127. Constant in Change

This is not my first visit to Bangalore.

Actually I have special affection for Bangalore!

Hmm.. I know I can say the same about almost all the places I have visited and stayed. It might be Saint Louis or Dagadpada (a tribal village in Gujarat); it might be Ottawa or Shiv (a small place in Rajasthan). I love places and I develop special relationship with the places I come across.

However, Bangalore is special amongst specials. I came here long back in 1981 or so. It was my first visit to another state. It was my first overnight train journey. Till then I could never imagine how people could sleep ‘in the train’. It was my first exposure to another regional language. It was my first experience of being amongst the strangers. It was my first acquaintance of social organization. And so on...

Over the years, I kept visiting Bangalore – for different reasons; by different means; to different places within the city and the state; with different purposes; with different people. I have different stories about the city. I have different memories of Bangalore.

********

Presently I am here for a reason. I am going to visit different places within the city and the state. I am going to meet different people – I have not met anyone of them before and I am going to spend next four days with them. That excites me, that create interest in me; that makes me wonder; that makes me smile, that awakens me to uncertainty and that ignites spirit of adventure in me.

******

And last week I met many different people. I stayed at a different place. I had my morning walks on different streets. I interacted with different people. I ate different food (when one lives in North India – Karnataka food makes a difference!!). I learnt few more Kannada words.

This experience makes me think – I am not sure whether the thinking is different or I am thinking the same way all these years.

My purpose has changed. My teams have changed. My means too have changed. My contacts and connections in the city have changed. Those who are friends today were not there few years ago; and those who were the people whom I met in the city are no more in my life. The old connections are lost and new connections replace them.

The city has changed. I have changed. But the relationship does not seem to have changed. I am still the same person who wants to know more about the city. Bangalore is still the same place who keeps on surprising me and entertains me. It is still the same place which makes me feel comfortable and which gives me moments of solitude. This is still the city which triggers me; motivates me to make on an inward journey.

What is that thread which still connects me and Bangalore?

What is that about Bangalore that still amuses me?

What is that which makes this connection meaningful for me?

What is there that remains intact throughout these changes?

What has remained constant in all the apparent change in me and in Bangalore?

Is it me? Or is it Bangalore? Or is it both?

97. Wisdom

Now –a - days we all are surrounded by sick people.
Move to any group, and there will be a talk about Blood Pressure, Sugar, Back pain etc.
Even younger generation talks about weakness, fatigue, insomnia, hair loss and stress.

So, when I asked 66 year old Basavannappa (it is funny that he is both Anna and Appa) about his health (just as courtesy), I was surprised by his answer. He suffers from nothing, absolutely nothing. No physical health issues, no mental stress and no social traumas.

Basavannappa is a farmer. He studied only up to fourth standard. He has five daughters, and a son, all happily married now. He owns a small piece of land. No, Basavannappa does not live in isolation. He is not a millionaire; he actually lived Below Poverty Line for most of his life. He is a simple village man but like all simple people he has a philosophy of his own. Importantly he lives according to his philosophy.

Here I have to meet two Self Help Groups (SHGs). When the first group arrives, with welcome and a song the meeting starts. I generally try to understand the context of people’s life. So, I ask various questions pertaining to the village. That generally works as an ice breaker. From easy questions, we will move to more difficult questions – why, how, what results etc.

Surshettikoppa is a village of about 600 families near Hubali in Karnataka. There are different stories about why the village is named Surshettikoppa. According to Basavannappa, earlier (long back in the history) there was a family of Suran Gauda, and then the Shettis came to the village. Both the family grew and lived together in a group (koppa) – hence the village is named as Surshettikoppa.

Somashekhar, a graduate from the village readily disagrees with Basavannappa. However all this disagreement is happening in a very friendly atmosphere. Somashekhar explains that Sur means God and Shetty means firm – the village is a place where Gods have stayed firmly for ages.

There is another story. Some pilgrimagers were going to Valvai to meet the Saint Channa Basaweshwar. They were carrying their luggage on bullock backs. The luggage hanged on both sides of the bullock back. To maintain balance, they had put some stones (this seems to be absurd). When they camped here, they put the stones on the ground. Next morning, when devotees tried to pull the stones back, they could not remove the stones. The stones were firmly rooted in the ground. As a proof of the story, people showed me temple of Brahmalinga, which of course is renovated and is bit modern.

Before the meeting started, Basavannappa anxiously asked, “When will I get time to talk to Madam? I want to give her full information about the work of Federation.” I smiled. I said, “Once this meeting is over, when women go home, I will spend some time with you. Is that alright for you?” He too smiled and accepted.

By the time (after about two hours) the first meeting was over, women from second SHG gathered. Looking at the crowd and their eager faces, Basavannappa asked me, “Madam when are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow evening. Tomorrow morning I am going to Haveri district.” I informed him.
“Alright, I will come today evening at 7.00. Please keep one hour free for me,” he requested and went off.

Evening 7.00 and Basavannapaa is present in the campus. He tries to speak in Hindi initially but turns to Kannada when he has to express his deeper ideas. I have translators with me and anyway, when one speaks from heart, other hardly finds it difficult to understand.

I ask many questions about his Federation – the process, the activities, the challenges, the vision, people’s participation, financial position, the strategies, organizational management and all the usual stuff – usual for me! May be those questions were unusual for Basavannappa. He paused, thought, smiled, frowned, talked, and listened. Both of us clearly enjoyed the discussion.

At the end of the conversation I asked him how his health was. As expressed earlier, he is a healthy man – physically, mentally and socially.

“What is the secret?” I asked seriously.
“The secret Madam is I do everything not from the heart but from a palm-ful* distance,” Basavannappa answered spontaneously.
I was confused.
“Can you explain it? I am unable to understand what you said,” I requested him.
“See Madam, one has to do many things in everyday life. Each one of us has to keep contact with many people. We as human beings have limitations – we like certain things and we don’t like certain things. We are tempted, we get angry, we feel jealous sometimes, and we feel insulted. We have to face situations which we are not ready for. Is it right? Do you agree with me?” he asks.
“Yes, certainly” I fully agree.
“So, I do not do any of these things from the root of my heart. I keep all the things at palm-ful distance – both the joy and the sorrow. It does affect me but very superficially and temporarily. It never affects me to the core. That is why I am a happy person.” Basavannappa was telling the simplest of the truths.

I saluted Basavannappa – not from palm-ful distance, I could not follow his teachings immediately.

Those were the wisest words I have heard so far.

Wisdom can approach you from any corner, only question is whether we are ready for it?
* palm-ful may not be the right English word. If you have anything to suggest, kindly write to me.