Oct 24, 2012

Khanyara Day 4

Convinced that we didn't want to cover any more of the 'Panchayat' data and needed to research in further interiors of the village, today we started with getting down from the van at the last stop of Khanyara Khas village.  Thus we embarked on covering the various institutions that we had noticed on our very first day with Rajesh.

Punjab National Bank was our first office to be visited for the day.  As soon as we entered it, the person asked us how we were and questioned 'call kisne kiya tha?'.  We were taken aback and thought for a moment that he is taking us for someone else...or was expecting someone else.  Then I realised and recalled having phoned the PNB office when I was in MICA in order to ask something about Khanyara.  He must have picked up the call.

Thus we didn't have to tell the whole story that we used to tell each and everyone and Q & A got going.  He was a busy man and people kept coming to him for banking work.  He could be seen explaining in detail and with lot of affability, all the procedures and conditions etc to the villagers.  Here again we were served tea and biscuits.  We saw a few NREGA women on the waiting bench, reinforcing the importance if the employment scheme in my head.  We took a few photos and were about to leave soon as none of us felt anything deeper would have come out of more discussions.

When about to leave, he called up some sister of his in Ahmedabad and had us talk to her for no materialistic reasons of his.  This again made me feel amused and obliged that someone gives you so much importance for no benefit sought in return.

Next we wanted to see the Slate Godown and wondered how that could be done.  So we randomly asked a man standing outside the bank where that would be and strange as it was, a man came determined to entertain all our queries, claiming to be a Slate Contractor.  We felt both lucky and a little threatened.  We followed him into his cabin and asked him a few questions.  He also took us to an open-warehouse sort of place and showed us slates of different sizes and prices.  He even gave us a piece of / slice of / sheet of slate for free but that broke on the way.  That made me doubt all the praises he showered upon this mineral specially about strength.

Walking inward-out, we passed the Post Office and spent some time talking.  Nothing too unique or drastic came out and we had started getting the feeling that we had come to expect and anticipate what the village was all about.  Things didn't surprise us too much or didn't make us feel pitiful about the people.  That was a reality check in itself and our assumptions were challenged.

Next we went to the IndroNag temple but were very disappointed to find it under-construction and not particularly beautiful or aesthetic.  That was gain strange as this temple was supposed to have stopped rains from falling on the cricket ground while an IPL match went on.  How could something so famous and respected look so neglected and incomplete.  Something really didn't fit in.  May be the villagers were spiritual but not religious.  This was also a beautiful thought.  They were probably God-believing but not God-fearing.

Next we passed by Jagori NGO and ended up noting down a mini-autobiography of the same.  It was mainly a feminist NGO.  We saw everyone busy in preparations for 'Maa-Beti' mela.  Chart-papers, colours, posters and decorative items were spread out everywhere. This was an event organised to bring daughters and mothers closer so that they could talk to each other about more intimate matters and be more of a friend.  I wondered how the mothers and daughters would react to a direct proposal of opening up on matters of sexuality, hygiene and relationships.  But yes, the concept made a lot of sense.

Recalling our promise made to the Pradhan that we would be coming to have lunch at the Panchayat Office, we went straight for feeding our churning tummies.  We loved the simple hot food of rice and daal with onion bits in it.  It was the most tasty food I had ever eaten with so much restlessness.  To my surprise, while I ate, the cook confessed that I looked and ate and behaved just like her daughter.  It again made me feel so much loved suddenly by a stranger.

When we went to the Nepali couple to keep our promise, they were asleep, it being a post-lunch time.  So their helper asked us to wait for a few minutes.  Meanwhile we went and questioned the nearby Tailor and also a newly opened first of its kind Beauty Parlour downhill in another direction.  These interactions were short and had to be curtailed for lack of much time with us.

As soon as the Nepali couple woke up and got fresh/ changed their clothes, we took our placed inside the Nano of theirs and were taken to their family members one by one.  They even had us meet their most veteran member whom they gave some token of respect (snacks and toffees) on our behalf!  That was again very obligatory.  Each of their family members was more than welcoming and we regretted that due to lack of time and money we would be having to miss out on so much love that these people had to offer.

After many pots of tea, water and biscuits, many marriage albums and many songs, we felt once and for all a strong need to say goodbye.  Nepali uncle shared our anxiety of reaching hotel Kunal too late in the dark.  Thus our visit ended and we boarded a bus back to our base.

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