Of Dhanuskodi and the long battle ahead by Puneet Rajhans

Of Dhanuskodi and the long battle ahead

AS the bus progressed towards Dhanuskodi,16 kms from RMM, i came across big billboards of marriage functions. Featuring couple, they also had pictures of invitees to the function. Probably they don't hand out wedding cards and the limited billboards at vantage points of the city serves their purpose. The bus wasn't choc-a-bloc. But the crowd interesting mix of young,old and very old. The one sitting ahead of me has had this drinking session some time back. The moment a woman who could not trace any other vacant seat sat next to him, he began to give her some therapy lessons. Both in their late 50s. He was more vocal and she an avid listener. The conversation between the two seems to suggest that they were enjoying every moment of the words spoken, glances exchanged and chemistry established. When the therapy lessons ranging from control over mind and desire to sexual compatibility in places of partnership and growth became less therapeutic and more traumatic the lady brought a premature end to her travails by abandoning the bus. The parting shot from her" my man at home gives me similar lessons. You outsider, you don't even stand an outside chance."
The man slighted he too abandons the bus at the next stop, a good 10 kms before he is supposed to get down. Probably the reading among the commuting public was he would try to reach out to the lady at her place of residence and hand out all lessons on wisdom and voyage even though they are past their prime.
When the bus finally halted at Munram Chatiram, Dhanuskodi was a good six kms away. The ramshackle vehicle i boarded, deboarded and finally boarded was the one that hadn't had service for ages and the the driver not replaced for decades. A close resemblance to the one that ferries petty thieves to the court. THe group that was headed for Dhanuskodi agreed to take me after i grudgingly agreed to the fare that looked to be too steep. The vehicle passed through a lot of slush and it took over 40 mins to reach Dhanuskodi. Here there were remnants of a church, railway statio, school and a Shiva temple which were razed to the ground in the cyclone of 1964. No effort had been made to restore the place; and probably none would come in future as well. If that tipsy man on the bus wasn't enough there was this Bong from a different world. Though he had just a lady in company he seemed to speak for the entire group ; for all those who would be boarding the bus and who all need to be left out. At Dhanuskodi he demanded that he would prefer to be washed away to reach Ram Setu if theren't any boats in sight.The Tamil guy thundered: "No sirrrrr, no one can go to Ram Setu. The boats are not there and washing away is highly objectionable."
Hailing from a state, sandwiched bt difficult states of BHAR and JKHND, the man persisted with his desire. Even the likes of Karunanidhi, Maran, Raja, Jaya haven't dared to visit Ram Setu. And he wants this fundamental right of his to be restored.
It was late in the evening and and with no lighting it was better to retreat than progress further. As i reached Munram Chatiram and waited for the govt bus for RMM as the group had already left by a private vehicle, i wondered whether my govt bus was any less than the private one. Because when the Bong heard that i would be taking a govt bus, he had probably sensed my status and vowed to keep ordinary mortals like me from the tribe that is destined to go to Ram Setu at some point of time. That would probably be 2060 when all ordinary mortals like us would have disappeared and there would be a handful of feudal mindset entities from the Sandwiched State to rule the roost.
As for the guy who couldn't go to Ram Setu the government is scared of the fact that if such guys begin to have an outing then it would bring out in the open to what the authorities want to pursue. Word of mouth by a Bong is enough to unseat the government and unwrap the 'fishing' episodes underway.

i reached RMM late in the evening and after meals hit the bed. The best part being for seven consecutive days there has been no TV and no histrionics. i would root for that.