Robin descried from far Mr Miller and Mr Mendez sitting in the verandah of Queen’s Cottage. He tried to brush away his disappointment of the day and put on a cheerful countenance. After all, he knew those oldies loved to have him among them.
Mr Mendez said, ‘I haven’t seen you for two days, so I thought of looking you up.’ Then Robin looked at Mr Mendez and saw he was unshaven. ‘Why have you not shaved, Uncle?’ asked Robin. ‘It’s Saturday,’ said Mr Mendez. ‘So what?’ asked Robin. ‘You see it is customary for saloons to be closed on Saturdays as the cutting of hair, the shaving of beard and the pairing of nails is considered unpropitious,’ said Mr Mendez. ‘Don’t tell me you believe in all that claptrap, Uncle,’ Robin sounded quite aghast. ‘One has to, Robin,’ answered Mr Mendez. ‘You have to go by the dictat of the society to which you belong. The month of May and June are referred to as Khar-maas, which means that no auspicious events happen during these two months. So you see, these beliefs are very strong and no one dare change them.’
Mr Miller, observing the time by his watch, called for Jack. ‘Jack, quick. Get the transistor, we must catch the evening news. Let’s apprise ourselves of the latest events.’ At first, it was just information about government decisions, then some international events and then the newsreader gave details of the Jharkhand bandh. How the demonstrators had disturbed part of the South Eastern Railway tracks and Lotapano station. This had caused the derailment of twenty-three compartments, as a result of which many passenger trains had come to a halt. The newsreader further added that the industrial towns of Rourkela, Bhilai, Burnpur and Durgapur had become non-functional due to the shortage of coal and steel. Finally the bulletin ended with the news that the demonstrators had rejected the Union home minister’s appeal for restraint. In fact, the Central government had given a proposal for an autonomous council to the leaders of the agitation.
Both Mr Miller and Mr Mendez agreed that the situation was volatile as the agitators wanted nothing less than an independent state. The fact also was that neither the state government of Bihar nor the Central government had any clear intentions regarding the future of Jharkhand. The local leaders, well, all they wanted was power. Mr Mendez said, ‘But what is the solution … country, state, society, will everything be ultimately taken over by divisive forces?’ Mr Miller added, ‘All this is a result of the government’s appeasement policy. When the Gorkhaland stir was on, the government gave them the Gorkha Hill Council. When the demand for Bodoland started in Assam, the government gave them an autonomous council. Now they are thinking of giving Jharkhand also an autonomous council. All this so as to quieten the movement for a while, without addressing the core issue of progress.’ Robin could not help but remember Miss Bonner’s words, ‘We have won the war of Independence from the British, but have we won independence of thought from our own parochial and individual ideologies? Where is our perception of a larger vision?’
Robin’s mind was still in a whirl when he went to bed that night, only to be woken by Jack very early in the morning. ‘Do you know what happened last night, Robin Babu?’ ‘What?’ asked Robin. ‘The Jharkhandis had suddenly attacked
McCluskieganj station. They were in the process of removing the fishplates when the police patrol arrived. They fired three rounds of bullets to chase the activists away. It was just lucky as the Amritsar–Hatia Express was expected to pass within half an hour. Can you imagine what a disaster that would have been? This is not bravery, this is treachery and vandalism. Most of the trains passing through here have been cancelled.’
‘Too much, too much! Jack, will you give the comfort of a cup of tea?’ asked Robin.
It was a bright morning and the yellow-tailed birds were chattering gaily, oblivious of the tension in the human pursuits around.