Very Cruel Fate

Oil Dooars is situated somewhere in North Bengal in the eastern corner of India.It is a small town today trying very hard to become a county headquarter.But it was not thus always.What follows is the remarkable story of the Batter Orchestra.The story is remarkable not because this eponymous orchestra managed to do something monumental.Far from that really.BO became known all over Oil Dooars for the grit and resilience it showed in the face of poverty,hunger and want.Its love for good music was all that mattered.The rest was believed to be incidental.To the story.
Mr Sam Batter hailed from poor and backward East Bengal.His family had led a hand to mouth existence for many generations.But he was determined to lead a life which was better.For this purpose he went to Calcutta and passed the matriculation examination.It was all his father could afford at the time.Somebody told him about the tea gardens of Oil Dooars.He sold all his belongings and travelled from his village which was called Police Lines.The journey was on boat and by bullock cart.It took him a month to reach Oil Dooars.He was lucky to find a job as clerk in the tea gardens.He was happy.He went back to Police Lines and got married.He settled on a barren plot of land near the railway station in Oil Dooars.There were very few houses nearby.And this is what proved to be Mr Batter's undoing.
Relatives from both sides,that is his and Mrs Batter's began pouring into Oil Dooars.They built wooden houses around the Batter dwelling.Soon there were twelve families.They had shifted in hope of jobs in the tea gardens.And there were none.They had one meal per day and spent the evenings singing and dancing.And that is how one of the boys got the idea of starting an orchestra.In today's parlance they would call it a band.But remember those were the thirties of the last century.It was found that all the young boys and girls could sing decently.Thus three boys and two girls were chosen.They called the effort the Batter Orchestra or BO for short.
The first concert happened in open air.The local people cheered on as the Batters played bengali songs in their characteristic East Bengal drawl.It helped that most invitees had themselves repatriated from East Bengal.The next concert was to be held in Tiger Grove which was some distance away.The Batters arrived a day late because a bullock cart could not be arranged.BO members travelled on foot.This second concert was a roaring success.Thereafter a big opportunity arrived.A music competition was being held in Calcutta.And a well-wisher had entered the Batters in it.There was only one way in which the Batters could be on the train to Calcutta.They had to sell off their instruments.Which they did.For their pains they were placed third in the competition.But fate had other plans.While coming back the Batters' train caught fire from the coal engine.All the Batters were killed.It was a sad end to a tale of great hope.