HOPE & DESPAIR

PAINTING BY SANJOY

RECORDS GLORE

DEADMEN'S DAY

MAKES NO DIFFERENCE:

Monday or Sunday makes no difference to them

First week or last week makes no difference for them

January or December matters a little to them

Summer or winter makes no difference for them

Sweets or bitter no choice for them 

Burial or execution is the same for them

Relation or no relations matters a little to them

Sand or gold is the same value for them

They are the people who have no choice but to die.

(THERE ARE SO MANY DAYS BUT NO DEAD PEOPLE’S DAY LETS HAVE ONE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE --TRUTH OF LIFE IS DEATH)

Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy

SPLIT SOLE

SPLIT SOLE: 

Sandeep rung up to Sumitra bhabi the other day “Bhabi jee what is the size of my brother’s-, I mean his shoe size."  

Bibek prompted Smitra to inform Sandeep that the size was seven for comfortable wear and tear. He started brooding, whether the shoe size has something to do with ones manliness.  

Bibek’s son Rajesh too inquired the same –“Mama what is shoe size of Baba." “Seven” was her reply. He left for Dubai the next day.

Bibek was waiting in vain for the courier boy to arrive but he had no other option but  to wear the worn out Reebok pair of shoes  presented by his in-law at Mumbai, when his shoes were stolen away in the train while in sleep, a few years back. A pedometer would have shown how many miles it had actually covered by now so that he could discard it. One pair of Nike shoes were left behind in his previous working place at Tezpur. Another pair was bought from Sorojini market during his nephew’s marriage at Delhi, which too was doing a fine job even though it cost him only Rs.251 but frequent rains water seepage resulted one sole coming off in the middle of the road. Bibek had visited Bata workshop (Franchise) in Agra while being a selector for UP, the price was 60% off but that was some decades back. That reminded him of a pair of Bata Canvass shoe which he had during his college days .He was opening the bowling against Calcutta University when midway of an over the sole split into two. A second pair could not be arranged and the match was over for the day by the time the shoe returned after its repair.

While studying in school in nineteen fifty-three his father announced that he would buy a pair of shoes for Bibek if he comes first in the class, he did. Father and son walked to the only one Bata shoe store at Baripada.

"Show a shoe for him." father had asked the sales man.

It fitted Bibek well."How much does the pair cost” asked Bibek’s father.

"Twelve rupees, sir".  ‘Thank you,’ father said. He muttered “My father has no shoes, mine cost only ten and yours will cost such a hefty sum? No way”

As the shoes were not bought, Bibek cried aloud and with empty bag without vegetables which he normally carried every evening, came home with tears rolling down and reached home to tell the story to his mother. At night soon after a sobbing Bibek went to bed, one could hear a lot of commotions as his parents were in serious conflict. “Only cute little son, still then why no shoes were purchased. How miserly you could be?” was the question raised by his mother. Bibek continued to walk barefoot as he refused to wear a BSC canvas shoe.

Some years passed by, Bibek bought a buck skin cricket shoes from Cantonment road of Cuttack in 1959 with black boy studs made in GB. To protect the costly pair he was bowling carefully lest the sole should give way. But once he forgot about that and the studs had provided him an anchoring effect, his bowling speed increased and was considered as one of the fastest bowler of east zone during that time. That pair cost him Rs24/- saw him through for three seasons. Those were the hardship days for sports lovers and its participants, no sponsors; its 3^rd class cattle class travel one can put it, only love for the game was the motivating force.

Bibek is a determined and full of fighting quality; says-- that is the characteristic of a Capricornia. He was annoyed with his brother for his frequent comments, son’s careless attitude and cutting jokes about the worn out shoes. The fall and rise are part of his life-so he was controlling his anger, when the door bell rang---

“Who is there?”

Courier service-‘A parcel for you sir’

Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy

LORD GANESH

                                    WISHING ALL MY VIEWERS A HAPPY GANESH PUJA.

BYE-BYE JASHIPUR

FIGHT HUNGER

NOODLE PROPAGANDA:

Washington news August-26^th: Orissa Post front page news was like washing people’s hunger through noodle slurp. Where are our nutrition experts of India? Our age old Indian staple food -pressed rice (CHUDA) with molasses (Guda) or dahi is more than a complete food for the hungry world population. Prof Gewertz’s opinion may not be applicable to the under developed or developing countries including India ,where more than 70% stay in villages and use firewood for cooking. Some one thought that there is some hidden agenda behind this ‘noodle news’. With one rupee rice, converting it to Chuda would be no problem for the government to supply hence we suggest CHUDA with GUDA (molasses) would be the best to remove hunger from the world. That would be more than a complete food if Milk or Yogurt (dahi)or plantain(kela) can be added to it. Another very high calories food is ‘Mysorepak’ can be used for malnourished children, even one can take it to moon no problem, seldom gets spoiled. Let’s us be more practical and follow our age old ethnic diet rather than feeding our children with these white refined noodle which is only starch.

SUNSET AT DAHL LAKE

                                                                  Sanjoy at Gulmarg

                                                                   Sunset at Dahl Lake

                                          Sanjoy--Kalyani--Aparna at Tulip garden Kashmir