Suman has Quit the Project

It always rains AFTER my clothes are dry! But today I won't complain even though I'm still wondering why it always happens this way. Why doesn't it rain in the morning BEFORE my clothes are washed or put out to dry? Even if it rains while they are still wet, I wouldn't mind. Anyway, as you can gather, it's raining here. And raining cats and dogs. And even though we've had some rain over the past few days, what's happening now is REAL MONSOON rain. A bit too late perhaps. But still welcome.

However, like every easterner, I'm praying that it won't rain during October when the entire region celebrates Durga Puja. That would really be bad and rob people of whatever little joy they can have this year. It's really been a horrible year in every respect. So much drought and so much flooding. So many accidents and calamities. But then I wonder, will the following years be any different?

It's so easy to slip into morbid frame of mind these days. Is it my age? Or have things deteriorated and have gone from bad to worse? Still no cure for malaria or AIDS. War still rages on in Afghanistan and other places. Cowardly terrorists strike at will and DELIBERATELY at the innocent. Countries unleash their military might on their own people. Children continue to die of starvation and disease. Am I beening needlessly morbid? Or are humans becoming slowly and steadily inhuman? Are we seeing regression instead of evolution? And regression is such a catchy term these days -- past life regression. People wish to live in the past. The future no longer holds out any hope. It's better to look back instead of looking ahead.

And so now here's some news from the project. Suman left this morning. Permanently. He called me last evening to say that he would be quitting the project from the 1st of October. So, I told him that he didn't have to wait that long, he could leave right away, especially since he was in an inebriated state! He didn't seem apologetic about it. And seemed to feel no regret.

Am I sad? No! Even though I was very fond of Suman and had a soft spot for him because I considered him an "orphan", of late I've been hearing some not so nice things about him. This is not the first time that he was drunk. Apparently this was happening quite often of late. And he would sneak out at night and go to the village and drink with the young people there. So, in a way, I'm glad he's left.

But what saddens me is the "change of face". Just because he was now quitting, he no longer felt it necessary to be respectful while speaking to me. And yet, this was the same shy boy who would hardly open his mouth when I spoke to him! Some of the volunteers did try to tell me the Suman transformed the minute I left the project. But I found it hard to believe because I only saw a shy, timid, respectful and obedient boy whom we had "rescued" from his tyrannical father-in-law and wayward wife. Anyway, it's time for all of us to move on.

Bhola tells me they've found three little animals in the tall grass near the temple. These are definitely not kittens nor puppies and look more like tiger cubs but are too small to be so. They have stripes on their hind legs and soft fur all over. I suspect they are hyena cubs. I've asked them not to disturb them lest their mother abandons them. But what do we do when they grow up? They could easily kill Bruni. Or may even attack the school children. It's a dilemma. The forest department just doesn't care though they have been informed. The other possibility is that they may be wild cat kittens. Bruni is too scared to go near them! But then she has always been rather timid! Anyway, I'm hoping the mother will take them away now that they have been discovered.

I'm beginning to like Bolpur/Shantiniketan. I've joined a film society and have watched a few interesting and thought-provoking documentaries. The Vishwa Bharati is a happening place and I've been there to see an exhibition of portraits taken by an American photographer who's in India on a Fullbright-Nehru scholarship. There's also a quaint little boutique cum cafe cum book shop cum art gallery cum library called ALCHA which seems to be a favourite watering hole of all intellectual animals. I go there at times as I know the couple -- Satish and Keya -- who run it. Very interesting people. And I also get to meet other interesting people. So I'm feeling quite settled and happy.

Besides watching documentaries and reading books and meeting interesting people, I have also been putting together a lesson plan to start the ENGLISH ADDA -- the conversational English course. I've spoken to quite a few people who seemed interested to join. But so far no one has actually showed up at my doorstep! Someone told me that since I am in Bolpur, I should not expect students to take me seriously! What????!!!!

Apparently there's a very strong and thick wall made of snobbery that separates the two one-bullock cart villages! Those living in Bolpur are supposed to be "banias" or petty traders who lack "culture" and can't see beyond "profit" and Shantiniketan is blessed by educated, erudite, refined intellectuals who are the repository of everything "cultural". The "cultural brahmins" live in Shantiniketan and Sriniketan whereas the "untouchables" life in Bolpur. There's yet another class that inhabits Prantik -- a newly developed "colony" on the outskirts of Shantiniketan. This is the "nuveau riche" who build houses in "Shantiniketan" as a status symbol. They come there on weekends -- sometimes with family and sometimes with their mistresses -- spend most of the time "relaxing" or getting drunk and then going away. Most houses in Prantik are empty.

Anyway, that's the demographic profile of this place that I'm beginning to like. I still feel like and "outsider" and wish to remain so as I don't want to get involved in all this nonsense. But if indeed I people are unwilling to come to Bolpur because I'm here, I may have to make some alternative plans. Let's see how things happen. As they say s..t happens. Maybe I'm sitting right in the middle of it without being aware!