The fact that I could enter a highly ticketed event without anyone asking for a favor or money was an amazing experience, somewhat troubling too. While parting, my friend said his first name was Sanjay. I had a younger brother Sanjay who passed away in January of the year after a prolonged illness. My brother used to handle my particulars when I visited India. This would be the first time I would not be seeing him. A new person Sanjay had appeared before I had reached home. Does it make sense? Human beings make stories on correlations. Seemingly disconnected events and objects appear connected. In Indian philosophy the whole process has been called "maya", "illusion" in English. What appears is not true. Truth has no appearance. Everything is a sample of manifestation. What manifests is true, but appears different to different people. We live life through our individual perspectives. I spoke my story to Jitendra in the morning. He heard it with his characteristic smile. I told him about the peculiar correlation. He had a big laugh. Laughter could be an acknowledgement of a complicated topic. It does not indicate approval or disapproval. Most occurrences in in life are not understood, so we have to laugh it out. Individuals have to make their own sense. Numerologists show up to take advantage. Jitendra's sister was visiting town. She was a student of physics, two years junior to me and had married another physics teacher a year senior to me. Her son was working in Mumbai and she was visiting her grandchildren in the summer. Jitendra had invited them for a lunch at the Mumbai Sports Club of which he is a member. Apparently the membership is exclusive to high officials and rich patrons. It was Sunday. I was to leave Mumbai the next day. I requested the maid to help get my clothes cleaned and pressed. She had been very kind to me appreciative of my gestures by understanding my vulnerability. I wanted to talk to her at length about her family and village. But I did not want to bring up her family conditions under her employer's watch. Economy and rewards are difficult management problems. We sympathize, but do not create jobs. To support people day after day with a salary is a challenge. Paying occasional pocket money is not a support.
The driver was still off. Jitendra suggested I take a taxi for the day and return back in the evening after my tasks. We go to the Club for lunch and then I proceed to Mahalaxmi temple to offer puja on behalf of my aunt. Then I would do small shopping and would visit my uncle and aunt in my cousin's house. I would return home in the evening.
Most interesting places of Mumbai are in that small stretch in south Mumbai. The area was developed to greet King George to India with a big Gateway of India a hundred years ago. The Empire was at its zenith and India was the large contributor in terms of resources and people. Mumbai would not reflect the condition of Indians in the villages. The King must have been "pleased" that his subjects were doing well. Such orchestration goes on today. The leaders pretend as fools not to look behind the curtain. In order to stay in power one should not see too much into the conditions of regular people. The average man's job is to toil in order to maintain the "leader". The "leader" would claim that he/she "protects" them.
Clubs and Sports Clubs are colonial institutions. They were created to support the young officers of the Empire to get a feel of their homeland. Hundreds of locals would serve to support the whims of the young officers. The younger individuals were groomed to be unkind and arrogant by observing the traits in the senior officers. The separation of the locals to the person in power was drastic. The locals would be given various colorful dresses to distinguish their menial occupation. Some made a habit of dressing themselves and some would cherish pictures with their officers. Human beings submit themselves for survival. The system ran for more than a hundred years. The locals were tolerant of the abuse.
Causing indignity and exploiting other humans for personal pleasure has been an ugly practice in history. Sense limitation of the human beings and insecurity of survival cause them to apply force to subjugate other humans to capture them as slaves or treat them as low level objects. This is a sad story of the human civilization. India herself nurtured an artificial caste system leading eventually to segregation and religious prohibition. The social disease in India was further enhanced through the convenience of the colonists. The richer people assumed their superiority through their privilege or power. The free India is still reeling through this disrespectful legacy. There is a growing new middle class that assumes that their life has more value than the laborer.
We reached the Club about noon. Jitendra's sister's family had already arrived. Her son works as an Officer in a bank and the daughter-in-law pursues a PhD degree in University of Mumbai. They had two young daughters, 5 and 3. I recognized the young lady's face recollecting her during my college days. Facial features in human beings do not age but the hair discolors. Sweet features of the face get clouded with tense lines. She had deep features of life experienced through personal living as I learned later.
We were the only family with children in the dining hall. A group of socialite women had occupied another table. I have not personally interacted with the modern socialites. I have heard that they keep track of cheap products in Paris and discuss their procurement. Many middle class Indians also craze for anything made outside and boast when their children manage to sneak out of the country. It is a confused view, possibly a remnant of the colonial attitude. India does not glorify Valmiki any more.
The discussion came to order food. The children said that they liked Chinese noodles. There had been efforts to promote noodles among children by applying various additives. The goal of consumerism is to induce addiction and create a habit. We had some soup, noodles and some Chinese vegetables. Chinese cooking in India is heavily Indianized. The strong layer of cooking with flavorful spices dominates the taste of food. Spices are grown in many countries, India invented how to apply spices in food. To have multiple tastes together in mouth is an Ayurvedic therapy. The digestion process to create health is subtle.
The servers had their old attires of the colonial times but somewhat faded. They probably do not get a dress allowance as they might get in a palace. Some of the servers used caps. Jitendra told me that the servers were trained in a particular style of unloading the food from a container to a dining plate. I took pleasure in observing. Ritualistic act of every detail is an old Indian custom. The world is animated. Our individual act anywhere has its grace and beauty. The universe has an order. The Vedas declared it. Our every act needs harmony. In the west somebody said that life could be a symphony.
Jitendra paid the bill and we were on our way out. There were more than necessary number of hangers-on at the gate ready to do small favors in order to receive a reward. I reflected on the human condition. Did they choose to adopt such life or did they get used to through convenience? Human beings possibly want to survive with less work. I have heard that votes are bought through subsidized food and distribution of money. It takes a long time to wake up to discover that one is exploited.
