Badrinathpur was a small, sleepy village situated miles away from the city. The dense green foliage and surrounding hill probably insulated it from the malice of modernity. Cultivation was the predominant occupation. The needs of the villagers were basic and they were yet to be exposed to the world of want. There was a small school in the village. The kids used to study in that village school before stepping into their father’s occupation. Hrishikesh babu was the only teacher of that school. Being the most educated person of the village he was revered by the villagers. He was also the head of Badrinathpur.
Life was going on as usual. The villagers would work in the paddy field during the day, in the evening they would congregate near the village temple. Hrishikesh babu would tell them stories from mythology, the villagers would recite religious chants, sing songs, make merry and then they would retreat back to their houses happily. Sunday used to be day when everybody used to come together to the center of the village. There was a huge banyan tree. This writer was told the tree is more than a century old and a witness to all the decisions that has been taken in Badrinathpur. Hrisikesh Babu used to sit under the tree, listen to villager’s issues and provide solutions, suggestions or pass on verdicts.
It was another Sunday. Rather a special Sunday, summer was approaching, the village needed another Well. Everyone was ready to raise request for another Well to Hrishikesh Babu .People kept on waiting for him to join. But when he didn’t reach they got worried. It was quite unusual for him to be late. He usually is a stickler for time. When it approached noon and yet Hrishibabu didn’t come the villagers decided to go to his house to check if everything is all right. On reaching his house they found it locked from inside. They knocked on the door without getting any response. Everybody was getting worried and impatient. Finally the seniors of the village decided to break the fragile door open. On entering the room, they found him sleeping peacefully, without a care about the world. He didn’t respond to their call. There was a panic ridden silence. Giriraj, the village Vaidya, who was standing outside, rushed in. He checked the pulses, his face turned pale. Hrishibabu was no more. Everyone was shocked. There was a sudden emptiness, people’s eyes welled up. They didn’t know what to do. In all these years it is Hrishikeshbabu who has provided them with solutions in situations like these. And now suddenly he is no more. They didn’t know what to do, whom to go. Hearing the sad news people from nearby villages also rushed in. Almost an hour passed by. Giriraj stood up and told the masses, the last rights needs to be performed. Ashim, Hrishibabu’s son, was summoned. He reached by evening. After completion of all rituals the cremation took place close to midnight.
Next couple of weeks it was a strange sense of sadness that grappled the village. Everyone missed the guiding force in their life. There were no more listening to mythology or singing songs during the evening gathering. The village seniors realised, they must appoint the new Head soon. They felt being the most educated person amongst them Ashim was the right person to lead them. Having completed his education in the city, he would also handle the school. They went to Ashim with the proposal, though initially hesitant to take up the responsibility, he finally agreed. He knew how much the villagers respected his father. He realised his father would have loved him to see following his footsteps.
So exactly three weeks after that fateful Sunday, the villagers gathered near the Banyan Tree to anoint the heir. Ashim became the village head and the first proposal that the villagers brought to him was the requirement for another well. Ashim listened to them carefully. He told them he agreed to their view, however since this is a project that would impact many lives and involve cost they need to carefully check the viability of the same. Hence he formed a committee of four people who would examine the proposal which they can discuss in the next Sunday’s meeting. For the villagers it was something new, they have never heard of a word committee in their lifetime. Ashim explained, the four members , would speak to each villagers about the requirement of the Well, they would also survey the nearby villages to find out how many wells they have and based on these findings they would suggest the next steps.
Thus began the ground work for the Well. The four committee members met in the evening over a smoke. They had no clue on what they are supposed to do. One said why is it necessary to ask each villager again about something, they already knew is a necessity. But since the village head wanted them to do this, they have to carry the order. So that next morning instead of going to the paddy field, they started meeting each of the villagers to get their view. First they went to Raghuveer’s home. Raghuveer & his wife wanted the well, but when they asked their one year old son, the kid stared at the strangers and started crying. Not being able to comprehend the answer, yet bound by the village head’s directive to take each villagers view they took the toddler’s cry for a No. So at the end of the week, on Sunday, when they gathered for the discussion, along with an overwhelming demand for the well, there were few denials as well. Thus stood up the village head with pride and justified why he wanted to take everyone’s opinion. Those few cries of dissent were sign that everyone doesn't want a well. Yet they have to go with the majority.
So the next logical step was to identify who would undertake the work of digging the well. The villages suggested the name of Bhola, who lived in the nearby village and known to be very good in his work. In fact he was the one who dug the existing well, few years ago. But Ashim told them since it involves cost; they must try to keep it to bare minimum and must be transparent in their approach. Hence another committee was formed. This committee would meet all the interested bore well diggers, negotiate the price, evaluate quality and at the end of two weeks recommend the name of the person who should be entrusted with the work.
While all these discussions went on, awestruck villagers were looking at each other’s face without understanding an iota of what is going on. The committee members looked equally dumbstruck. Ashim realized that it is something new to the villagers. Hence he volunteered to mentor and guide them in their quest to find the well digger. Couple of weeks went by. Summer reached its peak. There was no sign of rain. The only well in the village was barely able to provide enough water for survival. They wanted to request the village head to quickly set up the well, but their enormous respect for him stopped them from pressing for the issue. However some of the villagers, especially the elder ones, have started discussing that someone from a nearby village must have done some witchcraft on the Village Head. One of them said “ last time the well was build in just a week, this time it is close to two months , yet we are nowhere near to the start of the process. It has to be those people from Jagdalpur village, who have done some sorcery on our young village head, so that we don’t get adequate water and suffer”. When in the next meeting Ashim told them that now they need to form a team to find the most suitable place where the well will come up, the villagers became confident that it would not be before winter that the well can actually be functional.
While all these was going on the famous Jadunath Baba, a renowned Tantric visited Badrinathpur . Baba normally comes once in a while. He was known to be a very learned person who has always helped the villagers in their time of distress. Some of the villagers mustered the courage to approach him and share the problem. At this point for them, more than the Well , the well being of their Head was a bigger concern. Hence one evening they went to Jadunath Baba, explained him everything and requested him to save their village head from all the negative forces around. Baba listened to them carefully, asked few questions, and closed his eyes. People sitting around him were in rapt attention waiting for baba to open his eyes and help them.
Baba slowly opened his eyes. There was a smile on his lips. He said there was no effect of sorcery on the village head. People sitting around breathed a sigh of relief. Baba took a pause. He then said in his calm yet stoic voice that, however the village head is under the impact of a much bigger force and it cannot be cured. There was panic around. Baba asked everyone to calm down and explained, though this force is dangerous, but it is not life threatening. The village head came under the impact of it during his college days in the city. Someone asked him the remedy. Baba said there is no remedy at least in the near foreseeable future and more than half the world is reeling under its effect.
As he stood up to go, a meek helpless voice from the mass asked the name of this brutal force – “Management Education” replied baba as he walked off.
