Old is Gold?

Despite being away from homeland we all often visit our native place at least once in a year or two. In this visit we not only meet our cousins and relatives but also notice the changes in their day-to-day routine that we saw in our last visit. Change is a natural thing it’s a sign of evolution. But it’s very hard to answer at least for me whether these changes are happening for good or bad.

Sonika Rajkumari, New Delhi

I always hated going to my village when I was in school or you can say when I was a child. Sometimes I would be spared, going to Silchar or sometimes reluctantly I had to go there. Then starts squabble between my mom and me about the mode of transportation. I prefer going by bus, and my mom likes going conveniently by train than bus as bus cause travel sickness to her like vomiting, headache and closure of eardrums. But for me those who have done something wrong and want to repent would go by train, it would be a worse punishment from God. But sometimes I would lose the battle in this squabble and had to board the train to Silchar.

What one would do with the scenery when having a tough time to travel more than twelve hours in train, uuff? Given the speed of the train, if we run by a bicycle we would go ahead of the train. Scratching my head by thinking all these in train due to irritation it always used to lead a volcano inside me which could explode at anytime on anybody. Reaching Silchar and descending at Bihara Railway station at odd hours would always leave only one option that is march-past to home, which bugged me like anything. But it has been a year since I didn't experience going by train to Silchar and even don't want to, as from my last few visits I am winning the battle in squabble with my mom and try not to commit something wrong else God will punish me.

In the village my morning always used to start by hearing scolds from my mother. As early in the morning all the children of the village used to sit in front of the book not inside the house but outside in the varendah and start reading loudly. There seemed to be a competition among the neighbourhood children, who could study more loudly? and those, who were studying with low voice would get a tight slap on their back from their mothers. Same routine would always be repeated in the evening after evening prayer to God. For me they seemed to be rather screaming than studying. But on Sunday leaving behind their rivalry in studying loudly, they all would get together to watch Rangoli at 7 in the morning followed by Mahabharata in DD-1 with few centimeter gap between them and television. And the whole day they would rather play or watch their favourite serials like Shaktiman, Yug on T.V in the only Manoranjan channel i.e. DD-1. Not only were they, I was also very fond of all programmes in DD-1 especially those who pays homage to God.

I would say they spent a disciplined and simple life. They study on time; they take food on time, sleep in time at 10 o'clock at night and get up on time i.e., 5 o'clock in morning. They consider no obstacle in their work; whether it rains or light goes they give no excuse, they do their work as it goes daily.

But from recent years I found that things are gradually changing, not only in their lives but in my life as well. Competition of studying loudly disappeared. Now when they are willing, they study in low voice or with no voice. Now their morning starts with watching songs in MTV or Zee Trendz. Instead of studying voices in the morning, which used to get echoed around atmosphere earlier, now I hear the modern Hindi and English songs. My cousins including the youngsters of the village more like English songs than Hindi; no matter whether they understand it or not. Now I hear songs like -"no body wanna see us together" by Akon from them, I wonder even I don't know the lyrics of the songs, they sing smoothly.

Daily get-together lost, now they are busy in their own lives. They watch T.V in their own home. The channels in Tata Sky and Dish TV have ousted DD-1. The national T.V got vanished and it is searched by the elders only on special days like Independence and Republic day. Neighbours don't talk much; they simply pass smile or exchange greetings in case their eyes clash. Evening get-together happens but only with the people of their groups (doladol in their parlance). Youngsters find their hangout zone in bus stand giving the name- teenmukhiya. They started doing computer class from the city, which I think is a nice thing and might help them to forge ahead.

I find those routine and discipline missing which was used to be with them earlier. I really miss those screaming among the children early in the morning and evening when their mothers used to say - "ourey cha kadar sou pakortara, epaitto naar huniar" (see the nearby children how loudly are they studying) and used to discuss all the happenings in the serials but not like saas-bahu type. The only thing that hasn't change still is the fear of the people to get off their home after midnight.

As I have told, it’s very difficult for me to answer whether these transformation is leading the village or villagers to the right direction or not. Changes are inevitable, it’s the rule of nature, and everything gets change. We all want that the graph of transformation should always go up and never decline but it’s not necessary that thing should always go in favour of our wishes.