..continued

26th night,at our girls' hostel:

After the tea and the csc meeting,played a badminton match(I lost!).... All around its like this:

discussions over the orcha matter,the critical sorrow of the parents,criticism and brooding over the misfortune,getting most of the news from the boys who happened to go to the site..Eventually it comes out that there have not been satisfactory attempts to rescue the now dead boys.The matter very much tilting as a police case..specially the cross State..the M.P,U.P. issue..(water cannot be stopped..involves political matters).The other 3 companions hugely disturbed .. taken into custody ,facing the threats and assaults of the police.The body still has no signs giving high scope to the only two predictions now: gone with the immense flow of BETWA..since water had not been logged for more than 5 hours and the crocodiles...................yes! BETWA shelters them !

LATE IN THE NIGHT:

The boys getting wild...pleading the college authorities for help,the night-mode lights ,the search team ..etc etc...From all hostels ..they run to the site at 2-3 a.m...The first years climbing the locked gates and fences...The wardens ..the college administration sweating to control the situation.. students arguing ,negotiating ,asking .. the things turning more than hopeless! peace of the college till bus-stand to the orcha route..all so ill! Chakka -jaam..Raasta-roko,Hai-Hai!.. ..then Lathi-charge,beatings..frustation all around. AGM Jhansi visits the college..his stataement:"Main itna achha taiirak hun toh bhi pul ke paar jane ki zehmat nahin uthai..pata nai unke vivek ko kya...Betwa toh maut ki nadi hai..doobey ya fir magarmachch...." Media..mikes -cameras taking it all to notice but nothing helpful rendering from the college side. Temper rising at the girls' hostel as well.

AROUND THREE IN THE NIGHT:

Seniors call upon us.."IIIrd year ..jo jaag raha hai aa jao". We made aware of the critical situation beneath..Even getting the news of it all around 2 in the afternoon..no-one from the college happens to reach the venue before 7 in the evening(the 2 hr time in the mid).The ill-response..no-bother concern of the college at the issue..and their agreeing to the stupid police- advice:"andhera cha chuka hai..ab kal dekhenge jo hoga..waise bhi ab tak jaan toh chali hi gayi hogi".............and they all come back..to their family ..to their kids..no thought for those parents who no longer have the same...not even their dead! bodies.. Now seniors imparting the objective, instructing us all..charts,banners all prepared among the few awaked of the hostel,plan out for the protest ..the dharna at the acad-block at 6 early in the morning.

MORNING,27th JAN:

People waking in the dark...jo jaagta gaya ..auron ko leta gaya..all dressed in soot..hurried with the banners..charts to the acad.get to know about the 5-member faculty team that left for Orcha...at 5 in the morning. The director comes..the side-ones..then more of faculty,the HODs ,the teachers..the number increasing gradually!We raised ..we put hard..we resented..we retorted!..faculty find hard to do with us..All other than students and faculty also gather..the guards,the clerks,the sweepers,the electrician,the server room men..everybody..watching and listening.The hostel warden calls anubha(GS,the always hyper girl)..we tell her not to respond and continue with the dharna,the slogans..the questions:
"paani abhi tak kyon nahin roka gaya?"
"college administration ne itni dheel kyon ki?"
"itna irresponsible ravaiya kyon ..??"
"search kyun thapp rahi??.."
"divers kyu nahin bheje gaye?"
"aap log itne befikra kaise reh sakte hain?"
"agar aapke bachche hote toh kya aap aise chain se..??"
"...upar se aur students par maar-peet..lathi-charge,misbehaviour..."
"maamle ko itna chota kyon samjha gaya?"

In the mean time ..our warden reaches driving her alto..all set to be diplomtic,as she is always(it be settling disputes,mess issues ..etc).picks out a few representatives..talks to them personally....while we continue... Lot of negotiations... things calming with the brightness of the day...we sat down in front of the acad block..charts n banners all up high.. The matter turning through a few ones who wished to see the ground reality at the site itself..asking the college to let them to Orcha.This created further resentment..those to go ..their parents being called up..our warden talking so badly to them at phone..The bus arrives...................................girls go to hostels to take money-cells etc..and then....the hostel gates get locked!..who went found hard to return..Then a few of us(+me) go to the hostel ..to get them back,,we finally return to the acad with them after a lots this-thats..ergh!! Things getting peevish at the acads,rings-calls ..afra-tafri all around!Girls picked up individually..scolded,threatened ,being shouted upon! We still raise our criticism..followed by their irrelevant replies or excuses..to say. The administration getting harsh on us...Even the sun was harsh.....afternoon striking us more harsh..It was turning a bhook-hadtaal,the scenario getting tiring and peevish... adding to it the exertion..shouts were turning sweats.We were once again sitting dull on the street at the acads,begging courtesy of the sun through dupattas on head...faces red,eyes squeased..but anger still alive......All this against the disgusting spectators who sat comfortably on the chairs in the shade. We did not break wild before a phone call saying that one of the bodies were found...BUT! shocking to know it being within 100 mtrs only...Bloody heck!!!!! so nothing had been done uptill now....Orcha ..a rafting spot..just impossible to believe of non availability of divers...This time I was clear enough to raise the questions.....followed by all.... "If the body could be found by the search team within half an hour...whre was it all uptill now??"
"those solace(so called) from them since morning had been so fake??"
"kal sara din kya kiya kiya gaya?"
"jo do divers gaye they ..wo sirf formality thi?"
"kya wo bach sakte they??? chattan pakdey..kya wo thand se mar gaye??" ...
"administration ne toh koi pressure daala hee nahin...kya wo army ki madad nahin le sakte they?"
"bodies ko paani mey sadney ke liye ...??"
"Was the management waiting it to swell-up and rise over the surface?" .....


In the course we heard of the other body being found....The condition of the bodies disclosed later...No eyes,No lips,No.....i find hard to proceed further.If the things as the same had been done yesterday...may be the bodies could have been in better condition..or saved in case of a miracle! The faculty stuff...and the others falsely justifying their efforts............We turned our backs throwing out charts...walked out before they..........."College prashasan ..hai-hai!!!".... The two souls being Ravi (CE) & Ankit(IT)...Ankit's mother fainted on reaching the hostel.About him only if I recall..one among those names I anchored at the branch freshers' party for the intro.....against an intro as depressing as this!! ...
thats it.No college,no class today..
condolence tomorrow at 9.30 A.M.
May their souls rest in peace!!