The Covered Trucks

I feel like I am riding with you on that pilion. I hope you wont leave Nagpur without meeting some of the followers of Hedgwar and Golwalkar.

On riots and Maharashtra. When the Godhra news reached us I expected a bloody backlash, but in Maharashtra and not in Gujarat. Especially, Bombay where Thakray`s sena always has its knives ready for such occasions. I also had a personal reason to be worried about Bombay. My wife was to leave for Bombay to meet her sister the next day and I wondered whether the plans should be changed. We called her sister and she was even more worried than us; she didn`t think it would be safe even for them to drive to the airport for a pick-up. So, we switched her plans to go to Delhi instead of Bombay. But Bombay surprised us in a pleasant way by staying calm.

Hello Harish. This seemed tamer than the first part. An anti-climax of sorts. As if this time around you were far more concious about being a journalist. I compared it with a piece I did in 1992 on a trip I took across Pakistan`s Balochistan province and the Tribal areas and this seemed a lot more constrained and ``balanced.`` Like all good journalism?

rgds,
NfP

mumbaikar,

That was a nice nugget!

rahul_capri,

That is profuse. Thank you. In case you know any publishers/literary agents, please give them this email id : rideaway@gmail.com....:)

Farzana,

I was hoping you would arrive here. Thank you. Yes, the Sutradhaar issue is rather vexing for me.

As regards the ``denoument`` of this journey... I hope it remains readable till the end. Some odd things have occurred in the trip, and marrying all the people, details, and enmeshing the issues involved etc is a challenge.

Amrita,

rahul-capri has already taken your cue.

Thank you all.

I was reminded of the great Baba Amte and Subba Rao, and the days I spent in the National Youth Project camp in Kanya Kumari, as a kid.My memories of those days are not very clear.He kicked off the knit india movement from there. It was a great experience, getting to know people from all over the country and learning to greet them in their language. My first full scale introduction to the diversity of India and how I have come to love it and how i would like it to be. Wonder why people like Baba Amte and Gandhians like Subba Rao would not be very keen to participate in active politcs now, but I dont wonder a lot.

``But then this is an opinion of someone who does not believe in objectivity!``

At last !! Some honest introspection from FV-ji....

Harish - this road trip of yours is bringing back my memories by the dozen. Like Nagpur from whence came R, the self styled ``Nagpur ka Kishen Kanhaiya`` who zipped around B`lore in a Bajaj Scooter and kept a Bihari cook so that he could eat pure veg food just the way they made it back home in Nagpur (deee-licious!). And the RSS which would regularly send three old men to my brother`s boarding school (run by Catholic priests) to demand that they allow them to take PT classes for the kids. The fathers would agree and politely ask them to return another day and the three old uncles would march out singing songs. And so much more.

I wonder if others also see some characters of their lives in your story? Or is it limited to those of us who grew up as outsiders with an inside view?

Harish:

Keeping political views out of this, thus far the two pieces have a nice laid-back quality. I wonder what the denouement would be like, if there can be one in such a `journey`. I needn`t add that they are exceedingly well-written.

Just one more point: since you are weaving together tales, there have been occasions where I found that while you were letting the subjects make the observations, you really did not want to stay away from commenting. You, as writer-chronicler, could have been a more pro-active sutradhar. But then this is an opinion of someone who does not believe in objectivity!

Yet...wonderful...

With ref to Mumbaikar`s story of temple priest adopting dalit kids....

I bet it was more out of necessity than anything else. For there is a tremendous shortage of brahmin kids willing to join the priest profession. Most brahmin kids do engineering and medicine and have no interest in the temple life. The ones who stay behind in villages and accept the temple life are either very poor and cannot afford professional education or retarded.

This is a serious problem that dogs every hindu temple today. Non-availability of brahmin boys to take up positions of priesthood.The obvious solution is to train lower caste hindus boys to become priests. Even temples that did not even allow entry to dalits worshippers just a few decades back are today managed by dalit priests.

