5/9/2016

'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

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'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'
Lastupdatedon:October28,201510:18IST

Inaspecialseries,Rediff.comlooksatIndiathroughthelivesofherpeople.
Today:SufalDas,adhakplayerinWestBengal.
Asachild,heusedtodreamofbecomingadhaki.Butalifefullofadversities,andthedwindlingpopularityofthedhak,
hasmadehimregrethisdream.

ehavebeendhakisforthreegenerations.Myfatherandmygrandfatherwerewellknownfortheirskills.

IgrewupseeingthemplayingthedhakduringDurgaPujaandotherHindufestivals.
Asachild,Ijustlovedtolistentothebeatsofthedhakandwonderedwhenmyturnwouldcome.
One fine morning, I think I was 15 then, my father handed over a brand new dhakandsaid,'Eta baja dekhi. Bhalo kore
bajash.Amadermanrakhis(Tryyourhandonthis.Playitwell.Keepupourgoodwork).
Iwasoverwhelmed.Myyearsofwaitwereoveratlast,Ithought.
LittledidIrealisewhatwasinstoreforme.

yfatherusedtotakeprideinhisacumenasadhaki.'NootherdhakiinBengalcaninvokeMaDurgalikeIdo,'hewould
tellme.
Buthenevermentionedthat,byembracinghisprofession,Iwouldbethrownintoalifeofendlesshardshipsandstruggle.
Dhakisarebecomingredundantinthisageofdigitalandelectronicformsofentertainment.
Earlier,IusedtoearnRs9,000,10,000duringthemonthsofSeptemberandOctober.
Notanymore.
Orders (for a performance) are less frequent now and the event management companies that approach us take huge
commissionsfromtheirclients.Asaresult,wegetapittance.
Iworkmoreasafarmlabourernowthanasadhaki.ItfetchesmeRs250perdayonanaverage,butthisworkisseasonal
too.

havebeenadhakifor25years.AndIhavebeensufferingthepangsofpovertyeversince.

Earlier,welivedinMurshidabaddistrict.Butafterakillerfloodswallowedourhomein2000,weshiftedtoTentuliavillagein
Hooghlydistrict.IstayherewithmywifeShonaliandsonAshish.
Irecentlymarriedmydaughterofftoamasonfrommyhomedistrict,Murshidabad,aftertakingahugeloanfromthevillage
moneylender.Icouldnotmeetthedemandsofmydaughter'sinlaws.
Iamyettopresentthemwith10gmofgold,acot,analmirahandashowcasegiftsthattheyhadaskedfor.
IjustpraytoMaDurgathatmychild'sinlawsdon'ttortureherforourlapse.
Aftermydaughter'smarriage,mywifewasforcedtotakeupajobasamaidservant.Sheworksinfourhousesinthevicinity
andearnsaboutRs1,200permonth.IsetasideherearningsformysonAshish'seducation.

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5/9/2016

'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

ecauseofthemountingdebts,wehavenowbeencompelledtocutourdailyexpenses.

Earlier,weusedtohaverice,dalandvegetablecurryforlunchanddinner(wecouldneveraffordmore
thantwomealsaday).Now,weonlyhavericewithabitofsalt.Wehavealmostforgottenthetasteof
fishandmeat.
Mysonlovestoeatfish,yethedoesn'tcomplain.
Whensomeonefromourvillageinvitesusforanyceremony,wesendAshishasourrepresentative.There,hegetstoeat
wellatleastfortheday.

