Recollections

News reading at the playground

At present nearly every Ashramite has a TV set. But in the early fifties very few possessed even a radio set. There were a few gramophones, which are lost or once in a while which are seem in an advertisement, were the only means to enjoy songs by Rafi, Lata or Talat Mahmud. It was the habit of the young boys and girls to visit those friends who possessed a gramophone and sit around it listening to the hit song provided there were any in the collection.

We are told that in the Ashram there was only one radio set in Pavitra-da’s room. His duty was to listen to the news and when he went to meet The Mother, he would let Her know all that was important and relevant.

As the Mother’s permission was necessary for having a cycle or a radio set, she would decide whether to permit or not. Mahalaya is an important occasion for the Bengalis as it is the beginning of Devi Paksha: thus Durga Puja. So the Bengali Ashramites especially the ladies would go in big groups to those who had a radio set to listen to “Devi Mahatya”. And the broadcast begins at 4 or 4.30 in the morning. The Mother even once, it seems said to some one who wanted to buy a set for his daughter, “Radio? Why? There is no war!”

But by and by She began to permit the Ashramites to have radio sets and Dhruvajyoti-da was one of the first to buy a set. His daughter was in our group; so now and then we would go to their place to hear Hindi or Bengali songs, provided it was not the hour to broad cast news.

I said there were very few sets, but there were quite a few individuals who were interested in what was happening in the outside world, may it be political, scientific or social. Inside the Ashram building there was a news paper reading room. At present it is used for fruit distribution.

There would be news papers of different vernacular languages along with two or three English papers. The vernacular papers were always old by a few days or may be a week and those who hadn’t good knowledge of English were handicapped.

 One evening we found a group of elderly Ashramites near the small tiffin room. Everyone was listening to some one very attentively. Out of curiosity some of us went near to find Dhruvajyoti-da in the centre of the group. He was reading something from bits of paper. Asking his daughter we came to know that he noted down all that is broadcasted at news time and till then was sharing only with his friends. It must have been someone’s suggestion that if he read the news in the Play Ground, a lot more would be able to hear what was happening. Thus news reading became a regular feature in the Play Ground.

It must not be out of place if I say something about the Play Ground at that hour or hours before the March Past.

The Play Ground activities began at 4.30pm.

The children of green group, the younger ones would have their activities in the Play Ground from 4.30 to 5.15-5.30pm.then there would be Gymnastics of different groups. Twice Green group, twice Red and twice White and Grey groups. In those days the groupings were a little different. So by the time the Mother came to the Play Ground, after playing Tennis, around 5.30-6pm there would already be a group doing gymnastics or exercises.

Between 6.30 and 7 pm most of the other groups would return from Tennis, Volley ball or Sports Ground. And by 7 pm the Play Ground which had a deserted look all through the day would team with people. For not only the group members but also most of the Ashramites and visitors would be present for the March Past.

The schedule time for March Past generally was between 7.15-7.30pm. But if the Mother consented to give an interview to someone (it could be any one, some one visiting or an inmate) then March Past would be only when the Mother was ready for it.

So, often there was ample time in our hand. In the Mother’s class room many would sit and study; some completing a home work for the next day, other getting some explanation from a teacher. Then there were different groups all gathered around the Play Ground.

Apart from the group listening to News from Dhruvajyoti-da, there would often be a group around Kabi Nishikanto listening to his incredible ghost stories, his contact with Rabindranath, pranks at Shantiniketan, his painting session in and around Pondicherry. But once in a while he would select a word in a vernacular language and ask those around to translate it in another which when translated could mean something not so refined or hilarious. Regarding the group around Dhrubajyoti-da, it was something very unique. Because in this group, there were Sisir-da, Nalini Sarkar-da, Tinkori-da, Amal-da and quite a few others. These elderly gentlemen would wait impatiently for the arrival of Dhruvajyoti-da. If he was late he would nearly roll into the ground for he had a rolly polly figure. When Dhrubajyoti-da began reading news from his bits of paper and if any of us made a loud noise nearby or spoke loudly, then we were sure to see some frowns and irritations on some faces. Broadcast over Sisir-da, Nalini-Sarkar da would go to sit discussing the issues. But the moment the Mother stepped out of Her room every activity would cease and one got ready to participate in the March Part actively or otherwise.

In course of time the Ashram News Paper reading room was changed into fruit distribution room. Once while having some light talks with Rabindraji I had asked why the Reading room was taken up for fruit distribution. He laughed his characteristic laughter and answered, “Because both are nourishment”.