BRINJAL

There are vegetables and then there are vegetables.Until the last couple of decades we were not conversant of the food value of vegetables and how good they were for a long and healthy life.Thanks to the yeoman progress in research, we have come to learn of it in recent years. Strict non-vegetarians have not only done a u turn in their food habits and become vegetarians but there are some who are known as vegans who do not partake any milk products too.

Anyway,to cut a long story short I hated brinjal and its sight and taste turned me off. I was in class IX and an active member of YMCA College Branch. It was then situated at the crossing of College Street and Harrison Road, dutifully re-named as Bidhan Sarani and Mahatma Gandhi Road by the government. In the fifties and sixties its membership sounded like a who's who of Calcutta. Be it sports like table tennis and billiards, writers, thespians and film personalities.Yours truly went to play table tennis and participate in quiz and recitation competitions.

Our secretary was Mr P K Adhikary and he was universally loved by us for his nature and behavior. A Bustee Boys' Camp was to be inaugurated at Ranaghat (Nadia) and he offered to organize a three day trip for YMCA members. Most of my friends immediately registered themselves, it being part of the summer vacation, and I was no exception.

A bus was booked,and around thirty of us with our satchels and water bottles trudged in. After about three hours the coveted destination. It was love at first sight, lush green fields all round, a huge corrugated sheet cover with about forty cots, a temporary kitchen and rudimentary toilets. The icing on the cake was the meandering Churnee river on whose bank this Camp was being constructed.

Without waiting for any further instructions we changed and plunged into the river in our shorts. What followed was total chaos and mayhem. Not only did we swim, tried out different strokes but also tried our best to out swim our comrades in instant competitions. So far so good, but after an hour Adhikary Sir, as we called him lovingly, blew his whistle, and we had to leave the water dress properly and sit down to thank the Lord in prayer.

At this juncture, I felt so hungry as I have never felt in my life before. Freshly cut banana leaves were placed before each of us, followed by salt and a tiny piece of lemon. Next item on the menu was steaming rice. But till now nothing had been served for us the famished souls to start eating.

What came next was a disaster for me. It was a piece of fried brinjal neatly cut length wise. I was in no position to resist the temptation of  attacking it with gusto along with the rice.

I burnt my mouth in the process, but also learnt to savour brinjal from that memorable day!