He was no extraordinary man. He was as ordinary as can be found but was special in his own way. He was no president or prime minister but was no less than that for his family. He broke grey kimberlite stones to pluck diamond stuck inside them. He did that for twenty years. He was a laborer. Before that he was a farmer. He was born in 1920s or may be 1930s there is no record of his birth. He was born to an illiterate farmer in a remote village. There were no calendars accessible to village folks. Age was no consideration as agriculture and laboring were the only occupations available which needed able bodied man no matter the age. Age was relative, some body was older than other or was younger than other, that is it. It was highly improbable that people knew their actual age. It was all a guess.
He was second son of his father. He moved to the new mining township in search of work where labourers were needed. He and his wife got work as labourers and lived in makeshift arrangements provided by the mines authorities. This was not a bad deal as there was little land to plough and mostly exploitationary labouring work in village, mostly free or for food or petty amount of grains depending upon the whims of land owning minority.
They started their life in Majhgawan, around 20 KM from Panna district center in Madhya Pradesh. Their village was around 30 KM away from Panna on a different route. An inaccessible village by road, a place where very few had seen vehicles like truck or buses. People mostly used to travel by foot or by bullock cart. Marriages were done in the places which can be reached by foot. If one had to take bus to reach a place that was considered far away.. bus was luxury not affordable by the village folks. One had to pay money for that while on foot was free. People used to walk 20-30 KM normally.
I remember him carrying me on his soldier to the small tea shops which had samosas and mangories. I remember him chewing pan and talking to his friends with me in his lap. I am his grandson. and my grandpa is no more.
He was second son of his father. He moved to the new mining township in search of work where labourers were needed. He and his wife got work as labourers and lived in makeshift arrangements provided by the mines authorities. This was not a bad deal as there was little land to plough and mostly exploitationary labouring work in village, mostly free or for food or petty amount of grains depending upon the whims of land owning minority.
They started their life in Majhgawan, around 20 KM from Panna district center in Madhya Pradesh. Their village was around 30 KM away from Panna on a different route. An inaccessible village by road, a place where very few had seen vehicles like truck or buses. People mostly used to travel by foot or by bullock cart. Marriages were done in the places which can be reached by foot. If one had to take bus to reach a place that was considered far away.. bus was luxury not affordable by the village folks. One had to pay money for that while on foot was free. People used to walk 20-30 KM normally.
I remember him carrying me on his soldier to the small tea shops which had samosas and mangories. I remember him chewing pan and talking to his friends with me in his lap. I am his grandson. and my grandpa is no more.
