Skip to main content

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.

Comments

  1. Sonika has correctly nd minutely obseved the transformation of village life during her short span of life.She tried her best to open up herself.It is a very good sign. Obcourse the changes are obvious;but the changes taking place in villages are not for the betterment, as far as the youngsters are concerned.Where there is no study, no progress.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ya seriously OLD is Gold, old thing can never lost its importance in any time it remains same …..Even i noticed the changes in my Village when I use to go my native place… but now I use to go there very often because nobody is there in my village…..Anyways gold moments never lost…..But you have mentioned the right thing over here. The thing is that the Discipline and sincerity getting lost with the time because it is natural phenomena of life…..Excellent sweet baby good one

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

We all love comments. It is moderated

Popular posts from this blog

Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Sadhu Thakur

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Thakur, the great saint of the Bishnupriya Manipuri Community was born on 26th October, 1871, in a remote village of Cachar district called Baropua in the state of Assam. He was born to a Xatriya Manipuri family. His father Sri Sanatan Pandit was a Sanskrit teacher and mother Srimati Malati Devi, a house wife. Sadhu Baba from his childhood was indifferent to all worldly happenings. He was engrossed in chanting the name of Lord Krishna. Along with other students of his age, Sadhu Baba started taking lessons of grammar and other spiritual literature from his father. At a very young age he lost his mother but he was brought up with utmost love and care by his step mother. At the age of eighteen, Sadhu baba lost his father, so, to continue his spiritual education under the guidance of Rajpandit Mineshwas Swarbabhwam Bhattacherjee, he went to Tripura. But within one year he made up his mind to visit all the holy places and as such he took permis

Assam Search Engine: Bisarok

Exclusive search engine on Assam Manash Pratim Gohain, TNN Jun 16, 2012, 01.46PM IST NEW DELHI: Assam got its own search engine ' Bisarok '. The search engine has been launched to get results exclusively on queries and information related to Assam. 'Bisarok', means 'to search' in Assamese language, has been launched and has been linked to various websites of the Government of Assam and departments, educational institutions and media. The search engine is likely to give a new online experience related to searches on Assam. Built on Google custom search engine, the search engine would be collating and building a database of web properties exclusively of the state in the North East region. 'Bisarok' has been developed by RK Rishikesh Sinha, who had earlier created a similar custom search engine ('Bisarei') on Bishnupriya Manipuri. According to Sinha, apart from Google there was no link to get results particularly on Assam. Any web entity related

A short history of the Bishnupriya Manipuri and their religio-cultural consciousness

Undoubtedly, the accurate period of the emergence or the development of religious consciousness of the Bishnupriya Manipuri is difficult to ascertain, but it is an old one that is undoubted, writes Rini Sinha , Guwahati . Religious beliefs are found virtually in every human society. Religious beliefs usually relates to the existence and worship of a deity or deities and divine involvement in the universe and human life. Religious knowledge according to religious practitioners may be gained from religious leaders, sacred texts or personal revelation. The development of religion has taken many forms in various cultural communities. The accurate period of emergence or development of religious consciousness of the Bishnupriya Manipuries is difficult to ascertain, but it is an old one that is undoubted. However, on the basis of the views of different scholars, pre-historic and historical remain whatsoever is available and from the logic of personal observations, we may put forward some view