59 / 64
July 2016 59
all! A perfect example of
adherence to the boss’
instructions.
Walking along the plucking
paths, the Field Assistant
heard the women making a
hissing noise. He queried
and was told that the noise
would keep the snakes away
from the plucking table.
After a short while, to his
amazement, he actually did
see a viper. To impress the
women, he decided to catch
the snake and managed to
let it loose in the adjoining
‘hulla’, thus keeping his
macho image intact.
In the Dooars where some
gardens have no definite
boundaries, it was quite
usual to see freshly inducted
trainees crossing over to the
other estate and giving
instructions to the bemused
workers. The accommodating
workforce would give him
that understanding maternal
smile and invite the ‘Baccha Sahab’ to join them for
lunch. It was a widely prevalent and accepted system
earlier, to be with the work force and partake in their
cultural/social merrymaking.
A planter’s kamjari has no specific work station. He
could be with government officials on an evening, with
elbow crocked, amber liquid flowing, calmly discussing
various issues that require solutions. Even the golf course
is a level playing field to discuss work and assist each
other.
Many a time, executives have been in hostile territory,
without fear, negotiating with undesirable elements and
have successfully prevailed over the situation.
On one occasion, a Chota Sahab was called to the
Manager’s bungalow for a drink. By late evening he was
given an armload of kamjari that would require an
Einstein’s brain to remember and which needed
completion within a specified period. Being battle
scarred, he managed to comply with all orders, despite
his inebriated state. It would appear that a planter’s
capacity to retain is unaffected, perhaps even enhanced
by Bacchus’ Brew!
The Burra Sahab’s frame of mind during morning
kamjari hours is an indication of how the day would
progress. There have been numerous instances of paper
weights flying, pencils snapped, books sailing out of
windows, total silence greeting the young Assistant’s
explanations, smoke rings floating around, and the sharp
retort of a palm hitting the table top.These behavioural
patterns of the Burra Sahab actually make the kamjari
more interesting and strengthens the young executive’s
resilience towards eccentric behaviour. The story goes
that Assistants in a garden, during morning discussions,
were given the kamjari to secure a water reservoir. The
‘Burha’ told them to use imaginary grenades and
machine guns to set up a protective defence perimeter
around the tank. Talk of eccentricity!
Another story is of a very senior planter calling his boys
to his bungalow to discuss kamjari. In his rather merry
state, the Burra Sahab decided to test their allegiance
towards him, along with their courage, at the point of a
revolver, which he was sure had no bullets in it. He
decided that it would be fun to play a game of Russian
Roulette with them, since the revolver had no
ammunition. After pulling the trigger thrice, with all
three ‘targets’ almost wetting their shorts, it was time for
the junior most and bravest of the lot to be tested.Much
to the consternation of both the Assistant and the Burra
Sahab, the gun went off and the live round almost sent
the lad to his Maker! In order to exact revenge, the wily
lad decided to give his Burra Sahab some sleepless nights
by revving his misfiring scooter around the Burra
Bungalow way past midnight!
Over a period of three decades, kamjari makes a planter
adept at handling aberrant situations and moulds him to
also be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer… you name it…
apart from honing his administrative and persuasive
oratory skills.
Long may the ‘Never Say Die’ spirit of a planter live on!