Sisney – The Small Himalayan Hamlet

As the car took the next turn, leaving the ranges behind us and I fixed my thirsty gaze to the front screen, hoping to reach the destination. But no!  Nudup had some other plans as he kept on steering and taking us to the… TOP TOP and TOP!!

Nudup, a local guy and our driver, happens to be one of the best things in our trip to Sikkim. Personally, I felt, stories of this small Mongoloid man with tiny eyes were much  more trustworthy than someone who is speaking bheto (typical) Bengali or praising the beauty of the Himalaya while spitting beetle nut pieces around.

We started from Kalimpong at 7:30 am and we reached Sisney around 10 am. This is a small hamlet surrounded by the mighty ranges and it is almost disconnected from the city. It would be wrong to call the topography rough because the mountain in this part is still green, yet with a tinge of aridity here and there.    

As we got down from the Scorpio (not the predator, of course!), a dog came running to me and tried its best to drill down his canines through my two layered pants. My friend laughed and said, "Here doggie, go for the leg pices!!" Fortunately, I saved my tender leg with a confused look, showing a knuckle to my friend. But  soon, the four-legged animal turned friendly and while patting it, I saw the dog has a broken paw. However, that didn’t seem to curb down the energy of the little one. It was still happy and ready to play.  

Well, the reason I called Sisney a hamlet disconnected from the city is because, once you are here, there is no way you can have telecommunication with the rest of the world. Yes, this is a smart place where your Smartphone looks stupid.

If you have to make a call, walk a few kilometers; sit on a tombstone and talk, while admiring the beauty of the Mother Nature. Or, you can also rest your phone on a glass window pane, roughly at 85 degrees and talk hands free. 

Now that is some engineering! I wonder how people carry out a private conversation over phone at Sisney. May be he asks people around to move away, or maybe he howls, “Hey guys, shut your ears, am trying to make a private call here on loud speaker!”       

So, tell me, do you want to go there? I say you must! The place is just half an hour from Rongli Bazaar towards Zuluk.

The sound of the small stream running over the rocks, the soft cold wind touching your skin, the jingling of temple bells will tell you just one thing, “Take a break.” 

The population of Sisney looked like 20 families only. Every colorful house has its own garden with flowers hanging down from the balcony. The locals sit at the corridors to chat and greet you with warmth. Nudup said, each of these local owns a mountain.  And we were like, “A mountain? Are you kidding?!” But then he explained, ‘Like you own land, we do not have plain lands here. So these mountains are our property, given to our ancestors by our kings.” But we were still like “A mountain?!” 

With houses on either side, the narrow lane takes a serpentine course, moving with a charm that tempts you to follow her. But as you go up, there is nothing to see except the alluring mountains, the sound of your own breath and the echo of your existence.

Sisney has only one school for the children of the locality. After completing the secondary education, the parents need to send them to another village for completing their higher studies.

The natives are mostly engaged in farming, cattle rearing, and other labor oriented jobs. We even got to know that the Sikkim government is helping the locals to build their houses. I really admired the way the houses were maintained. Financially, they may not be very well off, but they know how to live a beautiful life. There was only one small shop in the village with minimum things of daily use; and if they need anything more, travelling to the city is the only option left. 

In the winters, when the sun goes down and the chilly cold breeze rules the neighborhood, the locals gather around a bonfire to enjoy the weather with a cup of chai (tea) and loads of addas (chatting). They say that wild bears come at night to find food or for a prey. So they prefer to stay inside their sweet houses after 8 p.m.

Being a silent spectator of their life for a whole day, I realize that we can live without a mobile phone even today. We really do not need so many things to have a peaceful life. Yet again, I accept, the people of the mountains have a hard life with lack of medical facilities, no work opportunities and lack options for education. But don’t they still have a life?

   Well, the grass always seems greener on the other side!

If you really want to feel this life, there are a few homestays available at Sisney, but don’t go with an expectation of lavish living amidst the fauna. All you need is a shelter for a day and food; and these homestays assure that amidst the bliss of the Himalayas and care of the Mother Nature.