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'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

Thehousethatweliveinisinshambles.Duringthemonsoon,theroofleaksandtherearesnakesallaround.Wetaketurns
atnighttokeepwatch.
It'sapatheticlifewelivehere.
Asdhakis,wehavebeenservingMaDurgaforgenerations.IwonderwhytheGoddessisnotshoweringHerblessingson
us.

o get rid of the burden of debt after my daughter's marriage, I started taking more contracts from event management
companiesbutwassoonbedriddenbecauseofthepressureofwork.
Onenight,anacutebreathingproblemwokemeup.Iwasgaspingandfeltlikesomeonewasthrottlingme.Ithoughtitwas
indigestionandhadsomewater.Butthediscomfortremained.
Atdaybreak,Ivisitedthevillagehealthcarecentre.ThedoctortherereferredmetoaKolkatahospital.Severalpainfultests
later,Iwasdiagnosedassufferingfromcardiacasthma.
TheKolkatadoctorprescribedquiteafewcostlymedicinesandadvisedrest.
WhileIhadtosellmanyhouseholditemstobuythosemedicines,Icouldnotfollowthedoctor'ssuggestiontorest.
Instead,Istartedtakingmorecontracts.WhenIwasnotplayingthedhak,Istartedworkinginthefarmlandsaroundmyhome.
Afterall,IneededtoearnenoughtopayRs1,000everymonthformymedicines.

hough event management companies don't pay the dhakis well these days, those performing at the Durga Puja
organisedbyoldzamindars'kingetahandsomebakshish.
Thisyear,IamperformingatapandalinsouthcentralKolkata.IhopeIgetreasonablepaymentthistime.
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'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

Thoughmylifestoryisfraughtwithpovertyandpain,themomentIstartplayingthedhak,theserenefaceoftheGoddess
makesmeforgeteverything.
ThereissomethingreallyintoxicatingaboutDurgaPujathebeatsofthedhakjustaccentuatethefestivefervour.

I have heard that our honourable President Pranab Mukherjee invites dhakis from rural Bengal for the festival at his
ancestralhomeinBirbhum.Iwishheinvitesmeonceandgivesmeachancetoexhibitmyskillsthere.

hedhaksofyesteryearshadleatherforthehide.Theywereexpensiveanddifficulttomaintain.

Butpresentdaydhakshaveasynthetichide.Theyarequiteeasytohandleandcanlastforaslongasfouryearsatastretch.
IhearthatmanyPujacommitteesnowadaysplayrecordeddhakbeatsorresorttoHindifilmsongs.
Asaveteraninmyfield,Imustsaythesenewentertainmentmodulescannotholdacandletoourliveperformances.

anyyearsback,acompanyhadtakenmetoBombay(Mumbai)toperformataDurgaPujaorganisedbyaclub.

Thepaymentwasreallygood.
IwishIcouldgotothatcityonworkagain.
MyhealthisfailingandIamlosingmyvitalityfast.
Won'tIgetachancetovisitBombayoncemorebeforeIdie?
MysonisabigfanofHindimoviesShahRukhKhanandKatrinaKaifarehisfavourites.Henurturesadreamofvisitingthe
cityofhis'idols.'
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'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

Beingapoorfather,Ihaven'tbeenabletodomuchforhim.

ButshouldBombaybeckonsmeever,Iwilltakemysonalong.

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'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

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'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

'D

on'tworrybaba,whenIstartearning,yourwoeswillend,'mysontellsmeoften.

AsIearnestlywishso,Irefusetobringmysonupasanotherdhaki.Idon'twanthimtosufferlikeme.

Iwanthimtostudyhardsothathecanbagajobattheearliest.
Iknowhowithurtstobeanilliterate.Iwishmyfatherhadsentmetoaschool.Iwishhehadgivenmeabookinsteadofthe
dhak.
Idon'twanttorepeatmyfather'smistake.
SufalDasgoestobedeachnightwonderinghowtomakeendsmeet.HesharedhisdreamofperformingataDurga
PujainMumbaiwithIndraniRoy/Rediff.com
If you would like to help Sufal Das, you can get in touch with him at the following numbers: 9564668525 and
9733146728.
ForthosewhowishtohelpSufalfinanciallythefollowingarehisdetails.
Village:Tentultala
SripurBazar
P.O.Balagarh
District:Hooghly,WestBengal,
India712514
PhotographsandVideo:AbhiroopDeySarkar
Don'tMiss!ADayInTheLifeofIndia

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'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

IndraniRoy
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'WhyisMaDurganotshoweringHerblessingsonme?'Rediff.com

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