My Town : A journey for peace and a particular reality

     Enjoy the work without doing nothing. It is in trend among the people who are either lazy or keep their struggle on. They are advised to peddle it on philosophically, if they do not know about it, they are suggested to learn it. But, can it be imagined that how long a person is able to enjoy a work of no utility? It may be 1 month, 2 months and probably many months. If a person starts enjoying, it’s possible to be habitual of worthless practice that is the death of his/her real potential, skills, confidence and desire to do something big.

A tea and snacks shop at a local market, almost 50 km away from the city of Ara, on Oct 02, 2022. (Pic- R. Suresh Bhardwaj)

         To break this cycle of procrastination, I go on a journey to find out the reality that has started to erode itself in the period of enjoying something without doing actual nothing. Every new day falls with new hope and is passed demolishing this hope. The hope again rises after its every diminished, never dies after facing many humiliations and keeps on going hand-in-hand with the fate of the individual.

         My latest 10-day journey was on board encountering the reality that has been fading off by a place of no importance in terms of enriching anything. I was getting bored there. In result, the circumstances started trapping me. My mind flashed back remembering the line cited in the novel ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’: “If a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them.” At time, I did not need to master that specific circumstances accepting to get rid of these, and I decided to move on the circumstances for some days with a purpose to wander several places to find out what I would like to do. 

A livestock market on the outskirts of Ara, Bihar, on Oct 03, 2022. (Pic- R. Suresh Bhardwaj)

          During this specific time duration, my heart and mind were being haunted by an unwanted and unknown fear of many things. I analysed all aspects of my life and found that the reasons of fear are scattered on the turf of my confused thought and I was hitting the ball pretending myself a person of clear thought. 

          Hours of meditation practice, living quiet for long time, exchanging though among people    of different background led me to make my thought clear and vast. A saint said to me, “a confused thought is like a sinking boat that sails nowhere.” Be clear in your approach, be strong with your desire and get rid of all which help nothing in your career enhancement, he added.

A road leading to my village. Picture is taken on Oct 2, 2022. (Pic- R. Suresh Bhardwaj)

         After enjoying at a luxurious place in the far western part of India, I visited a place situated in the south of Bihar, on the invitation of one of my friends, that was extremely rural in my opinion. Road connectivity was worst and potholes disfigured its appearance. I kept making efforts there for one and a half day to find out a best tea shop but I was unlucky. I sketched an unavoidable difference between that place and the place where I am currently residing. Modernity had no scope there and even people did not care for the constructions symbolising the development. Actually, they were happy enjoying the beauty of nature and breathing fresh air. Even in a day, I also forgot all my contemporary incidents that led me to a sleepless night and restless mind in Delhi.

          Here, I met a beautiful tribal girl. She was dusky and spoke even Hindi with difficulty. The language she knew, I did not know but her appearance and mode of talking touched my heart and mind. Her eyes were pleasing, and how much time I talked to her I kept gazing in her eyes. She felt a little bit shyness and I too, but it was apparently same feeling for me when I looked fixedly in the eyes of a girl at my current work place. Days became over, I bid goodbye to her and denied the exchange of numbers with a message: Keep on living with your real nuances.

Bihar’s special Chaat-Chhola that is delicious in taste. Picture is taken on Oct 04, 2022 in Patna. (Pic- R. Suresh Bhardwaj)

          In addition of my journey, I returned Patna where I kept wandering whole day, took almost 10 cups of tea and on very next day, I moved to my village. Durga Puja was being celebrated. It has become a mundane celebrations in villages. (For reading full article, click the link) I stayed there for one and half day. I enjoyed the moment remembering my all past days. I talked many people and got insights of them. During the conversation, I got informations about the people of communist thought. They regularly attended the rally, meeting and added the members to the party even in the villages.

         I found that the Marxist-Leninist (Male) communist thought has been prevailing in the villages. Mostly members and supporters of it belong to the Scheduled Caste, Other Backward Class and Muslims. They believe in the party with a hope of a solution of their all social, political and financial problems. People from upper caste are seen rarely supporting the communist ideology because a supposition has taken place that this party has a history of working against the upper caste. In result, many groups of this class had grown up and keep on fighting, struggling and making their presence in village politics.

Ara’s special sweet called ‘Tikiya’. It is prepared with Chhena after boiling on a constant heat in sugar mixture. (Pic- R. Suresh Bhardwaj)

          In comparison to the spread of communist thought, Sangh (RSS) got its recognition very late in the villages. It was the era of Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the Sangh knocked the doors of villagers and now is travelling in full swing with the rise of Narendra Modi. It is the clear indication in the people living in villages that they hold political, social and cultural understanding contemporarily. I was still unaware of the fact that there is no importance of president post in the communist party, the post of General Secretary is most important.

           Many people have escaped the villages in search of money. Agriculture has not been a beneficial business. People involved in this sector are becoming poorer and poorer. They are actually carrying the burden of debt. Micro-finance companies trapped them in their net and sucking their all extra earnings as interest. Actually they have no work.

Durga Puja celebrations in my village. (Pic- R. Suresh Bhardwaj)

        Without any opportunity of work in villages, they sit in groups, talk for collective good and enjoying the moment for hours. They learn to be socialised and organise many religious and social activities for the people. But, they always regret of being unemployed. 

         Money, mobile and modernity have been changing the paradigm of living. Some of them are getting habit of criticising other unnecessarily. Some other are living in revenge, but maximum of them are good and virtuous by heart. 

          These are all about what I observed in my days of travelling. I found the reality. I gained my motive again and motivation to do what I want!