[Reader-list] Ibarat: #01 (an inscription, a write-up)

[Jeebesh Bagchi]

Ibarat is a wall magazine taken out by the CyberMohalla Project. Its 
eight participants range from 14 to 20, and they plan to print it once every 
two months. This month it was pasted up in almost 25 places in their 
neighbourhood - LNJP Colony, which is near Ajmeri gate in New Delhi. 
CyberMohalla is part of the Outreach programme of Sarai to help shape 
processes of reflection and expression in the local community. Along with 
Ankur, an NGO which runs an experimental education project, CyberMohalla has 
set up a tactical media lab on free software, which is now dubbed "CompuGhar" 
(ComputerHouse). 
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Ibarat: # 01
(an inscription, a write-up)

Oral histories are all that colonies like ours have. Till the occurrence of a 
"significant" incident, an accident, we lie outside of newspaper headlines,
anonymous. Our LNJP colony, for example. We've never seen it discussed in any
forum. What happens inside the colony, however, is a different story
altogether. Residents invariably recount old stories on occassions of
marriage, when working, when quarrelling or sharing with one another love and
happy moments. And if the event happens to be special, almost every one gets
involved: every street corner, every tea shop, park and people awaiting their
turn to fill water from a tap saturate and brim over with tales. Stories old
and new. Stories of daily toil, as also of dreams and hopes. And even if it's
no special occasion, these stories find life in every day talk... our very
own gossip columns!!

So you'll find these stories lying around every where. Pick them up on your
way if you feel like it. That's just what we have done. Met the elderly,
spoken with our sisters in the colony, spent some time thinking about the
names floating around in daily conversations. And it's amazing what we found.
Just like humans and roads, streets and lanes also have many many names. And
these keep changing with time. Some however are really obstinate. They stick,
refusing to budge. Take Connaught place, for instance. Our government can
hang huge boards announcing its rechristening. But who calls C.P. Rajiv
Chowk? Our lanes... our lanes have no name plates as identity markers. And
they are named after names, things and personalities we are familiar with,
close to. And that, friends, surely works!

So here it is, our first presentation to you of one of the ways of seeing our
colony. In here are some stories, some poems -- familiar and new. Some
photographs that we took. Some pictures we drew.

And all of this has been possible because of the love and suport of the
elders of the colony. Some we've been able to name in this issue, some we
couldn't. But our heartfelt thanks go out to all of them. Thank you. This is
a small attempt by our CompuGhar (ComputerHouse). And it'll mean so much to 
us if you could let us know what you think of the issue.

We take your leave till next time. Salaam!

Ibarat team: 
Azrah, Mehrunisa, Shamsher, Suraj Rai, Shahjahan, Nilofer,
Yashodha and Bobby.

The first issue of Ibarat: In memory of Ayesha

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Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Basti:
(a old poem about our basti)

People kept coming, the journey began,

A forest there was of junk
A thicket of chir, kikar and bushes.
In the stunned silence of the graveyard
That is where no people lived.

Scorpions and chameleons by the dozens would appear
And kaan khajuras to sing in our ears.
The land was cleared in '55
There appeared houses for our many leaders.

And then when leaders took off
All that remained were their broken down flats.
People carried away the doors
Door frames, pipes as well as windows.

Piles of garbage in every home
Everything into a ruin tranformed.
Someone brought along a cot
And also some people - one or two, that's all.

Houses of wood, mud and bricks
Were created atop garbage hills.
There was neither water, electricity nor
No drain pipes or toilets to speak of.

Water was bought from the market
And at night earthen lamps were lit.
Nearby was a playground here
Passing messages not a simple affair.

There was a store house for our waste
And a shop that Jugru ran.
This is what our happiness consisted of
Rest was a morbid, unhappy state of affairs.

The colony, oh, it had no name
And no school to which no one came.
But people came, they came and came
And the colony, it was lain.

Now here are houses two-storeyed
Taps in every street there be.
The fruits of everyone's labour have borne
Facilities now in every home.

