MY BOY-HOOD EXPERIENCE AND THE FAMINE

When a boy (1940--43) and ever living in rural set -up of the then EAST -BENGAl, (in our village in Dist Barsal), where I was ever happy and never knowing a metropolitan life. I stili rememember three good things that I did and shall ever remember and be proud of until the last day of my conscious living.
I. I was 10 or 11 yrs of age then and first ventured to our weekly market place (Juluhar) abour 2 miles far and at the end of our next village.. After doing the marketting I gave the full account to my mother, My labour -tip was the stamdard 2 paise ( copper coin) out of which one paise I spent for a ras-golla( ball of paneer soaked in seet juice and the other was my saving. Suddenly I found that I had extra 3 paise with me . and on rechecking with my mother's help , I suddenly rememebered that I forgot to pay the Beatle -sellar his due.. The Sun was already sliding down and the nexxt marketing day( Hut-bar) was 3 days -far. So I decided to make it before the darkness came down and covered the distance and met the man ewatning and panting and paid him his 3 paise. The man looked ant my tuin body and sweating. The beatle -seller received it and blessed me profusely. ano on return , my mother too. I think , these blessingss had lasting effect on my life.

II.It was (1942--'43) or Famous Bengal famine -time ( 1350; Begali Calender) Almost 80 percent people of our village and all aroun and beyond were starving. Though we were not poor ( my father had a Boarding house business in Delhi), I found al most all my cousins and play- mates did not have full meal each day. one of my distant cousin ( kartik ) living about half a mile away was my friend too. they were really in a very wretched condition. They were three brothers , had a sister with a widowed mother. They were always poor and now almost starving.
One day he came to me at our house and told that he had no meals last night this moring had only somr boied rice -poder (.IKhud ). I felt his hunger within me that day , don't why.I was only 11 or 12 . And I went in got a pot and filled it with enough Rice grains ( abour 5 seers - [6kgs by togays term ] and gave him . My mother was busy in the kitchen and brothers also not in the house. So nobody knew. and that was my first stealng from our own house. And it was ,perhaps a theft, for which I shal ever remain proud.

III.Within months our whole area was engulfed by FAMINE ( I was not much aware about the outside world ). Soon there was COMMUNITY feeding Centres opened in our area . and more than half of our villagers used to come there with full family (children too), to eat at the FREE MEAL CENTER (only rice-soup with some DAL(pulsees).
I used go there almost daily to know how they can eat that balnd liquid rice and boiled leaves ! and one day , just to know by direct experience , I sat with them and tookk and swallowed that meal of (NANGAR -HKANA)'. That was then only my life to know but not enough wide awarenees to absorb anf feel.,