Bus ride

Well, the last two days have been different for me ,

 

Oct 17 2009

 

I was in Jadavpur early morning. Yesterday I took this new bus en route 221 from Laketwon to Golpark, Till CIT I could make out almost everything, then after that, it took a turn towards Sealdah and  then towards AJC Bose road and then just touching Lansdown, it took me somewhere in South Kolkata that I have no idea,

 

At this age I am very uncomfortablebeing in places where I have to ask ten different questions to ten different people , there were some common sight so called  “Michils” form ALimuddin that was stopping the traffic, and I had to get down ask people about directions,

already I was 2 hours in the journey from North Kolkata to South,

 

I had to go to Golpark , but I was no where nearby , a friend waiting on the other side, Well, I got down , somewhere, desperate to find a taxi in today Kolkata , where Taxis are a rare sight,

there were some wretched Biharis,guys sitting on a fence, Typical scene of the 90s, I could visualize in them,

in minutes, they started what I was worrying about , they asked me “ O dada, what do you want ? “

 

I thought I can tell them politely, and I did it,  “yes I want a taxi”

 

I don’t know, where people have so much time , how come young men get the time and opportunity to spend an entire evening making fun of people. I thought that they would help me, Something that was pretty common in the Kolkata of yesteryears,  these guys , I pity on them now. They were trying to stop all these full taxis, initially it looked like a mistake, but soon they started making fun “ oh Taxi , take this guy home”

 

IN times, where India is making rapid progress I don’t know where we were really heading in terms of the youth, the youth that watches Vaastav  and takes it seriously , watched hopeless romantic movies, at the cost of whatever they have

These are tough times for the coming years, all that I can say,.

 

Today while on the return journey , a bunch of guys, started fighting in side the bus, using offensive language that  I usually use in my blogs, All I am worried is, it sounds ok when you are making fun, but there are people who may not like it and in the bus there woman of all ages,

I did not like it, I took the plunge, and shouted at them to stop, all the 4 of them jumped towards me to lynch me , thanks to the other good people  in the bus, I was saved,

 

Later people were scolding the marwaris of Kolkata for  pushing the Bengalis out of Bengal, and the Biharis for spoiling the name,

 

and place where they believe all the great thinkers were born , they now shamefully admitted that yes there is a group that is spoiling the fun of the city, I think a cosmopolitan city where once can live at will, but this was simply pushing yourself , or rather shoving into some one elses territory ,

 

I don’t know, I worry for the day , when thosegood people will not be there. today I can say I was saved, these other fellow passengers did later confess that these were Bihari  Muslims, and they were pretty much generalizing the suffering of the conductors, when this guys don’t pay, the conductors cant do anything, the guys will the stop the bus tomorrow, find a reason and excuse and put the bus to fire.

 

I am worried