Although my career after my formal education ended in IIT Delhi started with Larsen & Toubro but I never count it because I never became its official part. I quit from L&T in 5 days. After that I landed in Mumbai Refinery, HPCL with an additional offer to join the Integrated Margin Management, HPCL which was about my hobby, i.e., Stock Markets. Although I liked Mumbai Refinery and wanted to switch to IMM as I had an opportunity to work directly under the Executive Director of IMM, HPCL, I still switched to IndianOil, a giant which was not that professional like HPCL was. I don't know why I switched to IndianOil, although I liked HPCL as I was offered a better role which generally a new officer is not granted. The only reason I can understand is that I had to prepare for Civil Services and everywhere people told me that in IndianOil, I will get ampid time which actually turned wrong. In HPCL. I was in Mumbai and in IndianOil, I was sent to Khunti, yes Khunti.
Among Indians, hardly anyone knows the name of this place called KHUNTI. But the security agencies are quite aware of this name as it falls under the dreaded "Red Corridor". As per a report of Election Commission of India in 2014, Khunti is one of the most notorious when it comes to Left Wing Extremism. Due to its extreme naxalite movements, it was carved out from Ranchi and made a separate district in 2007. When I saw my joining letter I cheered because I was asked to report at Ranchi. I have a likeability with Tier II cities and Ranchi falls in that category. I just said to myself , "Thank God"!!. Only moments later I realised that I was posted not in Ranchi but in Khunti, which was essentially nothing but a village.
With some heavy heart, I left for Ranchi to subsequently join Khunti. I joined Khunti along with two of my batch-mates. We were neither happy nor sad. We were not happy because all three of us had thought that we got Ranchi but it turned out to be Khunti. We were not sad because we calculated and found that we will be able to save a lot of money because there is nothing in Khunti to spend about. I was specially more happy because I knew that I will be able to set-up a very good SIP (Systematic Investment Plan).
Everyday for Khunti
We decided to settle somewhere between Ranchi and Khunti as Khunti was our workplace and Ranchi could become our leisure. Ranchi to Khunti was somewhere around 45 kilometeres and we had settled just in between at Vastu Vihar, in Hardag. The house which we had rented in Vastu Vihar was a two-floored structure and was quite big for us. It had balcony and "no landlord", a perfect fiefdom for a bachelor. It was quite affordable as we had to pay combined Rs. 5000 as rent which was too good deal for us. We hired a maid and got our things in place. Everyday we used to get a bus which would drop us at Khunti and from there we used to hire a shared auto which would drop us at our work place.
Our bus conductors had recognized us as we used to ask them for three tickets to Khunti in the same tone, " Bhaiya, Teen (3) Khunti !!" Although the distance from our house was 23 km but it usually took us 50 minutes to 1 hour to reach the office. Our job was also interesting. It actually had nothing substantial but a lot many things to do. Everyday we used to board a bus and do our job and then return back following the same mode of transportation. When we got fed-up with the daily bus pick-ups, as the buses were very tiresome since we usually used to travel in bus in a standing position. SO subsequently we decided to move to lion's den against our peers advice, we decided to move to Khunti.
When we moved to Khunti, our "Bhaiya Teen Khunti" got a break and we were very happy with that since we were not only able to save our time by as high as 45 minutes from one side but we were also able to get away with our tiresome position. Khunti was just like a village with a very small portion of town where we were living but still very close to nature. More than half of the geographic area of Khunti was covered with forests and population density was very less. Khunti was better than I had expected and although it ended our favourite and the most hated part, "Bhaiya Teen Khunti", but still the lessons learnt and the reality perceived were also not less.
People asked me that why I am here, in an area which nobody knows, I just want to tell them, come and see yourself because "Though shalt watch and observe himself/herself". The project which I am working in, with whatever stint I will work on, 1 year, 2 year or whatever, it will always make me proud because serving in Khunti is what makes me feel like my designation of a Public Servant. I am only trying to be a better and bigger public servant.