Harish writes:

[Interestingly, Nagpur’s other claim to national consciousness is as the head quarters of militant Hinduism, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. While I was growing up, I thought of the RSS as a venerable institution, justifiably sidelined.]

Ah yes, the bogeyman of secularism, the RSS.

Out here in the tsunami-hit areas, I didn`t see a single ``secular`` Congressman, the rationalist DMK, ADMK or DK among the affected fishermen and farmers. The only ones out there providing help are the international NGOs such as Oxfam, Unicef; the Socialist Unity Center of India (actually, the SUCI are Communists and other committed left-wingers calling themselves Socialists); the RSS under the banner Seva Bharathi; and local jama`ats. Talking about journalistic integrity, has one single newspaper in India written a story about the service by the RSS or even the SUCI? On the other hand, you are all willing to publish photographs of a ``secular`` Congress minister, a ``rationalist`` DMK minister or our Italian Au-Pair making a 30-minute visit just to provide photo opportunities for rags with political agendas -- which is every single newspaper or magazine in India.

Why is it that secularists and our Paki friends (I deliberately include Tahmed32, HP, Romair, etc., in this category) would be willing to believe that the jama`ats would be rendering service regardless of religion, grudgingly acknowledge that the Christian churches might possibly do the same, whereas they would find it incredible that Seva Bharathi is equally rendering service without regard to religion?

While the secularists and their hand-wringing Hindu friends overseas have actually petitioned the governments of UK and the USA to declare Seva International as a terrorist organization on a par with Al-Quaeda (because of its supposed financial connection with the RSS during the Gujarat riots), why is it that the fact that the Government in the UK has declared that there was no misappropriation of funds to the tune of 2 million pounds sterling as alleged is not news fit enough to be published? And why is it that those Pakis who are willing to jump to the defence of Al-Quaeda are not willing to jump to the defence of Seva International if they are supposed to have engaged in similar if not identical terrorist activities?

Harish, I think both of the pieces are of outstanding literary merit. You should consider publishing the whole series as a book. Among the best I have ever read on chowk, if not the best.

75 yrs later, temple priest wants to tell Ambedkar: Sorry, we threw you out

NASHIK, Mar 3: As head priest of the historic Kala Ram temple here, Sudhir Pujari has taken a decision that appears generous at first glance: he`ll adopt 25 Dalit children and 25 tribals on behalf of the Janasthan Peeth of Nirwani Akhada.

It`s actually an act of atonement that comes 75 years too late. At 3 pm on March 2, 1930, at this very temple, some 15,000 Dalits had gathered for a darshan of the famous black idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman.

The first batch of 125 men and 25 women divided themselves into four groups and stood outside the temple`s four doors, waiting to be let in. The priest of the temple turned them away saying they were “untouchables”. This led to a satyagraha and a five-year agitation led by Dr B R, Ambedkar, during which he decided to abandon Hinduism.

Ramdasbuwa Pujari, the priest who spurned the Dalits, was Sudhir Pujari`s grandfather. Today, the grandson wishes things had turned out differently. “I think it was a big mistake on the part of my grandfather,” he said. Then, with the benefit of hindsight, he added: “Had I been in his place I would have thought judiciously and permitted entry to all, irrespective of caste.”

Sudhir, who was appointed Mahant by the Nirvani Akhada during the last Kumbh Mela, belongs to the 27th generation of priests conducting rituals at the temple. In his own way, he is trying to undo some of the damage that his grandfather caused.

Adopting the 50 Dalit and tribal children on behalf of the Janasthan Peeth, of which he is the Mahant, is one step in this direction. He said the Peeth would take responsibility for bringing up the children and educating them properly. “You may consider this as a malampatti (dressing of wound) by a grandson on wounds inflicted by his grandfather,” he says.