Isn’t it enough?        

|| আমার ছোটোকাকু ||

টেবিলের ঠিক পাশেই ফোনটা রাখা ছিল; বাজবার সঙ্গে সঙ্গে ছুটে গিয়ে ধরলাম, ওপাস থেকে আওয়াজ এলো, “কি রে, আবার তুই ফোন ধরেছিস?” এক গাল হেসে বললাম, “আরে ছোটো কাকু!! তুমি ফিরে এসেছো বাংলাদেশ থেকে?” কথাটা শেষ করতে না করতেই, আবার কাকু একটু competitive কন্ঠে বলে উঠলো , “তোদের বাঁশ পড়েছে? আমাদের কিন্তু প্যান্ডেল প্রায় শেষ!” আমিও ছাড়বার পাত্রী না, বললাম, “কি যে বল, লাস্টবার-এর Asian Paint শারোদ সম্মানটা কিন্তু আমরাই পেয়েছিলাম| আমাদের প্যান্ডেলের ফিনিশিং টাচ চলছে! ফাল্গুনী সংঘ তো আমাদের ধরে কাছে আসেনা|” কাদের পুজো কত ভালো, এই নিয়ে বেশ অনেকক্ষণ তর্ক হবার পর, বাবাকে ফোনটা ধরিয়ে চলে গেলাম| তবে এটা জানতাম, পরের বছরও এই তর্ক আবার হবে, আর সেই competitive স্পিরিট নিয়ে ফোনে আবার কার পুজো ভালো সে গল্প হবে|

রথের দিন যখন আমার সামনের পার্কে এবার বাঁশ পড়তে দেখলাম, মনে মনে নিজেকে বললাম, এখন থেকে আর সেই চিরপরিচিত কন্ঠে কেউ আর ফোন করে বলবে না, “তোদের বাঁশ পড়েছে?” 

এক বছর পেরিয়ে গেল, কিন্তু কাকু আমাদের মধ্যে এমন ভাবে মিশে আছে যে মনে হয়না আমাদের সাথে নেই| হ্যা, শারিরীক উপস্থিতি নেই আমাদের মাঝে, তাই যেকোনো অনুষ্ঠান বা আড্ডাতে ছোটো কাকুর অভাব বড্ড বোধ করি|

এই মানুষটাকে নিয়ে এত কিছু মনে রাখার মুহূর্ত আছে যে লিখতে গিয়ে মনে হচ্ছে কোনটা ছেড়ে কোনটা লিখি| আড্ডাবাজ কাকু আমাদের ছিল বিশাল মজার| কানে কম শুনত বলে একটা stylish pose নিয়ে বসতো, কারন কাকুর মতে ওই ভাবে বসলে নাকি কেউ বুঝবেনা যে কাকু কানে কম শোনে| বাঁ হাতটাকে মাথার পিছন দিক দিয়ে ঘুরিয়ে, ডান কানটাকে মুচকে ধরত কায়দা করে, সেই ভাবে বসলে নাকি লোকে ভাববে আরাম করে বসেছে| কি অদ্ভূত চিন্তাশক্তি!!

আর একটা ঘটনা মনে পরে গেল, তখন আমরা বরাট এ থাকতাম| পুজোর ঠিক কদিন আগে এসেছে দেখা করতে আমাদের বাড়িতে| কোনো কারনে বাবা দোকনে ছিল তাই আমি আর মা জমিয়ে বসেছিলাম খাবার টেবিল এ আড্ডা দিতে; হঠাৎ টেবিলে পরে থাকা দুটো আস্ত সুপারি সোজা মুখে পুরে দিল| দুটোকে গালের দুদিকে রেখে একটু হেমন্ত কন্ঠে গাইতে সুরু করে দিল, “জাগো তুমি জাগো..... জাগ দূর্গা, জাগো দশপ্রহরণধারিনী...”; আমি আর মা হেসে লুটোপাটি খাচ্ছি, আর কাকু চোখ বন্ধ করে একমনে গেয়ে চলেছে|

