It was in the month of December 1990, early at dawn we got
down at Jharsugordha Rail Station and crossed over the railway track sat in
front of the GSI camp, mainly to collect tents etc for children camp being
organized by YHA of South Calcutta. We started our journey with 02 full loaded
trucks and a jeep to our destination, Sonaridungri. This was the outskirts of a
small village, beside the pond area of Mahanadi Barrage. Sonaridungri means the
golden rocky hill in Oriya language. We reached at about 04 pm in the evening
and while unloading the trucks, suddenly a man and a child of about 06 years of
age ran towards us, and in their local language they enquired about our arrival
at that site. While my friends were erecting the tents for our night stay, I
Ranajit Mitra started talking with the kid and his father who said that he was
a daily labour. I assured him a job from the next day morning @Rs.25/- per day
plus food with us. He was overwhelmed with this and I could see his tear filled
eyes. This was an unexpected reward for him.
He cautioned us about ourselves about 02 dangers in the area, lakra
(wolf according to him, which we discovered to be the striped Hyna) and Bhhoot
(ghost), which we could not find at all. The next day morning the kid joined
us, and as we had language barrier, we could not communicate properly with him,
but I found that his name was LUKU. Somehow I realised that Luku was my friend
and we shared biscuits and other snacks with him. While we continued the
survey, Luku helped us by folding the ropes and tapes, while his father started
working under the instruction of Chorda (Bidyut Sarkar) and Raja Paul.
I returned to the tent to prepare lunch for all and found
that Luku has followed me. I confirmed his that he should also have lunch with
us. Suddenly, he disappeared in the forests and returned after half an hour
with handful of wild spinach and he insisted that we have this for lunch. At
lunch we discovered that this was one of the most tasteful of food that we have
ever had. Luku now was a friend of everyone in the team and would disappear in
the forests and would come back with wild berries. The days passed by and on 25th
Dec ember morning the children participants and instructors joined the camp and
we became busy with the camp.
We the advance team always looked forward to Luku, who shy
fully, somewhat afraid of the city children with good clothing, stayed at the
corner of our tent. We tried our best to involve Luku with the children of the
camp, but after a long effort he found a few friends among the participating
children. Many of the senior girl participants organized some good clothes from
the little boy participants for Luku, which he refused. Luku and his father
never stayed in the camp at night as they believed they would be attacked by
Lakra and Bhoot. Inspite of the children insisting Luku to have food with them,
he would always eat at the end with us, the advance team.
Finally on 31st December, when we were winding up
and the campers were boarding their bus, the advance team were to leave the
camp in the last vehicle. Luku was around us and we found out an almost new and
very colourful woollen sweater left by a camper which we handed over to Luku.
He put it on and ran to the forests. He came back with handful of berries and
eyes full of tears for us. As our vehicle started, we waved to Luku, he was too
sad even to wave back and stood weeping, the small boy in the colourful sweater
with forests & the setting sun in the backdrop.
The next few days, I could not be a part of any of my friend
or family programs. Every year, towards the beginning the memories of Luku
return as waves of the sea. Luku, I still remember you.
This article has been contributed by Ranajit Mitra. He has recently been felicitated by Government of West Bengal for his contribution to Children Nature Camps
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