My friend Pradipto called me today morning and that triggered a conversation which has resulted in this blog........
********************************************************************************
When I was in St. Xavier's College, Ranchi, doing my Intermediate and Bachelors, I used to spend most of my time in the company of my friends and classmates Pradipto Chakravarty and Danish Ahmad. I am related to Danish as well and he is now married my cousin Nadia also.
The three of us were inseparable.
Danish & Pradipto used to live in Bariatu (a locality in Ranchi). Danish's parents at that time were living in Daltonganj. When he came to Ranchi to study, he first lived in hostels. They had land in Bariatu and Danish supervised the building of their house there while he was still a student. Once it was built, we used to spend a lot of time there.
This house is just below Bariatu Hill and there is a big football ground in front of it. Danish and Pradipto were good football players, particularly Danish.
.jpg)
Danish was part of the local team of Bariatu.
Danish
Now every year there would be a 'Khassi' Tournament on that ground. (Khassi meaning a male goat). As you must have guessed, the big prize for the winners was........a hale & hearty 'Khassi' !! (a far cry from IPL !!)
It was a very seriously conducted and hard fought tournament with many teams of the city including teams from the military contonments participating. There was a lot of local interest in this tournament.
The team Danish played for mostly comprised of 'khans' from the Bariatu Basti. Before the match, when the names of the players were called out on the loudspeaker, it will go something like this .........
Aur Bariatu team ke khiladi hain..............
Mohd, Hashim Khan, Mohd, Faiyaz Khan, Mohd. Junaid Khan,......(and many other 'Khans' and then) .....Mohd. Daniss Khan........
In the audience I would wonder why 'our champion player' Danish's name was not called out.......only to realize that he has now become 'Mohd. Daniss Khan'.....to gel onto the Basti team......
The people in the Basti took it for granted that if you have a Muslim name, it must have a Mohd. at the beginning and a 'Khan' at the end !!
So for the duration of the match Danish will become one of the 'Khans'.......
Coming back to the trio of Danish, Pradipto & me.....our B.Sc (Bachelors) which is normally a 3 year degree, took 5 years for us. Not just for us but for the whole batch. The reason being 'Session Late'. Most people other than us find it hard to understand what is 'Session Late'........some people even think we flunked !! But strangely and sadly all of us were robbed 2 years of life because the University could not conduct exams in time.......
To while away the time, we would have endless discussions on Cricket, Football, Politics, Movies and many other pastimes college going guys normally indulge in. Our Carrom Board games in the college common room would go on for hours. Also bunking classes and going to movies.
In St. Xavier's College, though it was co-ed, the authorities actively encouraged segregation between the boys and girls. Once a 'No Dupatta, No Entry' policy was imposed against which the girls protested a lot. Girls were supposed to assemble under something called a 'Girl's Shed', while not in class. When I think back this seems a bit like a 'Cow Shed'......very sexist!
A guy who was able to make it to the 'Girl's Shed' to have a conversation with a girl would instantly become a hero in our eyes........also there were instances of guys being beaten up for talking to a girl who another guy secretly pined for (without ever having spoken to her) !! Those were the times in small town Ranchi !
Pradipto and myself were very good at quizzing and we normally won most of the college quizzes and state level Quiz Competitions.
Pradipto
On one occasion our B. Sc. exams were going on in Gossner College. After one of the paper was over. we were in animated conversation while riding on Pradipto's scooter (2 wheeler). We were about to enter the Main Road when Danish & me reminded Pradipto that we are doing 'Triple Riding' on his scooter. In Ranchi in those days the Traffic police would let you go if you were not wearing a helmet, didn't have a licence even, but 'Triple Riding' on a 2 -wheeler was unpardonable.
Pradipto brushed aside our warning and retorted 'Arre Thulla Log (slang for police) se darte hain kya. Tumlog baithe raho, hum thulla log ko dekh lenge.....'. We were reassured by his confidence. The moment we came onto the Main Road, the inevitable happened.........Pradipto was stopped by a Traffic Policemen!
Danish & me were asked to step down and he asked Pradipto to come into the lane leading to Sujata Cinema were some senior officers were waiting.
Danish & me waited for some time and then slowly walked to where the traffic police had taken Pradipto. Based on the bravado he showed earlier, we expected him to be putting up a brave front. What we saw was totally the opposite.
Pradipto with folded hands was pleading with the Senior Officer 'Sir humlog student hain, sir....humko maaf kar dijiye' !!
We would pull his leg later for the volte face he did in front of the Police.To this Pradipto would justify his behaviour ' Arre yaar situation kharab ho to aadmi ko badalna parta hai'.........!!
As is obvious, we certainly didn't make the best use of our time while in college as far as studies are concerned. Our parents were quite worried about our future, and rightly so.......but I think largely due to the prayers and blessings of our parents, things turned out ok in the end.
Danish now works for Microsoft and lives in Seattle,Washington and Pradipto is heading the Indian Subsidiary of an American Company........
