Dust Settles

The dust has eventually settled over the Lonavala Picnic date. Shekhawat-ji announced today that September 25 it will be and come what may, there will be no further change of plans. The bus will leave the Garden at 8.00 a.m. sharp and sandwiches will be served on the way for breakfast. The expected time of reaching Lonavala is around 12:30 p.m. when lunch will be waiting for us at the guest house. If this arrangement does not suit anybody, s/he is welcome to opt out and money, if paid, would be refunded.
Promptly Ved Prakash Grover took back his money as the picnic would clash with the Rajasthani cultural programme at Shanmukhanand Hall, which he cannot afford to miss. Hari Narayani excused himself on the plea that he had been to Lonavala twice in the recent past and another visit would be three much. Srichand Arora tactfully put the ball in his wife’s court as she holds his purse strings and he would require her approval for going on the picnic. Razia Khan has a wedding to attend…
Gradually, the real reasons for backing out became clear. By and large, they fall into three stupid categories:
One, the room sharing idea is giving the heebeejibies to members who’d come without their spouses. Since every room is furnished with two beds, Shekhawat-ji will have to pair them in a manner he thinks best. (Obviously, this does not apply to married couples – or does it?) Spending a full night with an incompatible partner in an alien place, that too at a late stage in life, is not a very welcoming prospect for many.
The second reason is what an elderly member described as “narrow-mindedness” of some people. Whether or not he has an axe to grind with somebody is none of our business, but this sentiment of not finding others broadminded enough appears to be shared by quite a few. How this feeling has gained ground, is a mystery. For, if it were not for the group being liberal-minded and fun-loving, the very idea of a two-day picnic would not have come up. What more does anybody want?
The third and most unfortunate reason is the venue. The fact that the guest house is run by a Hindu charitable trust (and there happens to be a temple in the premises) has not gone down well with some members. Mercifully, this has not led to a communal divide, but the undercurrent of displeasure is apparent. The unspoken taunt is: “How would it feel were you made to stay on a picnic in a charity home run by an Islamic or Christian trust?”
It is sad that such views should surface. But then, those who want to fault others would do so any way. No matter how much you do and how excited everybody is, there will always be some sourpusses around who would play wet blanket. What can you do about them?

Anonymous says:
This is very fine web site. Thank you and look at that [url=http;//ciufcia.pl]gry dla dzieci[/url]
--Anon