J - DIARY PAGE - 24 SEPTEMBER 2002

DIARY PAGE 24 SEPTEMBER 2002.

Another bright sunlit morning showed its face to me, making me feel
that God has given me another day and I am to make the best use of it.
Said my prayers and started my day. The call of nature took its own
time and then after freshening up started moving up the rungs of the
daily activities.

To finish the whole day's work it will took a lot of time.

Cooking, a thing, which I hate to do but this daily duty, is burdened
on my shoulders and I have to do it. Daily cooking is a burden for me,
but I am a good cook, for those who have tasted my food have praised
me. Sometimes back I did write some articles on cookery and also wrote
some of my innovative recipes as a freelancer.

In the evening chanced upon something extraordinary. Had been out for a
walk and on my way back I met a large number of men, women and children
on the road. It seemed these poor people were fleeing their houses for
they were carrying their belongings with them. On enquiry I found that
they were tribal people, fleeing their temporary housing because, for
the last four days, one member or another of their tribe was dying.
They thought this to be the work of an evil spirit which was haunting
their houses. They were in search of a tribal priest who would help
them in driving away the evil spirit. They had bought three cocks which
they would sacrifice at the place of prayer which they believed would
satisfy the evil spirit which would then leave them and then only they
could continue to live without fear. They simply moved away from before
my eyes seeking a new place for shelter and safety.

Till now, these beliefs about evil spirits still exist in our country.
I felt sad at the thought how people were trying to appease an unknown
and unseen force, maybe just created out of fear. In our country these
things cannot be eradicated because of large scale illiteracy, extreme
poverty and population explosion.

The whole truth of all this lay in the utter disastrous unhygienic
condition they were living in ____ unsafe drinking water, filth and the
flies and mosquitoes. I concluded, those dying were from cerebral
malaria.

Back home, over my cup of tea I smiled at myself for I do get
frightened a lot. The darkness of the night frightens me. Ghosts, evil
spirits, the thought of such words make a chill run down my
spine.

As usual did some writing.

Watched some T.V. programmes.

This day was a bit disturbing for me.

The evenings encounter kept flashing back.

Went to bed and prayed to God to free my mind from stray thoughts and
give me a good night's sleep so that I can start my next day with a
cheerful mind.

11.15 p.m.