যখন এরকম ছোটো ছোটো মুহূর্ত গুলো মনে পরে, ঠোঁটের কনে ঠিক একটা হাসি চলে আসে – ছোটো কাকু সেরকমই একজন মানুষ| জীবনের শেষ বছরটাতেও একটা অদ্ভূত positive aura ছিল| টাটা ক্যান্সার মেডিকেলে যাবার সময় বাস গুলো আমার অফিসের পাস দিয়ে যেত আর ঠিক সেই সময় আমার Whatsapp বেজে উঠতো – “তোর অফিসের পাস দিয়ে যাচ্ছি|” আমিও হেসে বলতাম, “নেমে পরো মুড়ি খেয়ে যাও|” কাকু উত্তর আসতো, “ফেরার সময় গেটে থাকিস মুড়ি হাতে, কন্ডাক্টারকে বলে তুলে নেব|” ..........এই ছিল আমার ছোটো কাকু|

এক গাল হাসি আর অনেক সুন্দর মুহুর্ত ...এইভাবেই তুমি আছো আমার কাছে|

Leftovers

If you find me ever again, don’t hold onto those leaves,

It’s nothing but dust that just crumbles in your grip

If you find me ever again, don’t cry over the memories

It’s nothing but illusion that fades with birth of new twigs

Can you listen to those roars again, as the sky cracks and pours?

It stays only for some time because it knows… there is nothing more

The smell of leaves, the touch of wind – it’s just a passers-by

Now brace yourself to struggle with waves,

          cause leftovers give nothing but despair…

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Kolkata

Kolkata has also synced in with rest of the world to celebrate the Chinese New Year of 2016 on 8^th of February. This is the year of Monkey, which is the 9^th animal in the Chinese zodiac cycle. Though it is considered as one of the most unlucky years in the Tianxian (Ancient Chinese believed that their land was right under the heaven) calendar, but those who are born with this symbol are characterized by lively, humorous, innovative and mischievous natures.

The date for Chinese New Year keeps on changing because of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is also known as the Spring Festival which lasts for 15 days from the 1st to 15th day of the first lunar month. China Town, the major Chinese hub of Kolkata, has been celebrating the New Year bash for quite some time and I longed to experience the carnival for last 3 years.

So, when I was informed that the prime event for the 1^st day of Monkey Year was scheduled at Tiretti Market, I asked a friend to join. Both of us were mistaken about the exact location of this place and we thought the Market must be located in Tangra because that’s the usual residency for Kolkatan Chinese.

Being new to the place, I was thoroughly enjoying China Town. The Chinese Kali Mandir was a surprise for me; though the idol bears no Mongoloid features (I was expecting one). The buildings of this part of the city were different from architectural appearances and the streets were filled with the typical Chinese cuisines smell.

The town was still sleeping after the mid night celebration; there were empty beer bottles, burnt crackers and yawning faces.  All these made us apprehensive and we asked our Indian GPS system (local panwala) about the dragon dance event. He looked at us, as if we committed a juvenile crime and with a smirk on his face he said that Tiretti Market is near Lal Bazar and not at China Town, Tangra. I had only one question in mind, why didn’t we check it earlier!!  

It was already show-time, so we hired a cab and tried to reach the market fast through the crowded streets of Monday. On reaching Tiretti Market, we walked down a street following a distant sound of drums coming from a lane around the corner. The gate was full of spectators raising their cameras to take shots. But God knows what shot because there were more cameras than the Chinese residents. I found it very disgusting, but I had to take pictures. So, I said to myself, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” and took my camera out for taking some snaps. 

Amidst the elbows, heads, shoulders and lens, I could get the view of 2 dragons – Red and White. There were a few people who tied a bunch of lettuce leaves at one end of a string and tried to feed the dragons from 2^nd floor of a balcony. The dragons tried to get a hold of the bunch but the leaves were pulled up immediately. Tradition I guess!! This continued for some time; finally the dragons could snatch the leaves and everyone rejoiced beating Chinese percussion instruments.

