The Case of Changing Times - 10

काळ बदलते का, लोके बदलतातका ?

In this series of 10 narratives RR takes us through  the "then and now" of things. Read on ......

(Here again, RR chose to write in English and I have translated it into DM)

Narrative – 10

The Case of Changing Times 30-03-2015

काळ बदलते का, लोक॑ बदलतातका ?

The other day – a couple of months back, we were travelling in the car early in the morning to attend a wedding in a marriage hall on TTK Road. As we came out of Nanganallur on to GST Road I could see an auto going a small distance ahead of us with two small poles on top of the front side with ballons and festoons fluttering in between and two tricolour flags on either side with loud music clips. No other auto rickshaw was tagging along. I wondered as Srirangam (it was a bye election time there) was far away and why this sort of celebration in Chennai by this auto driver. As we overtook the auto I could see that the flags were not any party flag but our National Tri-colour with the Ashok Chakra in the middle. It took me some time to realise that it was Republic Day and that I missed attending the Association meeting to celebrate Republic Day and instead chose to attend the wedding which I could not give a miss. My memories went back to the fifties and sixties. On the Republic Day, Independence Day and Bapu’s birthday which had been declared as National Holidays, there would be celebration mood alround on the first two and prayers everywhere on Bapu’s birthday. Meetings would be held in Schools and Educational institutions which were very few in numbers and dignitaries would unfurl the national flag and deliver lectures commemorating the freedom struggle and single out leaders who fought for independence. Processions would be taken out. All shops would be closed including eateries. As usual my father would go to Tiruvarur and on such days I would not accompany him as Venkataramana Café on Ellaiyamman Koil Street in Vijayapuram would remain closed those three days. Whenever I was in Pallavapuram during vacation I used to accompany my father to Tiruvarur just for eating some snacks and coffee in Venkataramana Café, later on Vasan Café and Seetharama Vilas on Nagapattinam Road. I normally used to take Wheat Halwa with a few pieces of Kharaa Sev as Pakka Vadhyam (side dish) and strong coffee (even in my child hood – like father like son) but would never opt for Gulab Jamun. Gulab Jamun those days and in those parts of the State was not in the shape of a ball as is these days but would be in a shape instantly reminding me of going westwards in the villages in the mornings and the very sight of it would be sickening, as far as I was concerned. On the contrary wheat Halwa would be very tasty, very soft but one or two pieces would slip down the throat even before I could relish. To come back to the National Holidays – the observance of Independence Day, Republic Day and Bapu’s birthday continued to enjoy popular support till the sixties whereafter slowly the national feeling diminished. On Bapu’s birthday, in our Elementary School students would be asked to bring a quantity of Pottukkadalai (bhune huwe chane ki dhaal), powdered Jaggery (Naattu Sakkarai or Vellach chakkarai), a couple of agar bathies, banana, etc. which would formally be offered to the photograph of Bapu and then distributed to the students whereafter the School would be closed for the day. Almost on all Fridays this would be done but School would continue to function. Mostly these items would be from our house only. Now these National Holidays are remembered only because they are Holidays for Educational Institutions, Government offices, etc., etc. and nobody even thinks about the sacrifices of our countrymen who laid down their lives in a bloody effort to obtain freedom for the country though ‘Ahimsa’ was also the word of the day. How many people lost their lives! How many people were butchered! How many were languishing in Jails! Now hardly anybody recognises the relentless march towards independence by hundreds of thousands of Indians. Now they just declare that all TASMAC shops would remain closed on these days! They announce it in advance so that people can buy in advance, store and consume it on such days! Shops continue to function and so are other business establishments. National fervour is missing. And here in Chennai I see an auto driver remembering the Republic Day and celebrating it! Hats off to him. Tail Piece:- The marriage I attended went off well, the breakfast and lunch were super. I learnt the caterers were Bengaluru and had been arranged by the groom’s party from Bengaluru!.

