This time however my perception has radically altered. One reason surpassed the next and the next surpassed the next ... so much that I am convinced that I'd rather express my feelings ... and where else but here!
Its been a long time that I've ventured out into the bihutolies in the evening. Laziness or lounging with friends over music & gossips has taken the better of me. This bihu for a change we decided to go out zooming. Once out in the street I realized we were better off sitting indoors... watching a movie... or better reading a book or chit chatting....
The people - esp the gen-x... I still think the less said the better. Or if only I could say the most with just one word. Whatever has happened to our young people. Their behaviour is the cheapest & most indecent, their vocabulary is anything but foul & explicit.... and everyone looked sozzled out of their brains. Lewd comments were passed on each and every passer by - no matter what you aged! Rash driving... slurred speech... and a behaviour that should actually put us all to shame.
Sanjeev, a non-khar, who's an avid til pitha lover was in Guwahati & categorizes Bihu as "khane wala bihu" for Magh bihu, "nachne wala bihu" for Bohag bihu & "no-masti bihu" for Kati bihu, casually remarked "khane wala bihu seems more like peene wala bihu!".... What an insult that was actually! But then wasn't Sanjeev right? Has our culture been downsized only to drinking? Amplify the number of alcoholics? Any ocassion and what we find? Its a watering hole at all the nook & corners of the town.
The next big & ugly thing to happen is the bihu donation. Some local lads been visiting our office seeking some donation ".... whatever the office gives is fair enough..." On the first instance Boss gave them a couple of hundred rupees but they said they would not settle for anything less than 10,000/- ! Boss being the Boss asked them stuff like "OK< I give your Sanmilan ten thousand, but you guys should furnish me with all the account details & under which head the money was utilized. Since you all won't settle for anything less, does your Samity has a resolution passed by the members that everyone has to pay 10k or more? Is your Samity registered? What's your budget? How much you all have managed to collect? What is the deficit? Give us your bank account details and we'll make a draft and send it across..." so on & so forth. Those guys didn't find it ammusing and left!
Yesterday those same guys came over with a few more- they were 10 or 12 & I was shocked to see their behaviour. They were stinking like pigs... they manhandled the files... the telephones... the computer...
The girl who is at the front desk was scared out of her wits. Boss was not around. These guys bullied the Accounts Manager, gheraoed him & demanded money. They had already filled their money receipt in the name of the Company with the amount written as Ten Thousand.
In the mean time I called up the SP & also informed the Paltan Bz Police Station. The SP asked me to keep those chaps busy so that they get time to arrive and catch them for extortion.
Accounts Manager negotiated and made the guys settle for 1100/- bucks & they agreed! Once they got the money they left the office. The Police came after that and the necessary FIR & the rest was done.
My point here is what is happening to our people? Easy money? That does it I suppose. And why do people have such a misconception that the tea industry & tea companies are filthy rich? Don't they study the market trends? See the falling prices? Do they think money grows lushly in trees? & finally the donation - where do they actually spend? ... Booze mostly!
Such a disgrace... so appalling... & yet people like us are the silent observers...
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I don't have a photograph but you can have my footprints!
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