

The Conspiracy

It's been a while since I wrote my last blog entry. Blogger seems to have undergone a makeover meanwhile, so it's taken me a while to figure out how things work now. The new system seems slower than the earlier one. Hopefully I will now be able to upload this entry before I leave for Roldih tomorrow.

Believe me, I've been wanting to write and inform all of you of the many changes that have been taking place in my life and also at the project. But somehow I just did not get around to it. Perhaps it's because I'm riding to Roldih every alternate week and so need time off to rest and recuperate. Perhaps it's because the internet connection is so damn slow that I fall asleep waiting for connectivity. Perhaps I simply don't know where to begin. Perhaps it's because I am plain lazy.

Ok, now that I am here and actually writing, let me start by telling you that even though the Cheo Centre no longer belongs to Dakshinayan, the school hasn't closed down. The villagers have handed it over to a Hindu religious organization that I do not care to mention. I'm disappointed. I had hoped that Ramnath and Chandrama would run the project independently and persuade the villagers to contribute towards their salaries and the upkeep of the project. That has not happened.

What actually happened was quite shocking. One of our staff members, it seems, has been quite involved with the above organization. In fact, it was he who convinced me that Cheo was a drain on our resources. That it was not possible to monitor what was going on there, etc. etc. But no sooner had I taken the decision to close down the school at Cheo, the same staff member made several trips to Cheo and convinced the villagers that they should hand over the property to this particular organization. Now I realize that it was a well thought out conspiracy.

It's not too late. I can still go to Cheo and convince the villagers to let Dakshinayan to re-start the school. But I don't wish to do that. I'm just sad that instead of choosing self-reliance, they have chosen dependence. Also, I'm not convinced that this new organization will actually do anything for the people. This organization produces herbal ayurvedic medicine and the hills are rich in resources. So that's why they want a centre there. To build a new one would now cost a fortune. But now they have got a well maintained property for free. That's really heartbreaking as I would have preferred to hand over the property to a new organization that is short of resources or funds. The yoga oriented organization that has "usurped" the property (in a way) is rolling in money.

And what about the "Judas"? He's still "working"  at Roldih though I have made it very plain to him that I know exactly what kind of game he is playing and that if he has any designs on Roldih, he should forget it as the ashram will go to this above organization over my dead body. So why is he still there? He's  there because I have no solid proof against him and also because he is a local there is no way I can remove him suddenly without creating problems for Shanku who has been practically living alone on the project.

But there's good news now -- we have been joined by a Santhali couple from Dumka, who have been working in a grassroots organization known to me. If they stay on, it would be prefect for the project. Shanku will no longer be alone on the project and both husband and wife could help up organize and expand the work of the ashram. Right now, they are both teaching and living on the project. Shanku and Bhola teach two sections of nursery class. Raju, the husband, teaches class One and Susanti teaches class Two. Yes, these are the only classes we have. So what happened to the kids in other classes? It seems they were "encouraged" to go to other schools.

In fact, when we started admissions this year, I was shocked to see the lack of children wanting to join our school! Up until now, there used to be a mad scramble for kids to join Baba Gyan Mandir. But this year there were hardly any children to begin with! I later discovered that the villagers had not been informed about admissions and some were even told that the school would close down!

The conspiracy was that if there aren't enough children, I would close down the project and of course guess what would have happened to it? That's when I decided that I would spend every alternate week on the project to ensure that the faith of the villagers would be restored in us. I've already started doing that. One Sunday I ride my bike to Roldih and the following Sunday, I ride back to Prantik, where I now live. I cover the 180+ kilometres in roughly 5 hours. Had the roads been good, I may have been able to do it in less. Not a bad feat for a an almost 60-year-old?

The week that I am on the project, I teach English to the kids. Now that every class has a designated teacher, there's very little else I can do. I'm also keeping and eye on expenses and my presence is, I think, helping people to realize that Dakshinayan isn't dead as yet. But I do wonder how long I will be able to keep this up. Even though I leave at day-break, by the time I reach my destination on either side, the sun turns into a scorching oven. But surprisingly, though my back  and bum hurt for a while, I'm ok.

As for what else is happening on the project? Not much really. It's too hot. Those of you who have visited us during summer know that it's not possible to do anything between 10 am and 4 pm except lie about in a stupor. Despite the heat, however, we were able to celebrate foundation day on the 15th of April -- a day after Bengali new year. The 60 odd children and their parents were invited to come and participate in the feast that was entirely organized and run by the school kids. It was great fun. At least 500 people came and ate "khichri" (mixed rice, lentils and vegetables) cooked by the children with some help from the staff.

