Simple folks, simple pleasures

I have been living in Chandigarh since 1956 when my father shifted from Panjab University, Solan, to its new campus in Sector 14, Chandigarh. The PU campus here at that time used to be a barren land, having only 50 residential quarters. The varsity’s science and arts blocks, market, administrative office and other buildings were still at the foundation stage. All southern sectors were non-existent. The area of present-day sectors of 15, 17 and 8 had bushes of wild berries and some date palm trees. There were no roads or buildings in sight.

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Amidst this upcoming city, one could find clusters of hundreds of scattered hutments, the dwelling units of the Bagri clan, a semi-nomadic community of Rajasthan, which had migrated in thousands to work as labour here.

During my daily morning walks, I would see Bagri women with water pitchers balanced on the head going back to their huts, where they would then prepare a simple meal for breakfast and pack it for lunch too.  The lunch comprised of six to seven big chapattis with some simple vegetable.

After the day’s work was over, most of these folks would gather for some gup-shup after dinner. Sometimes, accompanied by the beats of a dafli, they would sing their folk songs. Seeing these people enjoying such simple pleasures, I would often wonder if even the wealthiest of persons could enjoy life like these Bagris.

VK Anand, Chandigarh