सपन की याद में............

लेख:रम्भा / दिल्ली

hello Zia ji,
remembered sapan...and wrote something about him.........see if you like it...

sapan chakrawarti

it was 8th of march 2006?.we drove from jagdal pur to bastar (a district in Chattisgarh state) and reached the log huts of chitrakote ..it was raining heavily.

The manager of the log huts happened to be my friend zia qureshi?s old friend (Zia is a news correspondent with CNBC. ..

This was how I met Sapan chakravarti?.a very simple and ordinary person ?not very sophisticated or highly educated but honest and passionate about his land and people?. I am not aware of how Sapan Got the idea that I was a journalist !!

May be because it was off season for tourists ,I was accompanied by a journalist (Zia )?.at the time when naxalite attacks in the area was being flashed on the national news?and I was there taking notes.

Anyhow I wanted to explore the place , and know more about the people so just kept quite.

This is what sapan told me ,with a spark in his eyes??

--Hamare bastar ke bare mein zada log jante nahin hain?.aap likhna..logon ko pata chale?bastar kitna khubsoorat hai?jungle hain?khanij hain bahut rich hai humara bastar!

----.Yahan par zada adiwasi rahte hai ,gareeb hain lekin imandar?..aap chahe to kuch logon sa apki meeting karwa sakta hun?!!

----yahan amdani ka kuch sadhan nahi hai, sara din yeh log mahua chunte hain usko bech kar guzara karte hai.

--- Aspas doctor to kya bazaar bhi nahin hai??hafte main ek baar 8-10 gaon ke beech ek haat lagti hai, usme hi zaroori saman mita hai bus!

---- yahan TATA wale steel factory laga rahe hai??..lekin..gareeb ko kya milega?.chawkidar ki naukri?uske badle zameen chali jayegee?.aur phir sari generation gulami karehi?.chota kisan majdoor bun kar rah jayege??

----Development hona chahiye lekin jungle kut jayenge?.pahad khod denge?khubsoorat Indrawati nadi polluted ho jayegi?to development kaisa!!!

--ye naxalite ki problem thodi theek ho jayegi to zada tourist ayenge..

---main aap ko raat mein Chitrakoot falls dikhaunga?neon light jub jalti hai to bahut hi khubsoorat lagta hai.

---subah sunrise ke waqt aap Indrawati ko dekhna?.duniya ka subse sundar sunrise hota hai yahan

---kuch aisa hona chahiye ki yahan ke adiwasiyon ki zindgi sudhar jaye?.bahut ache hain ye log?..lekin bade log ate hain aur 200- 400 rupaye dekar apna peecha chudate hain?in paison se kuch nahin hota?.inke bare main koi nahin sochta?.

Aap likh taki logon ko pata chale !!

---ek picnic spot aur echo point discover kiya hai maine?.aapko subah le chalunga!!!

And the next day I saw the most beautiful sunrise of indravati?..took a ride in a boat..then a small dingy and went as close to the falls as possible, saw a fisherman lay his fishing net and catch fish?.walked through the jungle?and came across few adivasis who were gathering mahua?.(used for making local wine)in my excitement of taking pictures I forgot all about my money bag( though it had only 1500 Rs.)

After about two and half hours the adivasis camelooking for us and gave the purse back?unopened..the people who worked hard in the heat for 10 Rs. Returned the purse without even opening it!!

Sapan had a smile on his face?.dekha madam ji kitne seedhe hain ye log..

We went to barasour?.driving on the very road where 5 innocent people had been killed by the naxalites two days ago?the deserted road through the dense jungle?.it was a strange feeling?..

And overheard a conversation?.Sapan had no understanding of the old temples?just new that they were somehow important?.and wanted to make sure i did not miss to write about them??and people knew how unique his land was!!

I had to leave early morning the next day..i requested Zia to invite him to have dinner with us??Sapan was very happy.. and asked me how I had liked bastar and chitrakote?and that I would write ?..and said wanted to sing a song??.and he sang?mere naina sawan bhado phir bhi mera mun pyasa?!!!

Dear Sapan,

Just came to yesterday that you are no more?

I am not a journalist?.and I don?t know if I can do justice to your feelings but I am keeping my promise..at least some people will know?that your Bastar is beautiful..with untouched jungles?.people with golden heart.the Indravati river??...and chitrakote falls?.:India?s own Niagra !!!