Laluda

ACHIEVER SERIES - 2

My first Achiever generated some debate but the person I am featuring this time will certainly not. A post dedicated to all the dedicated kajer loks that I have ever known.


I grew up in a typical ekannoborti poribar. Like any other such poribars, ours too had its hordes of kaajer loks. At any given point of time there would be about a couple of Madons and Ganeshes for the oportolla and the archetypal Thakurs and Ganesher Maa for the nichertolla. One among such was Laluda.

Laluda came to our house when he was 11. A time when I was not born. Orphaned very early in life, Laluda was left to fend for himself by his two older brothers. Both were making a decent enough living as gowalas in Basirhat. My grandfather picked him up from there.

An illiterate, Laluda used to do the odd job in the house. From pouring bodnas of water on my oshuddho Thakuma to cleaning the house to attending to all the formaishes of my two pishish. He continued doing this for the next six years of his life till he was about 17.

But Laluda had never come to terms with what he was doing in life. What set him apart from the other kaajer loks was his self esteem and his sensitivity. Thus one day, after many incidents, his pride was finally pricked and he left in a huff.

But no more than a year had passed, Laluda was back. May be, we were more like a habit which he could not live without. Or he had too much love for us? Or did he realise that 6 years as a daily hand had left him ill-equipped for a life outside?

It could possibly be that my grandfather realised it too. During his lifetime has was responsible for changing many lives for the better. A reason for which my Dadu is at the top of my list.This time he helped Laluda learn to drive and get a driver's license. Within a couple of years Laluda was our designated driver.

As a driver Laluda was finally at ease. He now had a skill with which he could differentiate himself from others. Strangely after 5 years Laluda ceased to be our driver but he continued living with us. I realised that he had moved up the value chain and became my Dadu's shadow. Following him around throughout the day and running his errands.

But like all good things this too had its twist. May be, Laluda realised it was coming. Dadu was ageing and with it, so was his poshar. There was hardly any to carry forward his legacy. He became what I call another "Chobi Biswas of Jolsaghar". Neither could he afford a driver or a personal errand boy.

As an aftershock, we moved to a smaller house in Salt Lake. Our poribar was no longer ekannoborti but Laluda moved along with us. But Laluda was no longer drawing a salary.

During all this time I developed a deep affinity for him. Right through my childhood since I gained consciousness Laluda was my most dependable companion. After the birth of my brother when our cot was too small for 4 people I shared the bed with Laluda. He even accompanied us on our vacations.

Finally a couple of years before Dadu's death Laluda decided to move on. He thought he was becoming a burden.

I was in Class VI then. I do not have much details of his life beyond that. Of what little I know he started off with driving matador vans and finally managed to buy his own tempo. Last heard he had graduated to own 2 matadors and was plying his vans between Calcutta and Basirhat. One of the vans was even used to ferry my biyer totto.

He also got married and is blessed with a son and a daughter. He had invited us to his house. I was out of station and could not go. They live in a single room. But it looks larger than it is because of the warmth that its inhabitants exude.

Recently he had called to inform that his son has got a star in Madhyamik. He wants to study science which Laluda can ill afford. However his tuition teachers have waived their fees. And this has given them the courage to acquise to his son's dreams.

During the most difficult times Laluda was always around us. It is why we share a kind of bonding. He was the first to arrive when my Dadu died and held onto the khatiya till the last. A look at him that day made me feel that he had lost a father.

So when I heard of his son's achievement I felt very happy. But I feel bad that I am no longer part of his story. There is a guilt that we could not be of any use during his struggling days. Which is why I feel he is justified when he complains that we do not keep in touch with him.

But his story is moving towards a happy ending. A story that is the exact anti-thesis of another story that I am witnessing.

The story of a woman of roughly the same age who, at one point of time, used to have 3 helping hands around her. It is the same woman for whom Laluda left our house the first time round. She now has to run from post to post for daily subsistence. Her son not having passed Class VII now wanders aimlessly. A story of plentiful waste and sloth.

Both their stories had crossed path. And both are providing me answers to a lot of questions that spring to my mind

Chow Vendor from Chamba

ACHIEVER SERIES - I

Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma is another reality show with crass display of emotions and stage managed theatrics. But one contestants story was inspirational enough to give me enough goose pimples to tickle my tear buds. Interestingly my ACHIEVER SERIES starts with Rajeev, someone whom I have not seen in flesh and blood.

Rajeev is a lad from sleepy Chamba. He wants to make it big as a singer. So he entered Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma contest. Before this he had tried his luck but lost out.

In Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma, none of the girls wanted to be paired along with him. Finally Rajeev was paired with a girl whose parents are settled in Egypt and in the opposite side of the money spectrum.

Rajeev happens to be the son of a music lecturer in H.P College, Chamba. The family of four just about survives. The roof of his house lets in water whenever the Gods in Chamba decides to pour.

For a living Rajeev runs a road side stall. He has a 6-7 yrs assistant who helps him out. That is his only source of livelihood. One look at the mapped distempered walls, the lone "lohen ka kadai" and a ram shackle stove will give a hint of his life in Chamba. During 6-8 months of the competition when he was staying in Mumbai his shop has remained closed. He said a lot was at stake for him.

Thus when he was booted out in the semi-finals I could'nt help feeling for him. He sang a departing song which showed he is a natural but scarily untrained. Its a voice that will make an established singer edgy.

Recently I came to know that some classical singer has taken him under his tutelage. It made me feel good.

But mind you! This is not about the reality show, its not about judging whether its all fake. I will take everything on face value. And I will salute the audacity of his dream. A dream beyond my capacity. And thats enough for me to feature him on my blog.

Introducing the ACHIEVER SERIES

At times we complain about life and how unlucky we have been. Most times these cribbings becomes the source of excuses that shield our lack of resolve.

Many individuals are born with golden spoons. Some of them make the most and add onto what they are already born with. Some waste it and end up in the negative. While there are some who are also rans.

For many days I have been wanting to write about those individuals who have impressed me by their ability to beat the odds. Individuals whom I have seen upclose, in flesh and blood. They comprise my achiever's list. Each have a compelling story to tell.

From time to time my blog will feature the ACHIEVER SERIES. Posts about individuals who are born with nothing. People who created a legacy for their progeny to multiply, or waste or sleep over.

So await my next post. It will be about someone who recently brought tears to my eyes. Oh yes! Men do cry.

2F the sandwiched class

The f letter reminds me of the f word. And in case of 2F more so.

The new income tax form is suitably named 2F. If you are part of the silent salaried class then you have one more pinch in the ass delivered by Dr. Singh's government.

From an visionary economist to a lame duck PM Dr. Singh has come far. His PC - the educated, respected and suave lawyer has strangely decided put us under the scanner. The new tax return form is not only lengthy but also asks for detailed break of your expenses & outgoings from the bank. Inspite of Saral, tax return was a pain. With 2F it will be like a bloody shovel pushed up the wrong side...

The so called middle class to which I belong comprises only 15-20% of the population. However the same middle class pay tax at source and pays them honestly. While some of the other classes know how to beat the law, some others thrive on interest waivers and subsidies.

We do not make a huge vote bank. So pinch us as hard as you can till our asses go red and we jump up and down. But we are maintainingthe government's balance sheet and I am sure our time will come.