While returning, we came across two more dragons and this part of the street-show was conducted by a gang of girls (the first one was performed by young boys). They called themselves Fa Mulan, who was actually a legendary woman warrior of China. Just as the previous one, the same event was showcased but in a less crowded manner. The over- enthusiastic photographers were not aware of this bait, leaving us an opportunity to experience the Chinese delight without any disturbances.    

Though I was irritated with the horde of photographer but there was a different feeling altogether. I could associate to the Chinese community of the city, celebrating their New Year with dragons jumping and dancing gracefully, on the streets of My Kolkata.   

Finally, it’s Raining in Kolkata!

Image Courtesy: Kunal Chakraborty 

 “I always like walking in the rain, so no one can see me crying” … these words belong to an unforgettable comedian who added pun in every laugh and he is none other than Charlie Chaplin.  

I can never question the wisdom of this genius, but I experienced different moments today while returning from office. The day seemed fine, until the phone call came and it took away all the happiness I held for so long. Here I stand in a position, where I cannot question because the call was important and I have to compromise. However, I cannot deny the fact that I was sad.

The moment I came back to my desk (after the call ended), few colleagues started talking about the much expected July downpour. And I laughed out saying, “Thank God it’s raining; now, my monsoon content could be posted in the social media wall!”

I never hated rain, but yes I was angry today.

The clock ticked and it was already 6:45 p.m. Our office premise turned into a small island and I was pretty sure, finding a vehicle all way to Karunamoyee would be next to impossible. So, I turned off my computer and bid goodbye to my colleagues for the day.

The moment I stepped out of the office, waterlogged road welcomed me. Flowers started showering in form of heavy rain and cars splashed water like blessings. Now, that is 30 minutes rain in Kolkata for you!

Excessively crowded buses with passengers hanging from everywhere (why don’t they try Olympics, I wonder!). Autorickshaws charging fares as if they are a part of “chalo, loot lo Kolkata” auction. I was already aware of all these. So I decided to walk all the way to Karunamoyee and then get an autorickshaw to home.

There was irritation and anger of not being able to get things in my own way. Everything was hitting me very hard, but to tell you the truth, monsoon has a magic. It can make you sad, nostalgic and absorb you in depression, but once you become a part of the crowd, there will be an automatic smile on your lips, you cannot let go off. 

There were people on the road with funny expression - a guy reminded me of the movie, Forest Gump, waiting eagerly to go home, all drenched. Then there were some who were walking in a beach style, i.e. wet shoes in their hands. Of course you cannot ignore the lovebirds who grab this opportunity to get close to one another, trying to relive the Raj Kapoor- Nargis moment. There were also some snobs who were trying to find a dry land to stand for a while, but had to surrender for the day and walk through the “drain- er jol” (dirty drain water). I pity them!! But I was actually enjoying, identifying the ups and downs through the waterlogged broken road and avoiding chances of tumbling into water (of India or Indians may be... ew!).

Finally I arrived at my destination and nearly bumped myself onto a man, who should be in his 40’s. He was super excited and nearly shouting with joy. He shared his happiness to his co-bike passenger… “aj hebby moja hoyeche” (I really had a great time). There was a childish spark in his eyes that I could not avoid and smiled at him the moment I crossed. He smiled back and then started talking to his fellow passenger once again with the same thrill and joy.

I nearly bargained with an autorickshaw (felt like a part of Chaitra Sale) to reach my home.

May be He wants to cheer me up too because there was a woman surprisingly selling bunch of roses only for Rs. 10. I bought 2 bundles for Ma and came back home happily, with more positive thoughts that I got rid of many calories today!    

I was annoyed and angry, but things around made me happy. The expressions of people and how they were dealing with the situation made every moment very interesting. I found 2 men complaining when 2 women forced them to get in a crowded bus (very unusual moment, I must say); and then a man trying to educate another, how to start a scooter in a road full of water.

Actions varied, but each one of them wanted to reach home and share their story for the day. There were expressions of annoyance, but everyone was united. People were walking on the street, warning others about safety and even sharing small jokes. 

