Andhra Chronicles- 1

Bonding with good old friends has always been a delighting experience. Friends from native place, school, college and profession, everyone holds a special place deep inside my heart. Of late I got involved in this project on voluntary basis, which has given me the fruit of spending life in serene village, Dokur of Andhra Pradesh. Beautiful village with some very nice people, what more a person would want for happy living. These days are actually a rest when I think of restless days I had spent in past! 

Quite for sometime my schooling, which was tough and sweet enough for me to reminisce, slipped from my mind. Time here has offered me to relive my past. I met Ramakrishna who had his schooling from Sainik School Korukunda and instantly became friends as both of us are from same family of the schools. Though 10 years senior to me still I call him by name and it is a common understanding between us that old age tradition of respecting senior by calling sir or bhaiya is absurd enough to be carried on. So we call each other by name. He is an agricultural researcher and spends most of his time in the village, fields and of course with the rural people.

In the evening we sit and chat about the culture and traditions of telangana region. People live here rustic life and social structure is similar to any other village of India where settlement of people is based on caste. Religion is a big thing along with the regionalism for 'telangana' and I can see the stir which has been caused due to the release of sri krishna committee report. Nonetheless Ramakrishna, me and one of my colleague enjoy chatting and discussion about the social structure and problems faced in the village.

Sainik school boys are trained to serve motherland and the only one way offered or practiced is gateway to defence forces. But looking at Ramakrishna and myself both of us are in rural development and somehow trying to empower bottom of the pyramid in our society. Both of us are doing it as a profession but Ramakrishna has done a lot more than me (which I think was one of the reason why I wanted to take up voluntary project after almost 2 years of job).

My colleague who often comes to this village tells me Ramakrishna provides free tuition and guidance to all school, college going kids in their education. I seriously bow down in front of this person who is helping village kids with education for free in today's time when education for education providers has become nothing but a commodity. I only wish and pray that someday people in India realise that money is not the sole thing and one has to come back to values, ethics, humanitarian concern and love for each other for harmonious existence.

I would just say, comparing to regular profession for which sainik schools are meant, Ramakrishna and I haven't done very bad!!!