Bhajans Ooh Lala…

“This time we are planning to visit an old age home and we would be spending the whole evening with elderly people, are you interested?”, my wife inquired from me.  She was informing about the programme to be organised by their ladies association.

“But what social cause would be served by this?” I regretted after asking this question.

“How can you be so insensitive to elder citizens of our society and don't forget that you too are getting older very rapidly”, she informed me as a matter of fact.

IRSLA, Mumbai Chapter has been taking up many programmes of social cause and some of which were related with burning social issues and our participation in such issues was also a reminder that we have already stopped thinking in terms of the general welfare of the society and maybe to some extent we have lost touch with realities.  However in the instant case while agreeing to attend the Bhajan Sandhya, I was also thinking that in the fast pace of life we have forgotten to remember the God too and it was an opportunity to redeem ourselves in the eyes of the gods.

As per the schedule I reached the place with my family which was not a faraway from our residence and which was very appropriately named as “Manav Seva Sangh”.  The function was arranged in a large hall which could easily accommodate more than 200 people and I found that it was also having dutifully decorated stage indicating that some celebrity was expected to perform there.  On enquiry I was intimated that Kavita Powdwal was expected to grace the occasion and it would be she who would sing all the bhajans that evening for senior citizens. 

But before the function was formally inaugurated I thought of exploring the place and I found that it was sort of high end old age home from Indian standards.  The whole area was fully air-conditioned and it was maintained swanky clean.  It appeared that hotel type rooms were meant for elderly people with all the modern facilities.  Neatly dressed people were everywhere to assist and things appear to be managed very meticulously with corporate like precision and sincerity.  But still it was an old age home and somehow for the visitor in me the atmosphere seemed not to be very relaxed like any normal home.  One of the volunteer help fully informed that the present days when children are working overseas and many of them have emigrated leaving their parents behind, creation of more such homes is the idea time of which has come.  I was informed that some of the residents have been overseas with their children for some time and in some cases for some years but the found it too difficult to live in alien places with alien people.  Money has not been any problem to them but it was the company in search of which they were staying there.

I could see that there was arrangement of in-house cooking laundry and very amazingly a place for worshipping for largely Hindu elderly residents.  It was informed that the puja and bhajan consisted of large part of the day for residents.  I thought of inquiring about other aspects of this place but suddenly there was some excitement in the corridor and I was informed that the singer for the evening had arrived with her co-artists.  All the people were requested to occupy chairs in the hall.  Then I realised that the formalities have already begun when IRSLA, the organisation was being introduced and its good work in the area of social welfare was also being explained.  The concern for elderly members of society was expressed and responsibility of all of us to make their lives comfortable was re-emphasised and then the cultural programme started.

Kavita Powdwal has a very sweet voice and she started with old devotional melodies which we used to listen very often in our childhood days and in no time the audience was enthralled and mesmerised by her rendition.  Suddenly I heard her speaking over microphone that she had come to the place not just to sing but to dance with the elderly residents and she would see to it that everyone present there should be on their feet that evening.

On being persuaded by her and enthused by her beautiful singing, almost each one of us were on feet and each one of us was dancing and it was such an emotional feeling to see the elderly citizens all smiling and largely happiness seemed to be flowing in the form of blessing emanating from smiles and happiness of the dancing and singing elderly people around.  Suddenly it appeared that we all are amongst a big family and the place look like a big Indian family celebration where everyone seemed to be happy and cheerful.  It was a sight to behold when there appeared to be people from all three generations celebrating together and it was nothing but the happiness around.  I was wondering whether it was tokenism on our part or on the part of the residents for whom it was a day for meeting outside people who were not a part of their day-to-day world.

Suddenly I heard an announcement from the stage when Kavita Powdwal announced that she would be singing the bhajans on demand.  If anyone wishes to listen specific bhajan then he or she could make a request to her and she would sing that specific bhajan.  It was the time when spirits were high and many people requested for many of their favourite bhajans and Kavita sang their requests very beautifully.  Suddenly I found her a speaking our microphone,

“Any more specific bhajan, if you wish to listen today, it is all your evening and all your wishes would be fulfilled today”, this was again once in lifetime offer for the spellbound audience and people requested for some of the bhajans which were really very old and even I never heard or knew whether they really existed.  However, Kavita has been gracious enough to sing almost all the bhajans requested that evening by elder citizens.

“Anyone left, any more request please”, she announced again and she was still ready to oblige.

“I want to listen “ ooh lala… ooh lala… Song”, I saw a smiling person, who appeared to be in his eighties, standing and making his request to Kavita.

I could sense the sudden silence thereafter as it was almost unimaginable that someone was requesting for a Bollywood raunchy hit song in the evening meant for bhajans.

“Well, I will sing that Song when I come here next time”, Kavita handled the request very sensibly.

“Any more bhajan you would like to listen, this is going to be the last bhajan for the evening”, I heard her repeating over the microphone.

The programme continued till late in evening and it was followed by a sumptuous dinner.  But while returning back to home I was still thinking of the request to listen the “ooh lala… Song” by the elderly resident that evening.  I was wondering whether our society also seemed to have created the stereotype for our elderly members as if they had to spend their time only in bhajan and worshipping as if they don't have any worldly desires like other younger people in the society.  Maybe this stereotype has been created because of the economic reasons when we start considering that elderly people are well past their productive years and by spending their time in his religious things they could reach to their salvation as per our great Indian tradition and for this purpose one has to the get rid of their all worldly attachments and desires. 

If we think rationally and do not confuse ourselves with philosophy then there seems to be no need to make any effort for that elusive salvation rather very conscious efforts are needed to be made for the materialistic and emotional comforts of our elderly members.  With the advancement of medical and other facilities, people are relatively healthier even in their advance years of age and particularly with mechanisation and surge in the services as part of the GDP one is not required to be physically present to do all the work.  This is otherwise a great opportunity rather anything like problem.

There can't be any retirement age for the person doing accounts keeping or a person dealing with the interpretation of law; similarly for a teacher or a writer the concept of retirement age seems to have been created artificially.  To be very truthful in my personal opinion and experience I have seen the experience in these kind of areas are far more valuable and which could be utilised as guiding force for the younger generations.  With the new economic development, requirement of such experienced personnel have grown manifold and time has come for all of us to start thinking of in terms of practical aspects rather then in terms of stereotypes created by our society.  Otherwise also the concept of salvation, known as “Sanyas” in our society, has always been a concept available only in the books for the consumption of the Indian society and nobody has ever given this any serious thought in any era.  There is a beautiful observation on this issue by Subroto Bagchi in his book “Go Kiss the World”, where he says that one should actually never retire rather one should only cut down his engagements in the old age. 

Somehow I felt very cheerful thereafter to think that the desire of our elderly people are still there to listen and enjoy “ooh Lala… Song” rather than to listen bhajans, despite being older than rest of us.

My dear friend Suresh says, "Dil to Bachcha hai jee"...Amen