Seedha Khada hai (Standing Rigid)

Ragging sessions are sometimes filled with immense fun. Nowdays, it is a dreaded term to be used commonly; the trend had started around the same time we had joined the college. Some disciplinary probations, some terminations, some warnings etc, first two months of freshers stay witness such incidents, with increasing commonality nowadays.

But I am sure even now, the air in IIT K would not have dried off. It still must be having the cheer and excitement we all associate with these 'informal interactions.' Those sessions sometimes can even determine a career path for someone. Like one of my friends, who was put into Ham club, just for the sake of associating him with a club, and later went on making his career in this field only. Many budding speakers, writers and painters also emerged.

There was this hindi extempore speech competition in one of such sessions. The seniors would give us some small phrase, which might have another meaning as well, which young boys would grasp quicker than the civilised meaning. There were titles like 'Aam ke aam, guthliyo ke daam", "Angoor ka ras" and many more which I can not recall now. But one title, I remember very rightly.

We were sitting in Hall 2 quad and the senior would call any one of us freshers randomly, asking us to pick any chit from the lot containing the topic from speech. One of my friends got "Seedha Khada hai"!

I must admit that I had no clue what I would have spoken had I been given this topic. It was indeed a challenge not to utter any word demeaning or unhealthy but at the same time maintain the essence of the title. My friend was nervously smiling, looking at our faces, with a puzzled face. I was expecting my friend to back off. But he didn't, and came up with something.

He started with a storm that was destroying all the villages in Orissa. People were getting killed and government was helpless. There was no hope that could console the villagers that things are going to be fine again. Their crops, their carts, their huts, all were rendered useless by the heavy storm. But there was one tree which would not fall even after such a strong storm. Wo ped abhi tak "seedha khada hai. Aaj is ped ki sthaniya nivaasi pooja karte hain" (That tree is still standing tall and straight. Now this tree is worshipped by local residents). A story well framed and appreciated by all of us.

I was amazed by this story. It also left me wondering about the capabilities of mind to create. It can create anything at any moment. My love for creativity further deepened that day.