********************************************************************************
When I was in St. Xavier's College, Ranchi, doing my Intermediate and Bachelors, I used to spend most of my time in the company of my friends and classmates Pradipto Chakravarty and Danish Ahmad. I am related to Danish as well and he is now married my cousin Nadia also.
The three of us were inseparable.
Danish & Pradipto used to live in Bariatu (a locality in Ranchi). Danish's parents at that time were living in Daltonganj. When he came to Ranchi to study, he first lived in hostels. They had land in Bariatu and Danish supervised the building of their house there while he was still a student. Once it was built, we used to spend a lot of time there.
This house is just below Bariatu Hill and there is a big football ground in front of it. Danish and Pradipto were good football players, particularly Danish.
Danish was part of the local team of Bariatu.
Danish
Now every year there would be a 'Khassi' Tournament on that ground. (Khassi meaning a male goat). As you must have guessed, the big prize for the winners was........a hale & hearty 'Khassi' !! (a far cry from IPL !!)
It was a very seriously conducted and hard fought tournament with many teams of the city including teams from the military contonments participating. There was a lot of local interest in this tournament.
The team Danish played for mostly comprised of 'khans' from the Bariatu Basti. Before the match, when the names of the players were called out on the loudspeaker, it will go something like this .........
Aur Bariatu team ke khiladi hain..............
Mohd, Hashim Khan, Mohd, Faiyaz Khan, Mohd. Junaid Khan,......(and many other 'Khans' and then) .....Mohd. Daniss Khan........
In the audience I would wonder why 'our champion player' Danish's name was not called out.......only to realize that he has now become 'Mohd. Daniss Khan'.....to gel onto the Basti team......
The people in the Basti took it for granted that if you have a Muslim name, it must have a Mohd. at the beginning and a 'Khan' at the end !!
So for the duration of the match Danish will become one of the 'Khans'.......
Coming back to the trio of Danish, Pradipto & me.....our B.Sc (Bachelors) which is normally a 3 year degree, took 5 years for us. Not just for us but for the whole batch. The reason being 'Session Late'. Most people other than us find it hard to understand what is 'Session Late'........some people even think we flunked !! But strangely and sadly all of us were robbed 2 years of life because the University could not conduct exams in time.......
To while away the time, we would have endless discussions on Cricket, Football, Politics, Movies and many other pastimes college going guys normally indulge in. Our Carrom Board games in the college common room would go on for hours. Also bunking classes and going to movies.
In St. Xavier's College, though it was co-ed, the authorities actively encouraged segregation between the boys and girls. Once a 'No Dupatta, No Entry' policy was imposed against which the girls protested a lot. Girls were supposed to assemble under something called a 'Girl's Shed', while not in class. When I think back this seems a bit like a 'Cow Shed'......very sexist!
A guy who was able to make it to the 'Girl's Shed' to have a conversation with a girl would instantly become a hero in our eyes........also there were instances of guys being beaten up for talking to a girl who another guy secretly pined for (without ever having spoken to her) !! Those were the times in small town Ranchi !
Pradipto and myself were very good at quizzing and we normally won most of the college quizzes and state level Quiz Competitions.
Pradipto
On one occasion our B. Sc. exams were going on in Gossner College. After one of the paper was over. we were in animated conversation while riding on Pradipto's scooter (2 wheeler). We were about to enter the Main Road when Danish & me reminded Pradipto that we are doing 'Triple Riding' on his scooter. In Ranchi in those days the Traffic police would let you go if you were not wearing a helmet, didn't have a licence even, but 'Triple Riding' on a 2 -wheeler was unpardonable.
Pradipto brushed aside our warning and retorted 'Arre Thulla Log (slang for police) se darte hain kya. Tumlog baithe raho, hum thulla log ko dekh lenge.....'. We were reassured by his confidence. The moment we came onto the Main Road, the inevitable happened.........Pradipto was stopped by a Traffic Policemen!
Danish & me were asked to step down and he asked Pradipto to come into the lane leading to Sujata Cinema were some senior officers were waiting.
Danish & me waited for some time and then slowly walked to where the traffic police had taken Pradipto. Based on the bravado he showed earlier, we expected him to be putting up a brave front. What we saw was totally the opposite.
Pradipto with folded hands was pleading with the Senior Officer 'Sir humlog student hain, sir....humko maaf kar dijiye' !!
We would pull his leg later for the volte face he did in front of the Police.To this Pradipto would justify his behaviour ' Arre yaar situation kharab ho to aadmi ko badalna parta hai'.........!!
As is obvious, we certainly didn't make the best use of our time while in college as far as studies are concerned. Our parents were quite worried about our future, and rightly so.......but I think largely due to the prayers and blessings of our parents, things turned out ok in the end.
Danish now works for Microsoft and lives in Seattle,Washington and Pradipto is heading the Indian Subsidiary of an American Company........
No comments:
Post a Comment