In an earlier column I had promised to write about Saheb Bandh of Silli. Silli is the last village between Jharkhand and Bengal border. Actually the last location is Muri and not Silli. Muri had the railway junction even before the rail lines came to Ranchi. Trains from Calcutta and Patna used to stop at Muri and passengers had to take buses or arrange for own transport to Ranchi.

I remember many of those memorable childhood journeys when I used to return after the Puja holidays from Dumdum, my mother’s home. Muri also has the aluminium smeltering plant which has now been upgraded to a full aluminium plant. But Muri has always remained the transit point. It is always Silli on this side, and Tulin in Bengal, which are known as the two border villages. As you enter Silli and cross the bazaar, you come across a large lake. This is Saheb Bandh. It is to Silli what Ranchi lake is to Ranchi. Its water was as pure as that of Ranchi. It also had those beautiful Lotus flowers as Ranchi lake. This was also ruined as Ranchi lake was.

The rape of Saheb Bandh is more systematic. In the name of beautification, this place has been converted into a muddy swamp full of water hyacinth. Whereas Ranchi lake still boasts of water during all seasons, Saheb Bandh is full only during the rainy season. The lake once used to be full of fish. Fishing was a joy in this clear water. In those days Silli High School had a teacher known as Aerial Master. Nobody remembered his original name. Every evening, he used to proceed towards Saheb Bandh on his bicycle, his angling rod tied to the cycle handle and a bag full of feed for the fish and a torch. Those days many households had radios. For better sound you had to have a tall aerial at the roof of the house.

Looking from a distance, the fishing rod of master saheb used to look like an aerial. That is how the name stuck to him. Every evening he used to sit patiently with his torch lit, perhaps to guide the fish towards his fishing hook, till he had enough for his dinner. One of my uncles, who became too notorious for the schools of Ranchi, was sent to Silli to at least finish his school education. At Silli, Aerial Master took a liking for him. There was hardly any day when uncle didn’t get a good beating from him. He decided to change all this and arranged for a fishing rod. Now every evening he would sit near master saheb trying to catch fish.

He started getting tips on how to fish. Gradually, he became friendly enough to accompany master saheb to his home. Fishing taught my uncle patience and Aerial Master taught him the value of education.

Thanks to Saheb Bandh, uncle could complete his post graduation with flying colours. Alas, there are no more Aerial Masters and there is no more the Saheb Bandh of the old.

When Sudesh Mahto became the home minister there was hope he will look towards his home. His office at Silli is just a few meters from this lake. But like all politicians, his eyes are towards Singapore and beyond. Who bothers about Saheb Bandh?