A curfew in eighty four, there was
When riots had broken out in Delhi.
Rules prohibited venturing out
Forbidden was playing out of doors.

Destroyed it was, the Minto Road colony
Where our relations, friends, players lived.
Strewn across, to far away lands
Without schools, water, electricity.

Everything happened, save chaos
No one in the name of religion fought.
Together we celebrate holi-eid
Diwali, Moharram, and Bakr-eid.

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What all we passed through: a passage to our lanes.

There is in our colony a web of lanes. Every lane has its own quirks and
habits, its own uniqueness and speciality, its own share of problems. Here we
present to you some of them...

Nana's (grandfather's) lane

Nana's lane is well known from before. Nana loved kids, and the kids, him.
The young and the old alike call him Nana ever since he came here. Nana owns
a sweet shop. Newcomers, when they hear the chant 'nana nana' wonder who this
is, and neighbours then tell them about our dear nana.

Barber's lane.

This barber's been around for long now. He has two sons. One works. The
other, who can't speak, has been missing now for three years. This is the
only barber's shop in the colony and every one comes here for a trim.

Chacha Papdi's lane.

Chacha Papdi is the name of a man. In the lane there is a pole. Chacha Papdi's
house is near that pole. His mother has grown old now. She can't walk. Her
husband died long ago. Now she lives with her son. She's been living in this
colony for many many years. We've heard she was the first person to start
living in this colony.

The lane with the Masjid

There are many houses around the masjid. There are among these houses several
shops. People stop to pray in the masjid. This lane is quite broad, while the
other lanes in the colony are quite narrow. It's so broad, a bus could easily
be driven in. Near the masjid is a doctor's shop. The doctor is famous as
'the doctor from near the masjid'. Whenever someone brings medicines and we
ask them where they got the medicines from, they say, from the one near the
masjid. And the other thing is that whenever someone gives directions to
their house, using the doctor's house as a reference point makes finding the
way much simpler.

Liyaqat's lane.

Liyaqat's full name is Choudhary Liyaqat Ali. Liyaqat is an electrician. He
has power faliure sometimes. Liyaqat contested elections.

The lane of the Temple.

This temple is very old. People pray here. Right next to it is a doctor's
shop who is known by the name of 'doctor from near the temple'. This doctor
has also been here many years. Now only very few people come to take medicine
from him. In all, there are five doctors' shops in the colony.

Lane of Video Games

Playing here is a new occurrence. Earlier the video games were played near the
masjid. Then they shifted to the lane next to Chacha Papdi's lane. Children
used to come here earlier, and they come here now. All 15 yards of the room
used to be filled with children. Children of all ages, old and young. But one
day Hamid, the man who used to run the show, got arrested by the police. And
the children who were playing there were beaten up and were told to 
concentrate on their studies. No one plays here any more. The lane is in 
search of a new name.

Chawwa's lane.

In the lane is Chawwa's shop that sells meat. Chawwa is the name of a man. He
sells the meat in the shop. The shop is very old now. Mostly, people buy meat
from him. In all, there are two meat shops in the colony; one is Zakir's, and
one Chawwa's. Chawwa's shop is older than Zakir's. Each and every child in
the colony knows Chawwa. Chawwa! how strange the name sounds, doesn't it! His
real name is Hussainuddin.

The lane with the Latrine.

The lane with the latrine is near Shabana baajee's house. It has four
toilets. There are 51 houses in the lane. 11 of these are on the first floor.
47 houses are made of bricks and 4 of wood. Both men and women use these
toilets. The toilets are always dirty. The street is always smelly. In all
there are four toilets in the colony. Some people have constructed toilets in
their own homes. A sweeper comes to clean the toilets every day. Still, they
remain dirty. It is the people who use them who keep them dirty.

Bismillah's lane.

Bismillah is a woman's name. She is old now. She owns a vegetable shop. She
has had it from the beginning. Whenever people buy vegetables from her, they
take Bismillah's name. There is another vegetable shop opposite her's. The
owner of that shop is also known as Bismillah. Bismillah has now opened a
hotel. When people are passing by, they stop to buy vegetables, and some
people eat there itself. As a result whoever comes from outside asks where 
Bismillah's lane is.

