Circus!

( Pictures from Gemini & Jumbo circus)

It was our usual Sunday connect to the US. My 6 yr old nephew Aayush, was narrating his experience at the Circus that he had been to over the weekend. His voice had the excitement of what he saw!
My brother then piped in,“ its not like what it used to be in our days, you know.”
My thoughts raced, as if on a F1 track, but the difference was, I just went backwards! Probably could have given Michael Schumacher a run for his money!
How exciting it would be, when Dad told us that if we were good for the week and did all our homework and listened to Ma, then he would take us all to the Circus. The Names that come to my mind are – Gemini Circus, Imperial Circus, Jumbo Circus, Empire Circus and I also recollect there was a Russian Circus that had come to perform at Jamshedpur. Each year there would be a different one!
It used to be a matter of prestige if we hadn’t seen the Circus and would be like an outcast in the friends circuit. “Tumneh abhi bhi Circus nahi dekha? Main ney to dekh liya!” (“You haven’t yet seen the circus ? I have already seen it), was the dialog from the changing group leaders- sometimes it used to be Bablu – now in the Army and sometimes my best friend Dollu.
The Circus was always very exciting! Sometime Dad would get the tickets in advance and sometime we would wait in the long line to the ticket counter. These were made of tin sheds- temporary structures, on the big “maidan” (grounds) – Golmuri Maidan. This was one of our bigger grounds in Jamshedpur.
As we got nearer to the Maidan, the smell of animals would make our nose twitch and a small smile would appear on our faces. “Bagher Gondho” (Smell of the Tiger!) would be my brother’s little voice, as we held each other’s hand in a tight clasp. My brother & I would exchange glances – eyes bright & slowly the smile spreading to the eyes!
Inside the tent, the chairs were made of tin, the folded ones and were arranged in circular fashion row by row, elevated by wooden plank to give a feel of an amphitheatre. We were really not bothered about all these fineries! Our eyes wide open, were focused on the round stage and we looked around for any sign of a Tiger, Lion or even a Parrot! All other children around us were equally excited and we could hear squeals and the hushes as the live band played to announce the start of the show. Oh yes, there were show timings! The tickets probably cost us Rs15 – Rs20 per person those days! I don’t quite recollect and honestly not that we were really bothered about the cost… Dad was there to take care of all that!
Everything was so colourful, the Joker came along with almost every trick that was shown. Yes, there used to be two of them, One, the tall chap and the other who was a Dwarf! They beat each other up once in a while; the shorter fellow would climb on to a stilt and tease the tall fellow. I recollect the crowd going into splits of laughter!
As the band played, the pretty girls came on to the stage riding bicycles or sometime with a Bear; to perform their tricks! I always wondered whether the animal could really understand her language! I would later try these with a stray dog I had picked up to keep as pet. His name was “Bumpy”. I had fought with my Gandmom to keep him at home! I remember we had a major negotiation – I could keep him provided he was kept in the Verandah outside the main house! Finally peace was declared!
Animal rights were not to strong those days and there would be lots of tricks using Elephants, Tigers and Lions. The Ring Master would be inside the Cage, snapping his whip and shouting at the Lion to jump into the ring of fire! You could hear the roar – a reluctant big cat would then jump through the burning ring!
The big Cats roared and I still recollect having a terrified feeling – “what if the Lion jumps out of the cage?” A question I had asked my Dad quietly during one such occasion. I remember him holding me close and saying – “Na, they have been given ‘Afeem’ ( a medicine- as understood by me then) and they won’t be able to come this side.” I remember sitting very close to him throughout the Tiger, Lion show! What a reassurance of safety we have with parents around! Amazing trust!
The Trapeze act would always be amazing! How people would swing across and the co-ordination! Girls and Boys both would be so accurate- of course the Joker would try his hand too and the obvious would be – his great fall and landing on the net stretched below!
We used to feel bad when the Trapeze started off – as it would be the last game of the show. The insatiable appetite to see and want more fun was, I guess, every child’s dream ! We were no different!
Weeks together would go discussing with friends and the numerous questions to my parents – all the how’s & why’s would need to be answered. My brother had a collection of cars and once we were back home; for some days he would make his cars do the tricks that the Motorcycle rider would do in the round big Ball of Net! Making the zooming noise, he would be at it and then the games would change till the memories came back after our next visit to the Circus- that of course would be only the next year!

