Transportation
In school, our bus used to fetch us from outside Fatehpur Lane and dropp us at Matru Sadan More. The place was earlier called Ghoda stand as the Tongas would leave from there for Dighwadih, Sindri, Bhaga, Jealgora. Mom says once a Tonga overturned and a pregnant woman who was sitting on it, lost her unborn child. Then the Tonga rides were stopped in Jharia. Now the place had a Trekker stand. Trekkers were like big Jeeps but more seating and broader vehicles. I saw the transition from taxis to trekkers in Dhanbad. The trekkers took around 25 people and traveled fast. Picking up passengers on the way even when they were full way beyond their capacity. The Trekkers charged Rs.2.50 for most journeys and that was a lot of money in those days. The Trekkers stopped at fixed cross sections and you could not request them to stop midway to disembark. Atleast that was one rule they followed. It connected the whole district very well.
The local trains from Jharia and Katras to Dhanbad had stopped long back. I have traveled in those with my Granny and they were slow and always crowded. I wondered why they stopped those dusty trains which allowed people to move when there were only potholes in the name of roads. On my last visit to Dhanbad last month, I noticed that the unused train tracks have been stolen. I felt sad seeing empty land where tracks were. It was also a place for the morning ablutions for many. I heard my Great Grandfather who had come from Kutch to Dhanbad used to take his Neem Datun and Lota and go to the jungles beyond the tracks after Satyanaraan Mandir at five am every morning. He could never use the home toilets in the mornings. That was his long morning walk while chewing Neem datun for digestion. ( Neem Datun is the thin branches of the neem tree which is chewed for a long time for brushing teeth)
We were not allowed to travel by Trekkers. Either use the car or do not go out of the house. If one missed the school bus, it was very difficult to reach school as the trekker dropped us way before the school. It was a long walk to the Carmel school, Dighwadih from that junction. There were days the school bus just did not come to fetch us. We would wait in school for 3-4 hours without complaining. After two hours, we were allowed to use the phone in the Principal's office to call home.Then Mom would try to get in touch with Dad who would be visiting some Colliery.Failing which, she would borrow a car from a relative to come and fetch us. The entire Jharia bus kids would wait endlessly and more so if Anju Miss our teacher and our bus handler would have gone. I remember one such long wait in school with just my siblings Parkerias.I had refused a lift from m friend in her car as I was sure the bus would come. It was so depressing. No food for hours and empty school grounds. To go to the toilet, we had to walk all the way to the back of the building. Even the cleaners had left. I felt alone but there was no fear. There was no fear about any one's safety. The wait for Mom to come with transport for all was depressing. But no one at home panicked if the bus came late or did not come. No One followed the clock. Everything took its own sweet time.The afternoon sun took its time to set, the breeze took its own time to pick up pace. The heat was relentless. The birds stopped chirping after a while. The Jeera Goli seller had gone home long back with his tuck. All girls tired and waiting eagerly for a vehicle to come into the school lane. There was a hole in the wall from where we could buy Samosas and he had given it to us on account. The students were not allowed to buy the samosas. The hole was there so the shop hut outside could provide tea n samosas to the teaching staff.
Transport is so important for the growth of a place. Good easy public transport is a must to develop a town. Sadly, Dhanbad still doesn't have it. Last month, I saw a girl waiting at Carmel school, Dhanbad long after school hours. She was waiting for her folks to fetch her. I asked her if she would like to use my cell phone. She refused as she was clear her car will come to fetch her. As children, we are hopelessly hopeful. That's the joy of childhood.
The local trains from Jharia and Katras to Dhanbad had stopped long back. I have traveled in those with my Granny and they were slow and always crowded. I wondered why they stopped those dusty trains which allowed people to move when there were only potholes in the name of roads. On my last visit to Dhanbad last month, I noticed that the unused train tracks have been stolen. I felt sad seeing empty land where tracks were. It was also a place for the morning ablutions for many. I heard my Great Grandfather who had come from Kutch to Dhanbad used to take his Neem Datun and Lota and go to the jungles beyond the tracks after Satyanaraan Mandir at five am every morning. He could never use the home toilets in the mornings. That was his long morning walk while chewing Neem datun for digestion. ( Neem Datun is the thin branches of the neem tree which is chewed for a long time for brushing teeth)
We were not allowed to travel by Trekkers. Either use the car or do not go out of the house. If one missed the school bus, it was very difficult to reach school as the trekker dropped us way before the school. It was a long walk to the Carmel school, Dighwadih from that junction. There were days the school bus just did not come to fetch us. We would wait in school for 3-4 hours without complaining. After two hours, we were allowed to use the phone in the Principal's office to call home.Then Mom would try to get in touch with Dad who would be visiting some Colliery.Failing which, she would borrow a car from a relative to come and fetch us. The entire Jharia bus kids would wait endlessly and more so if Anju Miss our teacher and our bus handler would have gone. I remember one such long wait in school with just my siblings Parkerias.I had refused a lift from m friend in her car as I was sure the bus would come. It was so depressing. No food for hours and empty school grounds. To go to the toilet, we had to walk all the way to the back of the building. Even the cleaners had left. I felt alone but there was no fear. There was no fear about any one's safety. The wait for Mom to come with transport for all was depressing. But no one at home panicked if the bus came late or did not come. No One followed the clock. Everything took its own sweet time.The afternoon sun took its time to set, the breeze took its own time to pick up pace. The heat was relentless. The birds stopped chirping after a while. The Jeera Goli seller had gone home long back with his tuck. All girls tired and waiting eagerly for a vehicle to come into the school lane. There was a hole in the wall from where we could buy Samosas and he had given it to us on account. The students were not allowed to buy the samosas. The hole was there so the shop hut outside could provide tea n samosas to the teaching staff.
Transport is so important for the growth of a place. Good easy public transport is a must to develop a town. Sadly, Dhanbad still doesn't have it. Last month, I saw a girl waiting at Carmel school, Dhanbad long after school hours. She was waiting for her folks to fetch her. I asked her if she would like to use my cell phone. She refused as she was clear her car will come to fetch her. As children, we are hopelessly hopeful. That's the joy of childhood.
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