I didn’t cry in the rain, rather cursed, laughed and sang (humming of course!) because I was enjoying my own time in my own way, observing the life in Kolkata, when it rains….     

Nursery Rhymes and Us

Have you ever thought why these nursery rhymes or poems have ever been created? What is the truth behind the baseless and meaningless terms that have been synced in with rhythm? The famous poet Robert Frost once said, ‘A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.’ This is so very true because when you first read a rhyme, you find it funny, where the ‘wonder’ rings nicely with ‘are’ or the meaningless word ‘Humpty’ sounds hilarious with ‘Dumpty’.  Similarly, each of the rhymes conveys some wisdom, knowledge. In other words, these are the rhythmic techniques of communicating some of the long lost stories and truths of life, which otherwise could have sounded really monotonous. 

Rhymes can be considered as one of the oldest tradition to interact with individuals irrespective of the age. From the perspective of education, the nursery rhymes have been considered as one of the important parts in the process of learning. These make children aware of surroundings, make them learn the basic norms of life and also help in developing the ability to understand and decide what is wrong and what is right. A blank state of mind that can be called as “Tabula Rasa” is good to start with easy verses that can be remembered without any trouble. Apart from that, the kids get to know new words like ‘twinkle’, ‘ding dong’, ‘hush’ and so on, which are different but defines certain activities, shapes, habits as well as behaviors in an easy manner. Even research has proven the fact that rhymes have been one of the key tools used in increasing the ability of spatial reasoning in children. 

Nursery rhymes have yet another advantage and that is building up of confidence level and enhancing the ability to speak in the public. Children learn to converse properly, work on their facial expressions and gestures, thereby understanding the formal as well as informal ways of communication. 

It is a fact that most of us have the idea that rhymes are made only for the children and these are nothing but a mode to communication with the juvenile section of the society. Think again! Is it only meant for the children? Why would someone talk about a massive London Bridge to suddenly crumble down? Or why it was not possible to put back someone named Humpty Dumpty back onto the wall? 

Each of the nursery rhymes actually talks about some historical event. With passage of time, the facts are long forgotten but the nursery rhymes continued to maintain its popularity. However, the idea behind these rhymes was to develop a parody about the contemporary leaders as well as the royal politics. The addition of music is nothing but an innocent vehicle to spread rebellious messages in a mild tone.   

Humpty Dumpty was in reality a huge canon used during the English Civil War. It was placed on the wall next to St Mary's Church. But due to heavy bombardment, the canon fell down and could not be placed back to its original position by “All the King's horses, and all the King's men.” Similarly, the rhyme “Baa baa black sheep” is connected to the increasing demand of wool industry in 15th Europe after the devastating plague. There are even controversies stating this rhyme as racially dubious, but there is no evidence to prove this fact. Even the popular game named “Ring around the rosy” is also connected to the Black Death and the symptoms that appeared as a red rash ring on the skin of the victims.

  
In Bengali literature, Sukumar Ray has tried to give the materialistic world a new look through his humorous masterpiece, “Abol Tabol”. When he created the poem, “Gonf Churi” about a man who presumed that someone has stolen (Churi) his mustache (Gonf), the readers can actually get an idea about a typical clerk. Sukumar Ray talks about the behavior of people when they get angry and how they can blame anyone without evidences. 

Rhymes are beautiful ways to communicate the feeling of sadness and happiness. The very last poem of this book communicates to the readers the eagerness to live a free life without boundaries. Sukumar Ray wrote this poem a few days before his death and he expressed the happiness to leave this world because he could dream about a fantasy. He could build castle in the air and conveyed the readers to take a break from the busy schedule and think of something nonsensical. Therefore, he finally ended the book by welcoming death with the rhythmic lines…..

Ghoniye elo ghumer ghor
Ganer pala sango mor 

Restricting the nursery rhymes or the poems only to children is injustice. For a child, these were nothing more than a tool of communication to educate and entertain but as we grow up we appreciate the inner meanings. The impact that these poems leave upon the elders are mixed with emotions wrapped in colored papers encouraging us to live the complex life with hope and smile.