Shaukat's lane

Shaukat's lane is named after Shaukat. Shaukat owns a tea shop. He stays in
the tiny shop. There are five to six tea shops in the colony, so his earnings 
are low. One of these other tea shops is right opposite Shaukat's shop.

The Road-lane

The road-lane passes through many lanes. Where there are many roads. Where
occur many accidents. Several cars run on this road. And pollution is
aplenty. And lots of smoke can be sourced to this very road. People who live
by the road must be sick and tired of all the noise.

Mohataram's lane

Mohataram's house is in the first lane. It's been six months since Mohataram
opened his shop here. He has four brothers. All four look after the shop.
Mohataram also owns a factory. Where they make labourers work.

Kallu's lane

The ration-shop guy. The ration guy Kallu's shop used to be in our colony
earlier. The lane in which he used to live is named after him. Kallu gets
ticked off when children sing the song "Kallu mama" in front of his house.

Bridegroom's lane.

Bridegroom's lane is very old. This lane is known as the lane of the 
bridegroom because many years ago, a man got married and came here and opened
a shop of sweets. Everyone started calling it the bridegroom's lane. Whenever
anyone brought anything from this shop, they'd say they'd purchased it from
the bridegroom's shop. Soon enough everyone, young and old, started calling it
by that name. The bridegroom died a year ago, and his wife, six to seven
months after that. But the lane continues by the same name.

Allah Rakhi's lane.

Allah Rakhi's husband used to be a dahi-bada vendor. Then, as his business
turned profitable, he set up a shop selling sweets. Maula also owns a shop in
the same lane, but because Allah Rakhi's shop is famous, the lane got named
after her. She's around 40 years old.

Naeem's lane

Naeem's lane is five years old. There is a shop in the lane from where people
make their purchases. There is no other shop apart from this one for quite a
distance.

Sunil's lane

There is a shop in Sunil's lane. The shop keeper's  name is Sunil. Sunil's
shop mostly sells bread and butter. People who stay there buy their breakfast
supplies from this shop. There is no other shop apart from this one for quite
a distance.

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An interview with brother Mohataram

It was Saturday. The date, 8/9/2001. Time, 11:30.  I went to Mohataram bhai's
house to interview him. Before going there, I sat down and framed a few
questions to ask him. I left the centre with a pen and notebook. I was
observing my surroundings as I walked. On the way to his house from the
centre, there is a shop that sells meat, a doctor's shop, a masjid, Nabeel's
shop, a shop that sells bottles and curd, two shops selling vegetables. You
see maximum number of people at the vegetables' shop. Some just stand around,
not meaning to buy anything. Then there are those who who come to buy
vegetables and some who can be seen strolling around the masjid.

I was watching them all as i moved. But in my head were buzzing the questions 
i had to ask brother Mohataram. I was wondering if i'd be able to catch him 
this time around. Because the last two times i went to his house, he wasn't 
there.

These were my thoughts as I reached his house. In front of his house is a
small shop that he himself owns. And by its side is a tiny path leading upto
the house. And from it rises a ladder that you have to climb, bending forward
a little. When I reached the shop i saw Mohataram's brother Subhan sitting
there (fair, small eyes, short, dark blue trousers, sky blue shirt).

I asked him, is brother Mohataram around?
Subhan (turning towards me): He's not in.
I asked if he could be located somewhere nearby, then maybe someone could
fetch him. Subhan said he didn't know. But if there was some work to be done,
then he could be of help. I said I wanted to interview him. (I was standing
on the street. I looked around.) Subhan said, take my interview. (he
laughed). I said, yes, if he wanted, I could ask him the questions.

Subhan said, what all will you ask?
I said, the same as I would have asked brother Mohataram. Some about the
street, some about brother Mohataram. Subhan said, okay, go ahead. (as soon
as he said this, I took out my notebook and the list of questions.) I said,
fine, so should I begin? (As soon as I said this, he looked frightened).
Subhan immediately said, I won't give an interview. I asked why? Subhan said,
no. What if I say something wrong? I said, no. There's going to be no such
problem. I'm not going to ask you any question that could frighten you. But
once again, almost immediately, he refused. I looked around and thought today
was not going to be my day, yet again.

