My father
Time that has crossed by.........
My father was the first hero in my life: A man of very distinctive personality, both in appearance and in nature. He was a great connoisseur of not only academic life but also all sorts of creativity like music sports and game (for girls also) which was quite time ahead for him . He was frequently transferred due to his job in Railway service ; so we had opportunity to travel many new places and people . He a was joyful person .His loud lough. created fountain of joy and add extra-flavor in life to any gathering or festival.His progressive attitude of western outlook along with blind faith in spirituality and Hindu religion blended together harmoniously made our family adorable in the neighborhood, in the town ,whether it was a small insignificant place or commercially // politically significant town.
He had excellent capability of organizing. In his young age he was transferred to Vurkunda, situated in Palamou district of Bihar. Palamou was famous for its scenic beauty: high hills, green forest, timber, farming of honey and country-liquor made of 'mou' fruit-plants along with wild animals like fox wolf and snakes; the native villagers were 'santals', mostly farmers and cattle owners.
There was neither any school( even elementary) nor hospital nor grocery shop .But perhaps geographical strategy was discovered as great prospectus; so the railway station became important. My father stayed here for only 1 year. He was the first to introduce there not only picnic and cultural function; but the greatest festival of Bengal, Durga Puja, Kali puja along with just start-up -sports Club ,Book-Club with the small railway stuffs. The Railway neighbors exchanged books and magazines (which came to be known book-club) among themselves. I was then about four years.I remember my father used to play badminton (perhaps in winter)and then telequate (Ring) from February /March for windy weather . My father arranged the badminton court ,bats,net , feather-cork, Ring. Great pleasure of me and my brother was to pick up the cork when it dropped on the ground.;So we waited outside the court eagerly for dropped-cork . Every time we two counted who scored more to 'pick up'! we treasured the discarded corks to play in our play time with two pieces of hard-cover torn from the old and used hand-writing copies as bats.
In the summer evening this badminton group used to play cards(either Breeze or Twenty-nine) in the frontside veranda under open sky until the call for dinner came up.It was 1948/49.. They played in the hurricane light ;because there was no electricity even in the railway station. I enjoyed the elders' playing because I could stay outside under the sky even after the late evening .
But soon the fun of evening game was stopped Because a calf was taken by a tiger (or wolf) from our close neighborhood,- less than half mile away. It happened repeatedly 2/3 times. The panic rosed higher when one of the 2/3 years old kid from the group of playing kids was taken away by the tiger in the early evening .We heard the noise of screaming mother along with the other women and men and kids .
My father with the railway stuff went with log and torch in hand on the spot where 8/9 families lived in huts with their goats ,cattle ,hen ,duck etc. My father took decision that from next day four people by turn would guard the neighbourhood by beating tin and drum to make the neighbor alert and the tiger afraid. Both. Also there was arrangement to burn fire surrounding the huts. All of them accepted the decision . No incidents happened during our short time stay in that area after it. But we all kids used to enter inside the house from the play field before the darkness of the evening set in. Both front door and backdoor were closed right at the evening without fail.
I don't remember whether my elder brothers had any study time at the evening . There were only two bedrooms with L-shaped long covered -veranda which included the kitchen at the end point .
From the kitchen window I loved to see how the green hills at day-time would turn dark black but at the base there were lots of bright flame like Dewali and occasionally the sound of beating tin and drum along the fade sound of tribal song with the flute . I longed strongly to go there . I asked ,
"Ma, will you take me to the hill? I wish to see the opposite side of the hill; I think they had some festival : drum ,flame , vocal music and also flute."
Ma: It is more than two miles.We cannot cross that hill, it is quite high for the elderly also."
"Ma, who has done that fire works like flame of bright candles ?"
Ma: There are many small villages at the basement of the hill ; It is not festival at all. The fire, noise of drum keep the tiger away . when tiger comes within close distance they give a stinky smell ; instantly they beat the tin loudly to alert and awake the neighbors."
. In the concrete walled back courtyard two/three folding cots were spread where we lay after dinner in the early night to enjoy cool air in summer .Only father's cot was covered with a white sheet and pillow, side pillow .I shared the cot with father and learnt a lot lessons orally from father . My elder brothers always avoided my father in fear.
After listening the tiger's story in our neighborhood ,I could not shut my eyes for a moment .I kept my eyes surveying the wall of backyard.
With choaked breathing and pounding heart remained thinking,
"what should I do if a tiger comes by jumping over the wall?" I waited when my father would order,
"hey all get up!, our body is enough cool now let us go inside ."I would breath sigh of relief."