The beginning of 2012

There has been three trips to Roldih, Jharkhand already this year. In the first week of January Siddharth and me, we took Ingrid Barcelos, the Brazilian volunteer with us to the project to settle her down there. For me it was hectic because all through the mornings I took English classes alternating between classIII and IV trying to finish their syllabus and also partly revise the old chapters. Ingrid took to the project like fish to water and settled down quickly. 26^th January, our Republic Day was celebrated by hoisting the flag and distributing sweets to the children. Saraswati Puja was celebrated also and children were given sweets and savouries. There was an idol this year and the village women came and prayed in front of the goddess with new rice in the Lokenath Baba temple. The goddess was immersed in the Haripur river with much enthusiasm by the children.

The next trip Siddharth, Sreyash, a budding lawyer and me went in the first week of February. This time also there was a flurry of activity as far as English classes went. Last time I had explained to Ingrid how to go about the preparation process for the final exam and she did a good job of it over the month she stayed. On Saturdays, Ingrid had a free hand and she played with the kids and played them music which she had brought with her. Some of our ex students came to visit us before giving their board exams. It is a strange thing but it seems they passed out of class IV from our school(Baba Gyan Mandir) and studied in private, taking tuitions for one year and were appearing for the Class X board exams this year. This shows the quality of education in our school is far above the standard of the surrounding areas. One day Ingrid,Sreyash,Bhola and me made a trip to the Cheo project up on the hills. We passed Paharpur also an old Dakshinayan centre. In Cheo the kids there were having their class outdoors as it was very cold and the sun was quite welcome. The sad news is that Dakshinayan is closing Cheo due to financial restraints but the good news is that, they(Ramnath and Chandrama) are managing to keep the school running from village contribution.

The third trip was in the last week of February and it was mainly for the final exams. The whole week was taken up by the exams and correcting the papers afterwards. On 2^nd February we gave out the results. Some passed and some failed which is the rule of life. There was a lot of clapping for the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd students. It was a happy day as, in those areas, there is not much of a stigma attached to failure in class and most of the failed students repeat another year and come out on top the next year.

Poila Baishakh and Foundation Day

The good tidings for Dakshinayan started from 14th April itself, a day before the Bengali New Years Day. Right in the morning Mr.Tarun Saha came over with solar fittings for Roldih. There were ten solar lamps and the charger and also a solar panel for charging the laptops there. The Panel was put up on the roof of one of the classrooms and the charger was fitted in the main bedroom. It turned out that all these were gifts from Mr.Vijay Mahajan who had recently visited Roldih. We are very thankful to him and the fact that he has zeroed in on the exact need for the project in this moment even in his very short visit. Those solar lamps and the solar panel will come in very useful on the project.

The 15th of April is the Bengali New Year Day and also the day foundation stone was laid for the first time in Roldih in the year 2005. It is celebrated with the children and the villagers every year. The kids offered to bring in the rice and the pulses to which a little more was added and khichdi was made to feed an army. All the children came from early in the morning and an offering of sweets and fruits was done at the Baba Lokenath Temple on the project, which was later on distributed amongst the children and the villagers who came. Then everybody sat down to eat under the old banyan tree and ate off plates made from leaves. Around 250 people ate on that day. Everybody had a good time.

5TH APRIL

On 5^th April evening the Austrian volunteer, Philip Auinger and me, we left for the project on the night bus from Kolkata and was picked up by Bhola in a private taxi from Porayahat early next morning. The weather was balmy on the way. In Roldih the weather was hot and dry but it cooled down in the evenings so there was some respite. Also, the funny thing about the weather there is that when it becomes too hot it is a sure sign of the rains or at least a storm cooling everything down.

We had the Bihar famous litti one evening for dinner. Bhola is an expert at it and brought all the things needed to make it. It is supposed to be made in cowdung cakes fire and the litties were put in the fire to dry roast for some time. Then they were taken out and dunked in ghee(clarified butter) and a spicy chutney was made on the side and also, mashed potatoes with spices. The whole affair was quite enjoyable and we ate under the stars outside the kitchen. Bhola’s father was our guest as he brought in the much needed ghee in the last moment as the previously bought ghee could not be found.

During the day, Philip and I both taught English in classIII and classIV as those two classes were missing their English lessons so far. We took turns in alternating both the classes so that the kids don’t get bored and the classes were kept interactive. In fact, after I came away also, Philip was using the same technique and bhola is guarding the alternate class where Philip is leaving the kids to do some work and going to the other class to teach. I have told the children that intensive English classes will go on if I or the volunteers are on the project so, as not to be absent during those days. The satisfaction of teaching the kids was high as usual and I returned to Kolkata on the night bus from Godda.