The Kala Ram temple entry satyagraha proved to be a turning point in Ambedkar`s life and Dalit politics. In 1935 Ambedkar announced that though he had been born a Hindu, he would not die a Hindu. And even though the temple was thrown open for Dalits by law later, Ambedkar`s mind was already made up and he converted to Buddhism in 1956.

Three years back, Sudhir Pujari pushed a proposal to erect a plaque in front of the temple to acknowledge Ambedkar`s satyagraha. That move has been lost in red tape.

Meanwhile, he counts the cost of his grandfather`s decision. “Had my grandfather permitted entry to the Dalits, perhaps Ambedkar would have stayed in the Hindu fold,” he reflects.

But he cannot turn the clock back. So he continues his own form of atonement.

As head priest of the historic Kala Ram temple here, Sudhir Pujari has taken a decision that appears generous at first glance: he`ll adopt 25 Dalit children and 25 tribals on behalf of the Janasthan Peeth of Nirwani Akhada. It`s actually an act of atonement that comes 75 years too late. At 3 pm on March 2, 1930, at this very temple, some 15,000 Dalits had gathered for a darshan of the famous black idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman. The first batch of 125 men and 25 women divided themselves into four groups and stood outside the temple`s four doors, waiting to be let in. The priest of the temple turned them away saying they were “untouchables”. This led to a satyagraha and a five-year agitation led by Dr B R, Ambedkar, during which he decided to abandon Hinduism. Ramdasbuwa Pujari, the priest who spurned the Dalits, was Sudhir Pujari`s grandfather. Today, the grandson wishes things had turned out differently. “I think it was a big mistake on the part of my grandfather,” he said. Then, with the benefit of hindsight, he added: “Had I been in his place I would have thought judiciously and permitted entry to all, irrespective of caste.” Sudhir, who was appointed Mahant by the Nirvani Akhada during the last Kumbh Mela, belongs to the 27th generation of priests conducting rituals at the temple. In his own way, he is trying to undo some of the damage that his grandfather caused. Adopting the 50 Dalit and tribal children on behalf of the Janasthan Peeth, of which he is the Mahant, is one step in this direction. He said the Peeth would take responsibility for bringing up the children and educating them properly. “You may consider this as a malampatti (dressing of wound) by a grandson on wounds inflicted by his grandfather,” he says. The Kala Ram temple entry satyagraha proved to be a turning point in Ambedkar`s life and Dalit politics. In 1935 Ambedkar announced that though he had been born a Hindu, he would not die a Hindu. And even though the temple was thrown open for Dalits by law later, Ambedkar`s mind was already made up and he converted to Buddhism in 1956. Three years back, Sudhir Pujari pushed a proposal to erect a plaque in front of the temple to acknowledge Ambedkar`s satyagraha. That move has been lost in red tape. Meanwhile, he counts the cost of his grandfather`s decision. “Had my grandfather permitted entry to the Dalits, perhaps Ambedkar would have stayed in the Hindu fold,” he reflects. But he cannot turn the clock back. So he continues his own form of atonement.

75 yrs later, temple priest wants to tell Ambedkar: Sorry, we threw you out

NASHIK, Mar 3: As head priest of the historic Kala Ram temple here, Sudhir Pujari has taken a decision that appears generous at first glance: he`ll adopt 25 Dalit children and 25 tribals on behalf of the Janasthan Peeth of Nirwani Akhada.

It`s actually an act of atonement that comes 75 years too late. At 3 pm on March 2, 1930, at this very temple, some 15,000 Dalits had gathered for a darshan of the famous black idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman.

The first batch of 125 men and 25 women divided themselves into four groups and stood outside the temple`s four doors, waiting to be let in. The priest of the temple turned them away saying they were “untouchables”. This led to a satyagraha and a five-year agitation led by Dr B R, Ambedkar, during which he decided to abandon Hinduism.

Ramdasbuwa Pujari, the priest who spurned the Dalits, was Sudhir Pujari`s grandfather. Today, the grandson wishes things had turned out differently. “I think it was a big mistake on the part of my grandfather,” he said. Then, with the benefit of hindsight, he added: “Had I been in his place I would have thought judiciously and permitted entry to all, irrespective of caste.”