तद्दी एक दिवस - दोन महिनाच पुढे पाष्टे TTK रोडांत एक वराडाला कारांत॑ अम्ही जात होतों. नंगनल्लूरांत्सून GST रोडांत॑ वेघलकी-नाही, थोडक दूर पुढे एक ॲटो जात असाच मी पाह्यलों. ते ॲटोच पुढे व॑रच भागांत॑ बांधल॑ होतते दोन ल्हान काठींत॑ वारेंत उडत होतते बलूण, तोरण॑ हे अग्गीन होत॑. तसच, दोन तिरंगा पणीं होत॑. थोर शब्दान गाणेच क्ळिप पणीं ऐकत होत॑. तज मागे वेगळ॑ कोण्त ॲटा-रिक्षाहीं जात होत नाही. ते वेळ दूर असाच श्रीरंगमांत॑ बै-एलक्षन चालत होत॑. पण, चेन्नैत॑ हे ॲटो पळिवणार कां  उत्सवास्क॑ अस॑ कां करतो म्हणीगट्लों. ॲटोच पुढे नंखर॑  जाऊन पाह्ताना कळ्ल॑, ते तिरंगा कोण्तीन राष्ट्रीय पार्टीच काहीं न्हो, पण मध्य भागांत॑ अशोक-चक्र असाच अम्च॑ देशाच तिरंगाच म्हणून. तद्दी जनतंत्र-दिवस म्हणून मनांत॑ सुचाला थोडक वेळ झाल॑ मला. तद्दी अम्च॑ असोसियेषनाच मीटिंगांत॑ भाग काढाच चु्कून, तज बद्दिल हे वराडाला जामते पडल॑ मला. एकोणीस पन्नास, साठ हे काळाच सये आल॑ मला. जनतंत्र-दिवस, स्वातंत्र्य-दिवस हे दोनीं फार संभ्रमांत॑ आचरण करत होते. बापूजीच जन्म-दिवसांत॑ देश पूरा प्रार्थनाच कार्यक्रम चालिवत होते. तीन दिवसीन पूरा देशालीं सुट्टी. साळेंतीन वेगळ॑ विद्याभ्यासाच स्थापनांतीन सभा-कार्यक्रम होत असेल॑. राष्ट्र-ध्वज उडिवणे, स्वातंत्र्य समरांविषयीन, तसच त्यांत भाग केलते नेतांविषयीन बोलणे, मिरविणकी काढणे हे अग्गीन होत होत॑. दुकान होटल हे अग्गीन झांकून असेल॑. केम्हाहीं सार्ख मझ॑ बापा तिरुवाऊराला जातील॑. तसलते दिवसी मी त्यंच बरोर जाईना. विजयपुरमांत असाच एल्लैअम्मन कोयिल बीदींतल॑ "वेन्कटरमणा कफे" ते तीन दिवसीन झांकून असेल॑, हेच कारण॑. साळेच सुट्टीच दिवसी पल्लवपुरमांत मी असलतर॑  मझ॑ बापाच बरोर तिरुवारूराला जावून "वेन्कटरमणा कफेंत॑" फल्हार खावून कॉफी पीऊनटाकून येईन. नंतर॑-नंतर॑ “वासन कफे”, नागपट्टिणम रोडांत असाच "सीताराम विलास" इकडेपणीं जात होतों. साधारण होऊन मी गहूंच हल्वा खाईन. पक्क-वाद्यमास्क॑ तोळ्लाईंगाला तजव॑र थोडक॑ खारासेव शिंपडून खाईन. तज बरोर स्ट्रोंग कॉफी पीईन (ल्हान वयेंतपणीं - मझ॑ बापास्क॑). पण, कद्दीईं गुलाब-जामून खाईना. ते काळांत अग्गीन देशाच ते भागांत कराच गुलाब-जामून हे काळांत असाक्स॑ गोळ आकारांत असना. तज आकार पाह्यलतर॑ मला खेडेगामांत पाष्टेच वेळ पश्चिमाकडे (परसाकडे) जाताना दिसलकी, तजस्क॑ वाटेल॑. पाह्यालच कंटाळा. ते पाह्ताना गहूंच हल्वा खायाला बेष असेल॑. मौ (मऊ) असेल॑. पूरा रूच आस्वाद कराच पुढेच एक दोन तुकडा तसच गळांत निसरून उतरल॑. अत्ता राष्ट्रीय सुट्टी विषयीन बोलूया. स्वातंत्र्य-दिवस, जनतंत्र-दिवस, बापूजीच जन्म-दिवस हे अग्गीन एकोण्णीस-साठ पर्यंतीन बेष आनंदान आचरण करत होते. तजनंतर॑ ते संभ्रम॑ थोडक थोडक मंद होत गेल॑. बापूजीच जन्म-दिवसांत॑ अम्च॑ "एलिमेन्टरी" साळेंत॑ अग्गि विद्यार्थीयांसीं घरांतून पोट्टुकडलै, पूड करलते गूळ (नाट्टि गूळ अथवा पंढ्र गूळ), दोन अगरबत्ती, केळे वगैरा आणाला सांगतील॑. बापूजीच पटाला (चित्राला) दाखिवूनटाकून ते अग्गिदनांसीन वांटतील॑. तज नंतर॑ साळेला सुट्टी देऊनटाकतील॑. प्रति शुक्रवारीं हे होईल॑, परंतु तद्दी अग्गीन साळे पुन्हा चालत असेल॑. आणाच पदार्थ अग्गीन अम्च॑ घरांत्सूनच असेल॑. अत्ताच काळांत॑ राष्ट्रीय सुट्टीच दिवस म्हणजे, साळे, सरकार ऑफीस असलत्याला अग्गीन सुट्टीच दिवस म्हणून मात्र लोके म्हणींगतात॑. देशाच स्वातंत्र्याला म्हणून घोर प्रयत्न करून स्वंत जीवन पणीन बली देलत्यांस विषयीन कोणीं योचना पणीं करत नाहीते. ते समराच बरोर "अहिंसा" म्हणाच गोष्ट फार प्रचारांत होत॑. कित्ती लोके मरले ! कित्ती लोकांस॑ मरिवले ! कित्ती लोकांस॑ कारागृहांत घाट्ले ! हदारों-हदार लोके स्वातंत्र समरांत भाग काढलते विषय अत्ता कोणालीन कळत नाही. अत्ता "TASMAC" दुकान अग्गीन ते दिवसी झांकून असेल॑ म्हणून नुस्त॑ घोषणा करूनटाकतात॑ ! पुढेच घोषणा कराला एक कारण आहे. पह्जते सामग्री अग्गीन पुढेच घेऊन ठींगूनदेत॑ म्हणूनच तस॑ कराच॑. दुकान, बिसिनस्साच स्थापना हे अग्गीन उघडूनच अस्त॑. राष्ट्रीय उत्साह अत्ता कोठीन दिसत नाही. चेन्नैंत॑ हे ॲटो पळिवणार जनतंत्र दिवस आचरण करत आहे ! मझ॑ बहुमान-आदर अर्पणा करतों मी तला. मागे लिव्हाच॑ :- मी गेलते वराड फार बेष चाल्ल॑. पल्हारीन जेवणेहीं उदंड बेष होत॑. वराडाकरतां संपाकी लोकांस॑ बंगळूरांत्सून नवराच घरचे आणिवले म्हणून मी ऐकलों.