Life is easy kya karein

Around eleven pm, there was a huge fight in the Chawl across our house. We heard loud voices and ran towards the window to see what was happening. Some two hundred people were running towards the last lane of the Chawl. Having never seen crowds like this in the Chawl, we figured it was a fight between the two communities.  Three police vans came and then the place quietened down .   This Chawl is for the staff who do the cleaning activities of BMC and they all belong to the SC/ST category. Yeah, after seventy years of freedom, we still give perks, benefits and advantages to them which were to be stopped in ten years. The BMC rule allows them to keep the job through generations. So on retiring, the father gives the job to the eldest son and so on. They also get to keep the house, have medical benefits and get loans from the BMC. Their children get into the best of colleges, on showing the caste certificate. And now the reality is that most children do not study thr...

In Jharia, in all the houses, there was a system of 'Baasi Jaadu'. The first thing one did on waking up was take Neem Daatun in your mouth and pick up the Jaadu (Broom) . The house and the Aangan (centre courtyard) were swept taking God's name or doing 'Jaap'.  'Baasi' is from the previous night. Baasi Moonh means when one has not brushed their teeth on waking up. Baasi Khaana was the previous night's food. People ate Baasi Roti with their morning Chai(tea) . For years, I ate Roti Chappatis made the previous night with hot tea for my breakfast and evening snack. It is still the most divine meal for me.  Later when houses were bigger and other family members were sleeping late, then one cleaned the 'Aangan' and the 'Puja' room only. Because post the morning ablutions, everyone went to the Puja room to pray. Each family member had their own style of praying. Some bathed the Murti, one did Agarbatti ( Incense sticks), one did Dhoop, ...