Nostalgic about the past

HE is not a leftist nor a JNU product. As such. He is an oldish man, a plain security guard for the girls’ Ganga hostel which is almost a centre of integration - with students from all States, speaking different dialects and observing festivals of their own region. But like all those who have long years to count, Jagmal is nostalgic aboot the past and the JNU of “his time”. The present is a bit hazy - not that it inhibits him from judging it.
“Since girls are weaker than boys, they cannot carry their heavy luggage; I just help them out, which other guards usually don’t do,” Jagmal clarifies and further explains why girls of the Ganga Hostel like him and not the other guards. No wonder other guards begrudge him. It is difficult to stem his torrent of self-praise, but once ‘side tracked,’ he has had no hesitation on expressing his views on JNU politics and indulging in a long comparison with the good old days. “Jab ham aye the to ‘Sitaram’ (the then President of JNUSU) ki union thi, tab ikhlaq (behaviour) bahut achcha tha (It was Sitaram’ s union when I joined the university and the behaviour on the campus was much better).”
The SFI-AISF coalition always sweeps the election, even last year it secured all the four seats of JNUSU. But, now he can perceive the emergence of other political parties. “Walse pable to slrf SF thi lekin ab to an Jane kitni partlyan ban gayee hain.”
He alludes to the developing stronghold of the ABVP (Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad) on the campus without actually saying so. In the last two elections ABVP did figure after NSUI and SFI-AISF. The old chords stir again. Sitaram’s union was the best. He was a constant threat to the authorities whereas, now it is the authority which keeps the union under pressure. For Jagmal, the then is always better than the now.
When he joined, the Jhelum hostel was still under construction and none of the Centres had come up. “Previously, there was no main-gate as such, not many lumpens could notice the place and make a nuisance of themselves. Now the campus is famous and attracts students’ relatives and undesirable elements. For this Jagmal blames the new generation, “which is not as conservative as the older ones?” The girls are stereotyped. They can be seen anywhere, anytime. For them there is no difference between day and night. “On the contrary, the ones earlier were sensible and quite apprehensive about going out of the hostel at night”. Pointing to the lawn in front of the hostel he says that there was a ‘Kasi Ram ka Dhaba”, where all the students used to take tea. “But ever since the Ganga dhaba came into existence, the lumpenisation has increased”. He is rather critical of the fallen standards. “Parhti likhti to hain aaj ki bid larkiyan”, but they spend most of their time freaking out here and there: “What can be done?” His expression answers: nothing. On a more serious tone he observes: “Previously it was easy to get a job. Now even Ph.Ds are roaming around jobless. This is another reason for the changes in behaviors.
He cannot resist telling that he knows it all. A perceptive, silent observer from whom nothing can be hidden. “Harare to duty najron ki hoti hai”. He claims to know the whereabouts of almost all the girls and what they are doing, “just sitting here. That may be because, I love them no less than my daughters and fortunately they too seldom go any where without informing me. Mine is a duty of responsibility.” ‘Quite’. And he has mentally psyched himself to believe that he has a third eye.
In his views, boys are “rather aggressive and go berserk quite often”. He finds girls better- behaved. The feeling is reciprocated.
Recently Jagmal had been transferred but was brought back on duty following agitation by girls. He is their Man Friday. Past midnight, on their return hostellers asks him for messages, if any. And his computer mind never fails them. He is careful and hastens to correct any wrong impressions. One night when a girl returned about 1.30 a.m. he told his colleague: “She is coming from the library”. No doubt they have regard for him. He may not realize it. But he has changed with time too. More liberal!
 Smoking among girls is a common phenomenon here. Was it prevalent previously too? “Yeh sab to chalta hi rahta hai”. And ‘what about the frequent love and inter-religious marriages? “This has always been a common practice here. Kisi ka kisi se dil mil jaye to kya burai hai”. Quite ‘fitmese’.
“Abhi bhi achchi Iarkiyan hain”. Some of them always pressurized him to learn English. So he now can read and write a bit of English.
So you have changed. Haven’t you? One asks. He climbs down from the pedestal.” “We all have. No one should judge anyone bad because one doesn’t believe in their values.”
The spirit of JNU has apparently percolated into the psyche of this simple man from the Jatland.