But in the beginning I liked to observe the sky with moon and stars and floating clouds , mysterious shooting stars before the story of tiger haunted me .
(Continue)
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June 28/Tues/22. Story#( 2)
Few more stories flashed fresh in my mind about Vurkunda,--just as head comes nearer if the ear is pulled, likewise one-story ignite the another bunches of creeper of the memory box.
My next brother was only two years younger than me. He was quite and gentle. We were engaged playing, eating singing together without quarrel. My other two elder brothers (perhaps 7 to 9 years range)were enjoying la-sa-faire days as they didn't have to go school. It was perhaps hard for my mother to cope with their naughtiness when my father was on duty. My cousin sister was 14/15 while my own sister12. Oneday, my mother was taking lunch along with two sisters, sitting on the wooden plank on the floor (in Japanese style!). Two elder brothers were fighting in the veranda; My mother stood up to stop them ;but before she uttered anything, one of the elder brother looked at my mother with frightened gazing eyes said ,"Ma, you have taken lot of rice today ;your belly is so big that seems to burst now like balloon! "
"Ma: " hmm. so listen to me; go inside the room to take a nap!"
The two quarreling brothers obeyed my mother, little anxiously . Ma and cousin sister began to giggle and giggle. I could not understand but noticed the belly of my mother first time. It appeared scary for me, too.
The sky was black and cloudy It was month of August.We didn't go out to play in that afternoon, for the cloudy weather. I remember my father came earlier and again went outside hastily &came back shortly. I lay in a cot with.....huddled with whom? .....don't remembered. I fell into deep sleep along with streaming fade sound of conversation from the other closed-door room; something unknown feeling streamed in my consciousness. Next day I woke up at early dawn; room was still half-dark; full of silence; a smoky smell of cowdung cakes; I came out in the backyard veranda(=porch) through the half-closed door ; to my surprise I saw my father on the other corner of the veranda with bare body wearing a dhoti only. coming near to me he asked me to go to the neighbor's house to convey that you have a brother at 4:05 AM. I nodded my head .
I came out of the back door. It was muddy for the heavy rain at last night.There was the badminton court between the two houses. I knocked the back door but nobody answered.Then I came to the court again .I did not feel good to stand on muddy and wet grass with bare feet...silence all around ; suddenly a light sound and an old lady asked,"My god, you'r in so early ! have you got a new brother or sister?
"brother."
"very good! I will be present soon in your house."
Still then I had seen neither ma nor the baby brother; neither joy nor sorrow;
silence ; bare feet on the wet grass of muddy field, unseen mother long time ..., a somber morning with heavy sky along with empty feeling are woven in my memory.
Now I am thinking had any doctor or nurse come? who delivered the baby? Perhaps some neighbor and local midwife spent that night with my groaning mother !
My other younger brother did not sleep without my ma. He had whooping cough. The baby brother of only 15 days got infection of whooping cough from him. It was serious for new born babe .My courageous cousin sister, Renuka, whom we called Bordi, was a great help to my mother. My mother became very dependent on her. I remember very faintly this new brother, better to say, I remember a photo of him when he was only of 17 days, as my eldest brother came from Sindhri with a newly bought box-camera (perhaps Kodak) and took his snap; he was then only of 17 days, quite healthy and large bright eyes.
Ma passed away 33 years back; even that cousin sister also passed away two years back. But I have been so emotional in empathy for the plight of my mother of those days while memory takes me up to the old page!
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Story #(3)
My father was posted for short period to 'PATHARDIH' small but very significant station before Vukunda. IT was significant as the first Fertiliser company of India in collaboration of U.K was founded here.
I don't remember clearly much memorable incidents except one or two.
My eldest brother, (Shyamal Mazumdar ) got his first job at early age of 17.( in 1 July, 1946). He was also brilliant and talented like my father. He was appointed as a trainee in the the first Fertilizer Company of India in collaboration with UK.at Sindri, near Dhanbad. The the first British GM interviewed and appointed my brother as a token of gratitude for my father's help in saving huge amount of money off the company from 'demurrage' charge to Eastern Railway. So far I remember perhaps his title was...... Mr....Frith. Frith-Saheb was remarkably rewarded by his company for saving money and prestige which was in fact contribution of my father. Mr Frith insisted my father to offer ten thousand in cash which my father refused to take, out of honesty .Mr Frith was astonished to experience the honesty of a benign employee whose salary at that time was perhaps Rs 80 to Rs.120 only.
Mr Frith said : " Mr Mazumdar, I'm really feeling obliged and somewhat guilty; plea-se ask me something to offer you!"