Upset, I allowed my gaze to wander. Suddenly I saw brother Mohataram
approaching us and I immediately said, here comes brother Mohataram. Now I
can interview him. He was wearing a shirt the shade of almonds and brown
pants, a face on which the dust of the day had settled. Once he was near us,
I asked him where he was coming from. He said he'd just stepped out for a
bit. Then I told him why I was there, and what all I wanted to speak with him
about.

Anyway, here is the conversation, as it happened:

Azrah (opening her notebook): What is your age?

Mohataram: Must be around 34 years (he looked up as he said this).

Azrah: When did you come to this colony?

Mohataram: It's been 16 years now. (He looked around).

Azrah: This lane is called Mohataram's lane now. What was it called before
you came here? (I asked this question because we were talking of his arrival
here.)

Mohataram: Before I came, this lane had no name. Because not too many people
lived here. Yes, if someone set shop here, or sold something, then there
would be that recognition. The name came after I did.

Azrah: So how did you come to be recognised?

Mohataram: When I first came here, I used to paint. Earlier I had to go
asking for work. But then people started approaching me with work. So,
slowly, the  lane became known by my name.

Azrah: How does it feel to hear every one say "Mohataram's lane"?

Mohataram: Initially there was the exhilaration of having become famous. But
now I'm used to it.

Azrah: What other work do you do?

Mohataram: I've done various things. Worked in handicrafts' factories, in
shoes, and even with nawab sahib.

Azrah: You probably got to know many people through all the work you've done.
You probably know everything about those people.

Mohataram: Yes, I know every one here very well.

Azrah: Is getting to know people an interest you have cultivated, or is it
something you just enjoy?

Mohataram: It's an interest I enjoy.

Azrah: Do you like any sport?

Mohataram: Nothing in particular. I play ludo sometimes.

Azrah: Where do lanes get their names from?

Mohataram: Many lanes here are named after people. Like Liyaqat's lane. He's 
known in the colony because he is one of its chiefs. That is why the lane's 
name was changed from 'the lane of the temple' to 'Liyaqat's lane'. 
Similarly, lanes get named after shopkeepers or tutors of multiplication 
tables : Aunt Zaibun's lane, the lane with the latrines. Then, names change 
as well. Sometimes, lanes can have more than one name.

Chawwa's lane: Donkey herders' lane.  (Earlier donkeys used to be tied up in
a park here. Horses stopped coming here after a house was constructed. Chawwa
opened a meat shop nearby. Since then the lane came to be associated with his
name.)

Kallu, the ration guy's lane: The lane with the tap.

(Video) game lane: Papaya lane.

Sunil's lane: Naeem's lane.

Aunt Zubain's lane: Lane of the Biharis.

Dogs' lane: This lane has two more names: Lane with the latrines and the
chhola lane. Earlier there were three toilets in this lane. Hence the name.
Then, the first house to be built here was that of the chhole waala, so the
name changed. And then here came a bitch who bit everyone who stayed in the
lane. That was her claim to fame. She gave birth to three pups who have all
grown up now. The whole lane is now 'dog-infested'. So, it's called the Dogs'
lane.

Centre/ Tea/ Masjid Lane: There is but one masjid in this colony. Everyone
goes here to read their namaz. That's why the name 'the lane of the masjid'.
On this lane is a two-storeyed house (in it is our Ankur Centre) that everyone
calls 'building'. So it's also called the 'lane with the building'. There is
a famous tea shop here. No one knows his name. So it's called the Tea
Lane. This lane has more shops than it has houses. So, we also call it the
Shop Lane.

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Thanks:

Brother Mohataram from the colony, for the interview.

Ankur Children's Education Section
Sarai Cybermohalla Project

Translation: Shveta Sharda (shveta at sarai.net)
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