[Assam] A Grandfather's Story

Tue Oct 3 07:24:22 PDT 2006

The following was sent by my brother Mukul 
Mahant, to his second grandson Grant Robert 
Mahant of Kenosha Wisconsin. I am posting it 
without seeking his permission :-), thinking 
netters might find it interesting.

And I will also post a Granduncles story next :-).

cm

>
>At 7:02 PM +0530 10/3/06, mc mahant wrote:
>>For  My  Dear Grants Collection of Memorable Events in the Family
>>
>>
>>
>>The World War II  was over. The special Trains 
>>carrying American Soldiers stopped  plying 
>>either way at our Namtiali railroad station. We 
>>had nothing interesting happening here.
>>
>>It was in 1946 May, I think.
>>
>>I was walking back home ,  alone  from school 2 miles away.
>>
>>
>>
>>I was remembering a few things from our English 
>>textbook Our India which I had to read out 
>>loud at class today.
>>
>>
>>
>>The lesson I read was Calcutta the city of palaces.
>>
>>
>>
>>About the Victoria Memorial, the Fort William, Howrah Bridge, the Trams
.
>>
>>Exciting visions of strange things, ships 
>>unloading automobiles, policemen on horses .. 
>>kept passing through my mind as I was passing a 
>>small wooded bend on the road.
>>
>>
>>
>>Wouldnt it be nice for me  to visit such an 
>>exciting place  I thought---but how?
>>
>>
>>
>>As I passed the bend, I saw  a senior relation of mine  coming my way.
>>
>>
>>
>>We used to call him Mohan Koka  - he was a 
>>distant uncle of my father. He used to manage a 
>>small tea garden  and visited home in our 
>>village only  some Sunday.
>>
>>He recognized me and was glad to talk to me. He 
>>told me he was going to Calcutta in a few days 
>> on business  matters.  Owner of the tea 
>>garden that he managed lived in Calcutta.
>>
>>
>>
>>Something made me ask him  Koka, Can you 
>>please take me along-I shall not be a bother-I 
>>promise.
>>
>>
>>
>>He laughed  and almost said  First Grow up - little boy!
>>
>>But no! he said   On my way back from the 
>>station, I shall talk to your Father.
>>
>>I ran home to tell my Mother. I was  only scared - my Father may not agree.
>>
>>
>>
>>Mohan Koka did turn up  and had a long chat 
>>with my Father . But I  did not get an answer 
>>from anybody. I was sad.  I lost hope.
>>
>>But a few days later my Father told me to get 
>>ready to travel to Calcutta and that I should 
>>always stick to Koka and never venture into the 
>>busy streets of the big city alone. He went to 
>>our school and convinced our Head master to let 
>>me be absent for a few days.
>>
>>
>>
>>The day I left home with Koka  my dear Mother 
>>wept and prayed for my safe return from the far 
>>away city. Nobody from our village had  ever 
>>been there-  so far away.
>>
>>We traveled by Assam Mail- the only fast train. 
>>In Assam trains ran on a 1 meter gauge  rail 
>>system. We crossed the River  Brahmaputra in a 
>>ferry and took another train which took us to 
>>Parbatipur Junction  in present day North 
>>Bangladesh. There we had to change to another 
>>bigger train. From here onward the trains ran 
>>on Broad Gauge Rail Tracks all the way to 
>>Calcutta.  
>>
>>We passed over endless flat rice lands   and 
>>crossed the River Ganges over a newly 
>>completed  Bridge which was named after  Lord 
>>Hardinge ,the Viceroy. Next morning we reached 
>>Sealdah station which looked like London Rail 
>>stations I saw  12 years later.
>>
>>
>>
>>I kept my promise to my parents-stuck to the 
>>Koka wherever he went  even to 
>>offices-business houses- everywhere. He took me 
>>one day to the Zoo. That was exciting. And once 
>>to a circus.
>>
>>
>>
>>But in a week Koka told me that he will need to 
>>stay  another 2 weeks  his work is not  done. 
>>At that time I became anxious to get back to 
>>schoolmy lessons are lost! I told Koka: 
>>Please send me home and school. This was a 
>>crisis for him. There was nothing which would 
>>persuade me to stay on- I must go back! He had 
>>to relent. He took me to Sealdah. Looked around 
>>for a passenger in the Assam-bound train who 
>>will take care of me. He found a big Sikh 
>>gentleman who was going to sell Auto spares in 
>>Shillong. He  would leave me at Gauhati-can I 
>>handle the rest? I said Yes.
>>
>>
>>
>>Let us cut it short. That is a scaring story 
>>even for me today. But  I made it alone  from 
>>Gauhati to  Mariani.  Even went to the Dining 
>>Car , ordered a meal and  first time in life 
>>tried Knife and fork in company of Europeans 
>>-who were the  only dining car 
>>customers. Waited for the next  slow train some 
>>hours later , and look ,I was at Namti back 
>>home alone from Calcutta. My parents were 
>>dumbfounded but happy.
>>
>>
>>
>>The rest is History!
>>
>>
>>
>>   Many years later, Calcutta, the City of 
>>Palaces  became your Dads home . And   he did 
>> grow up  in a palace -like Bungalow with lush 
>>greenery, gardeners,chauffer,cook and 
>>many servants.  May be these are not good 
>>things. May be self-help is better.
>>
>>   
>>
>>We love you so- Dear Grant! May you 
>>three brothers grow up to be gentle, kind, 
>>hardworking citizens of the world.
>>
>>
>>
>>Your Koka
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.assamnet.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/attachments/20061003/8b9e3606/attachment.htm>