My father: "I knew the Railway laws very well; so I fought and won the case lawfully, while your inexperienced lawyer failed . Now it is your term to claim from the Railway for causing harassment to you, ( if you wish!).
Mr. Frith: "Oh thank you ;I don't need that ...to be entrapped by court-case again ! ...My 'reward' counts as your 'due credit'! I will be happy if you allow me to share it with you!"
My father said, "Ok. My son will be coming next week for vacation since his high-school exam is over ; he is smart and brilliant ; I will be obliged if you train up him well to establish in future; it will be a great service to me !"
Mr Frith : " No problem; to build up the future career of your son is henceforward my responsibility, I promise ," said confidently.
"Please send him to me as soon as he comes".
Then embraced my father and left joyfully.
My eldest brother, Shyamal, in fact , became like TA of Mr Frith during his training period and possessed the immense power of second man to that big first Fertilizer Company. of India. He was only 17 .Mr Frith called him affectionately 'Babu'.He was impressed with the intelligence and smartness of my brother.
He arranged postal course in 'Sheffield Engineering College,UK,' for my brother.
Mr Frith, very much British in spirit, became friendly with my father and brother whom he loved as his own family member. He often expressed that it was beyond his imagination that he could meet such well mannered, fluent in spoken English people like my father or brother in this insignificant small corner of geographical map. ..........
Let me turn back to my father in Vurkunda.
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python snake: #(4 )
In Vurkunda my father had to be sometimes doctor , sometimes active role to counsel and all type of entertainments. As my father was an enthusiastic person and very dependable and helpful ;People grew up belief and trust on him .
But the fact was my father was not a god ;He had never any mystic power to enliven a dead person. He had a homeopathic box with medicines , first-aid box , few allopathy emergency medicine, and ointment for the emergency treatment of the family members; but since there was neither health center nor. any doctor, so my father tried his level best to help them..................................
It was summer season ; but one afternoon there was heavy storm and rain which continued till midnight .In 1948 in most places of India the lavatory (having pit- privy system ) was always situated in one corner of backside courtyard.
My younger brother about 3 year needed going to lavatory . My sister with lantern stood near the door ;but my brother refused to sit ,complaining that there was some noisy whistling ghost down the pit . Then my mother also insisted as sister went inside impatiently ; but he was indignant and began to cry and committed in the nearby drain .
Next day the sweeper came to move and clean the privy at about 9 Am, little late than usual time, for the bad weather . The was an outlet of the Pit -privy outside for cleaning. So there was no need to come inside . He drew the container from the pit with a long Iron hooked stick and felt too heavy to draw. he had to struggle hard to bring it outside to day light.
Then he saw a huge snake coiling around that metalic container with raised head opening its jaw, as big as enough to swallow a baby-goat ; Instead of hissing it made an eerie noisy sound .
The sweeper jumped from the spot to run away screaming loudly, tearing the morning silence. Many people came outside their house to hear the screaming a little crowd of people gathered in the backside of our house ..2/3 excited people went to fetch my father for decision . As my father came the crowd looked courageous and confident. My father told to kill the snake and then to burn in fire . The snake was then drawn separated from embracing the container. some local folk Said that it was a baby-python , perhaps new-born; it was not poisonous ; it swallowed wild animals ; For storm and rain it might have come by mistake ; it should be allowed to go back its own place of the mountain cave.
But another group tried to kill with log and iron stick .I peeped through the crowd to have a look ; I saw the huge body of the snake was almost like the stem of an eucalyptus plant but the head, too small in proportion to body; colour of its body was strawberry and designed big diamond shaped with a polka dot at the center on its skin. Its body was strawberry because it was new-born ; later they
became blackish. I still visualize the strawberry glazed skin vividly ;There was no blood in spite of striking with log, stick; even it was not running except opening the jaw and making eerie breathing sound ! It was thrown away far land after crushing the head ,but not burnt ; after few hours the neighborhood kids reported the place had no sign of snake ; perhaps it fled. to some safe place .
Then the ladies began to chat about fearful stories during 'afternoon tea-time' about snake who might come back to take revenge; . ...that was the news of the day..........
Life was simple , but livelihood was quite hard.
There was no radio, no t.v., no theater;... life ran on different current, different throb, from 'now'.
Sitting in a corner of the room in high-rise building of Lincoln center in New York with laptop, I'm gasping between a 'nebulea of rushing memories' and 'typing with snail-speed fingers' : most ideas are either fading or vanishing !
My mind as shadow was after Where and how are you Baba , Ma ?
( Next)
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W=.108 //L=20. 
