Kapil Dev swarmed by fans eager to get autographs from their hero during his visit to Jamshedpur. Picture by Srinivas

Master blaster

The way he went about his task looking all stern and serious, one really thought his popularity would go for a duck.

After all, it?s not everyday Kapil Dev came visiting the city, and finding him in their midst, his fans were obviously not going to let him off so easily. So, there they were ? children and youths and local shop-owners, all jostling to take not just a look at their hero, but also autographs to preserve and show off to their friends and family.

But Kapil being Kapil, was totally engrossed in the job he was there for, which was to promote a brand of medicine. Completely focussed, he seemed to pay little attention to the jostling fans clamouring for autographs. Instead, he stopped promoting the medicine and looked at the people long and hard, much to the surprise of everyone. ?Either I promote the medicine or sign autographs. I can?t do both at once,? he said and broke into a smile. With spirit like that, no wonder he?s the original master blaster. Kapil Da Jawab Nahi!

Sweeping laugh

Those officially in charge of sweeping the forensic section of the Medical College Hospital obviously have an eye for things other than just the dirt.

Eyes much sharper than the personnel from the Government Railway Police (GRP) at least, who actually are not able to distinguish between a male and female body!

What happened was that officials of the Tatanagar GRP had sent an unidentified body for post-mortem at the MGM Hospital.

Just before the body was to be taken for autopsy, a sweeper pointed out to the officer of GRP that the body was actually that of a male, not a female as mentioned by them in the inquest.

Embarrassed at the mistake, the officials quickly corrected their error, and requested them not to report the matter to anyone, and sweep it away as they sweep away dirt.

?Kaya sir, aap male aur female mein anter nahin jante hain? (What sir, you do not know the difference between a male and female?),? one of them laughed loudly and asked, very rightly amused, and with no intention perhaps to sweep the matter away so easily.

Welcome wine

Next time one is moving into a new house or doing something auspicious and one can’t get hold of a coconut to break, there’s no need to break into a sweat.

If one can get hold of a bottle of wine, that will do as well. Eyebrows will be raised, but there?s no need to. If the members of the Tata Workers Union (TWU) can do it, others have no reason not to, one guesses!

A section of TWU workers used a bottle of wine instead of the traditional coconut to welcome their popular union leader R.B.B. Singh at the union office, when he arrived to file his nomination papers for the union polls scheduled for May 12.

As soon as he arrived, TWU members broke a bottle of wine instead of a coconut. Why, is difficult to guess. Unless, nature has really dried up so much that wine bottles are more easily available than coconuts.

Fine excuse!

Ready with files, nervous officials of the transport and rural development departments of the district arrived in time at the Circuit House where Anosh Ekka was supposed to
conduct a review meeting. After two hours of waiting, they learnt he had left for the capital. While some muttered they had been saved an ordeal, others made a show of murmuring: “With such bosses, it’s no use for us to perform our duties diligently.”

Labourers clean the Karamtoli Pond near the Indian Medical Association, Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Never give up

As they say, never give up. And when it?s so profitable, definitely never give up! Just as the cleanliness drive at the Karamtoli pond continues, though it keeps failing again and again. Its woes are endless. First, it was forced to be without rainwater for two consecutive seasons.

Dry and dirty, it was made more filthy by water hyacinths, which choked the pond, literally. Now the authorities have woken up, as insiders say, for the umpteenth time. Makes complete sense, though. The more frequent the maintenance, more the profit, one way or the other. One hopes it?s heading towards better days soon, and is set for revival once the monsoon sets in and rain water flows into it from the Morabadi end.