Sudhir, who was appointed Mahant by the Nirvani Akhada during the last Kumbh Mela, belongs to the 27th generation of priests conducting rituals at the temple. In his own way, he is trying to undo some of the damage that his grandfather caused.

Adopting the 50 Dalit and tribal children on behalf of the Janasthan Peeth, of which he is the Mahant, is one step in this direction. He said the Peeth would take responsibility for bringing up the children and educating them properly. “You may consider this as a malampatti (dressing of wound) by a grandson on wounds inflicted by his grandfather,” he says.

The Kala Ram temple entry satyagraha proved to be a turning point in Ambedkar`s life and Dalit politics. In 1935 Ambedkar announced that though he had been born a Hindu, he would not die a Hindu. And even though the temple was thrown open for Dalits by law later, Ambedkar`s mind was already made up and he converted to Buddhism in 1956.

Three years back, Sudhir Pujari pushed a proposal to erect a plaque in front of the temple to acknowledge Ambedkar`s satyagraha. That move has been lost in red tape.

Meanwhile, he counts the cost of his grandfather`s decision. “Had my grandfather permitted entry to the Dalits, perhaps Ambedkar would have stayed in the Hindu fold,” he reflects.

But he cannot turn the clock back. So he continues his own form of atonement.

On Ambedkar .........


75 yrs later, temple priest wants to tell Ambedkar: Sorry, we threw you out

http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=13842

NASHIK, Mar 3: As head priest of the historic Kala Ram temple here, Sudhir Pujari has taken a decision that appears generous at first glance: he`ll adopt 25 Dalit children and 25 tribals on behalf of the Janasthan Peeth of Nirwani Akhada.

It`s actually an act of atonement that comes 75 years too late. At 3 pm on March 2, 1930, at this very temple, some 15,000 Dalits had gathered for a darshan of the famous black idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman.

The first batch of 125 men and 25 women divided themselves into four groups and stood outside the temple`s four doors, waiting to be let in. The priest of the temple turned them away saying they were “untouchables”. This led to a satyagraha and a five-year agitation led by Dr B R, Ambedkar, during which he decided to abandon Hinduism.

Ramdasbuwa Pujari, the priest who spurned the Dalits, was Sudhir Pujari`s grandfather. Today, the grandson wishes things had turned out differently. “I think it was a big mistake on the part of my grandfather,” he said. Then, with the benefit of hindsight, he added: “Had I been in his place I would have thought judiciously and permitted entry to all, irrespective of caste.”

Sudhir, who was appointed Mahant by the Nirvani Akhada during the last Kumbh Mela, belongs to the 27th generation of priests conducting rituals at the temple. In his own way, he is trying to undo some of the damage that his grandfather caused.

Adopting the 50 Dalit and tribal children on behalf of the Janasthan Peeth, of which he is the Mahant, is one step in this direction. He said the Peeth would take responsibility for bringing up the children and educating them properly. “You may consider this as a malampatti (dressing of wound) by a grandson on wounds inflicted by his grandfather,” he says.

The Kala Ram temple entry satyagraha proved to be a turning point in Ambedkar`s life and Dalit politics. In 1935 Ambedkar announced that though he had been born a Hindu, he would not die a Hindu. And even though the temple was thrown open for Dalits by law later, Ambedkar`s mind was already made up and he converted to Buddhism in 1956.

Three years back, Sudhir Pujari pushed a proposal to erect a plaque in front of the temple to acknowledge Ambedkar`s satyagraha. That move has been lost in red tape.

Meanwhile, he counts the cost of his grandfather`s decision. “Had my grandfather permitted entry to the Dalits, perhaps Ambedkar would have stayed in the Hindu fold,” he reflects.

But he cannot turn the clock back. So he continues his own form of atonement.

-New Ind Press