K - Bioscope

Another page from my diary, May 15, 2004

This Bioscope has different shades of colour, and the reel keeps
rolling as you advance. A journal with this title is puzzling, but you
are the best judge, and the last opinion is solely left to the
reader.

The reel starts rolling:

The month of April had so much to give. First the rise in temperature
in most parts of this country. This heat brings with it the juicy ripe
mangoes, luscious and scrumptious, giving place to the human
temperament to get lost in the taste of this fruit, though for a short
time. When the taste buds work to the likings, the thought of other
things are set aside. This is my feeling, and yours?

I can't stop. The reel is rolling on and catching up the action. I
celebrated the Bengali New Year on 14 April. Celebration in the form of
exchange of greetings, serving varieties of sweets ? sweets play a very
important role in every Bengali household, exception for diabetics.
Bengalis are good cooks and Bengali dishes are special. Fish gets a
major place on the menu card of a Bengali family ? and the variety
served is a wonder. I feel those are bygone days ? of the older
generation, the younger ones getting less time to spend in the kitchen,
variety in cooking is disappearing. But I tell you Bengali food is
'Special'. You will believe only if you have tasted the one branded
'Typical Bengali'. Am I boasting a lot? So let me hop in to the next
ingress.

Have you heard of The Ramayana? 'No?' I can hear someone saying 'I have
heard about Rama but nothing more than that'. I don't want to make an
adieu without giving you at least a short answer on the topic that I
have raised. The Ramayana is an Indian mythological epic telling the
story of Rama. Don't get disheartened I will not be narrating this long
tale. Ram Navami was celebrated in the last week of March ? the
occasion Rama's birthday. The Ram temples have the idols of Rama, his
wife Sita and his brother Lakshman; attract large crowds to offer
prayers especially on this auspicious day. Portions of this epic are
enacted for over a week in many places, in rural and urban areas.
People gather in large numbers to witness the show. The Ramayana, the
story of Rama, his bravery, his sacrifice, his discipline, all about
the monkey god Hanuman and about the demon ruler Ravana, is something
that is known to the vast majority of the people of this country. I can
very well remember how this epic was narrated to me by my parents. I
think I was not lucky to have heard it from my grandparents as they had
already left this world before I saw the light of the day. Let me tell
you a secret. I have read the Ramayana (abridged version), not the full
version. When I have grandchildren I will have to think about this.
Serious thought springing up.

Now I give you a flashback. The coverage is still on. Let me furnish a
nuance on the topic of this journal. As a kid I enjoyed my days ? such
carefree days ? the air and atmosphere is totally different now. We
brothers and sisters, the count of the siblings reached a double figure
and a few heads missing as they had died very young. Come holidays, we
young one's the naughty group of three, would take a ride to the market
place; convenient transport was our private rickshaw. The first time I
came across the word bioscope was way back when I was eight years, may
be a year younger or so. It was a busy place in the market when I saw a
man carrying a huge box on his head and from his right shoulder hung a
light wooden framework. He stopped, gave sideways glances, balancing
the huge box on his head with the left hand reaching out to the side to
give support, carefully and cautiously he slid the wooden frame from
his right shoulder, and spread it out. The frame was made of two huge,
or two gigantic 'X' made of thin strips of wood - 2 by 1 inch and 30
inches long, joined at the 'X' point with nuts and bolts. The two 'X'
joined at the top and at the bottom with thin pieces of wood making it
easy to open up into a frame of a table with the top missing. Carefully
with the help of both the hands and seeking help from an onlooker he
placed the huge box on top of the 'X' frame. The huge box sat
majestically on the stand. It was in the shape of a hexagon and had
three huge eyeholes to look into. The box carried as a burden on his
head sat on a coil made of a long piece of cloth that appeared like a
coiled up snake. He put aside the coil in the dirty bag, slung from his
left shoulder and wiped the sweat from his face with the towel that
looked greasy and needed a wash. He started calling out at the top of
his voice ? 'Bioscope dekho, bioscope dekho, char aane mein (come and
see the bioscope for four annas only)'. After paying four annas per
head the three of us looked into the box through then giant eye holes.
The man turned a handle and the photographs came before the eyes one by
one. I did not lend my ears to all that he said but happy and content
with all that I saw stored in the huge magic box. Now as I sit back and
recall I think it was something very silly but that was my first
experience with 'bioscope' and the 'bioscopewallah'. Changes have come
in with time and those are bygone memories. Here I am writing my
journal titled Bioscope, the word having a broader perspective.

Flashback is the past and we live in the present, past reflections are
so pleasant at times if they are the ones that make us happy. It was
April 7; the business news said 'IBM buys Daksh in biggest IT deal'.
IBM, the world's largest IT Company bought Daksh, the country's leading
outsourcing company for Rs.720 crores more than $1.5 million. Another
news that made headlines was, 'BBC, Times Group ink pact for
magazines'. All this shows the fast growth in the world. With India's
economy growing at a scorching pace, the consumer aspirations are
growing even faster. This has become a fertile ground for magazines to
bloom.

I don't think you need a break or an interval ? diversion? What did you
say; you would like to carry on. It's hot and humid and a glass of cold
water is refreshing. You can carry on.

On the 26th, I used my franchise to vote for the general and state
elections with the help of the electronic voting machine. May 13 and
the verdict was made clear. The ruling coalition lost their stake and
the Congress party emerged as the single largest party. With the help
of its coalition partners, Congress will form the government at the
centre. Surprisingly, Italian born Sonia Gandhi will be the next Prime
Minister of our country. Married in the Gandhi family for the last
thirty six years, it was in the year 1983 she decided to become an
Indian citizen by going through the legal procedures. She came into
active politics in 1998. The Congress party members feel like orphans
if they are not sheltered under Sonia's leadership. It was a revelation
by the BBC television network yesterday in its programme 'Asia Today'
telecast at 8p.m. The special feature showed an exclusive interview of
Sonia Gandhi with The Italian press after the declaration of the
election results and she did not think it necessary to speak to the
media of this country for an exclusive interview. After all she is the
daughter of Italy and Bahu (daughter-in-law) of India. It is going to
be a tough time for Sonia, who, till date reads out prepared speeches.
Poverty eradication is her major programme, although the Congress party
had ruled India for 45 years they could do nothing to help the poor and
in shaping India to be an icon in the world map. She wants to give the
poor a better life while she lives a lavish and luxurious life ? making
promises, later days will tell the rest of the story.

I have moved from one place to another and completed this journal. You
fill it with the colours you want and of course the rating will come
from you. The reel has come to a stop. At the moment I can give you my
recipe of mango shake. Take ? glass of chilled milk. Add four to five
pieces of ripe mangoes. Sugar to taste. Churn it in your juicer till
the solid mango pieces get totally mixed in the milk base. Pour the
mango shake in a glass, add crushed ice. Have a sip, get the taste and
let me know.

My Bioscope says: THE END.