The Liberation War -1971

(Picture taken from Google - News clips during the 1971 war)

As I read “Songs of Blood and Sword” written by Fatima Bhutto, I seem to travel back, along the dust filled memory lanes of my childhood. Memories that are not distinct; but still exist. Some sounds, some voices and some experiences that leave behind a funny feeling in the stomach – a feeling of emptiness!
1971, the year that India participated in the war, to get freedom for the people of then East Pakistan - today’s Bangladesh. We were at Jamshedpur – the Steel city. I was very young and my brother – a toddler. I recollect that the factory area was covered with air balloons or were they gas balloons; I’m not too sure. Reason ? the factory was an easy enemy target – especially during Air raids.
I remember Dad, we called him Baba, going to the Steel plant on his scooter, a Vespa. The headlights were half blackened! All vehicles met with the same fate. The air was tense and I had too many questions racing in my mind, creating images of all kinds.
What I distinctly remember was the Bengali radio channel –“Aakash Baani Kolkata” – played a particular song from Rabindranath Tagore’s collection – “ Aamar Sonar Bangla, Aami tomay bhalobashi…” ( O My golden Bengal, I love you), another ‘Bangladesh aamar Bangladesh’ ( My Bangladesh) and a voice that delivered fiery speeches. I don’t remember what he said but recollect being told that it was the voice of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the freedom fighter in East Pakistan. Not that these made any sense to me but there definitely had some meaning. I also recollect my Grandmother very seriously reading the Bengali newspaper “Jugantor” and sharing some serious conversations with my parents. I really can’t recollect the content of discussion, but the sounds told me that it must have been about the war!
Ah! What is most vivid is the sound of the screaming Sirens- an experience I don’t think I will ever forget! The moment we heard the screams, we were supposed to switch off all lights and all the houses in the locality, must the city too, would plunge into complete darkness, till the next screaming siren! It was a regular drill that we were put through almost every evening. I don’t recollect the timings, but even today the very thought brings a feeling of emptiness in my stomach. I hate darkness and would be very restless till the lights were switched on. And probably to divert my own attention, I would request my Ma to accompany me in the dark as I wanted to answer the Nature’s call! My Grandmom’s irritated voice would ring through the darkness – “Can’t you wait for a few more minutes?” “No”, would be the indignant reply, as I would stomp across the room towards my destination making the maximum amount of noise possible!
Along with all this is the memory of a Chakravorty family – Mr. Chakravorty worked in the Steel Plant. Baba was his senior colleague and Mr. Chakravorty loved & respected ‘Mukherjee da’- my Dad. Uncle along with his better half ; in the true sense; as she would am sure weigh many more ‘Kgs’ than Uncle; were regular visitors for us. Being mischievous as I was, almost always got my share of reprimand as I recollect telling Ma – “ Guess Kakima( aunty) eats up everything at home and poor Kaku ( Uncle) only smells the plate”. I remember Ma's stern look and voice forbidding me to say 'such' things. And their next visit would make me chuckle at the same though! Incorrigible child!
It was during these times of the ’71 war period that Chakravorty Kaku would remain very worried about his mother & sister who lived in East Pakistan. There were so many stories that we got to hear and I am sure they would reach him too. There were no Mobiles those days and the Telecom was not developed at all. Hence there was the radio and the newspapers that probably gave us all the news. They were the media for the “Aam Janta”
Many years later, I remember Baba sharing that those were tough times and tougher still were the number of questions that I would put forth for him to answer!
An incident that I will never forget is about meeting two unknown ladies in our own Verandah. As I came back from the playground, I recollect seeing these two ladies with the Chakravorty couple. My parents, my Grand mom and the Chakravortys were all seated as if in a round table conference with the “Cha-Nashta” ( Tea with snacks), discussing the ‘Escape’ that these two ladies had from the war-stricken zone. The Ladies were Kaku’s Mom and sister.
Later Ma and my Grand mom had shared how these brave ladies had been. Since they were ‘minorities’ the atrocities were unimaginable. They were able to carry in small bundles only some of the valuable they had and had to leave their home in the cover of darkness! These ladies swam the river Padma, which is Ganga on our side of the country and as it got into Bangladesh is know as Padma. How is this possible! They had reached a refugee camp on the other bank of the mighty river. It is from there that the Indian Army helped them to reach Kolkata safely. Chakravorty Kaku had then brought them to Jamshedpur!
I as write these lines, I don’t know if there were many such families who went through these tormenting times. I recollect hearing the sobs of the younger lady and one can surely say, that it must have been really scary for them both.
I salute the two ladies who had the will power to overcome the difficulties and to survive with honour! Guess these are examples of valour that we, the common people, have displayed time and again.

Questions keep bouncing back – have the situations changed since then? Are we more at peace or are we now living in a world where our eyes, hears have got so used to such incidents, that it does not really matter to us! Is peace going to be just a word in our dictionaries?