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| 4th & 5th large roofed boats are Bahatch that used carry ration |
month was eagerly awaited. On this day, the Food Control Department, known as Shali-Store used to start issuance of ration for the month in favour of the city dwellers within the city limits, punctuated by Chungi posts managed by the Department of Customs & Excise.
Movement of paddy or rice from villages beyond the Chungi posts to city was strictly banned. Landlords with land holding in villages and living in the city were issued permits for transportation of limited quantity of paddy for their personal consumption. Trading in rice was not allowed. Rice traders known as ‘galea dhar’ were looked down upon in the society. Any unscrupulous merchant was taunted as ‘oh; you ‘galeadhar.
Ration sanctioned per head was four ‘trekh’ of paddy. (One trekh=5 seer and 3 chutangh; There were two types of trekh. One was ‘kham’ and the other ‘pokhtea’. Pokhtea trekh consisted of six seers. (5 chutangh=1 pav; 4 pav=one seer; 40 seer=1maund, 16 trekh=1 khervar; Seer=925 gms). 4 trekh of paddy used to yield 12 seers of rice. Each household would fall short of the actual consumption.
Some people engaged at the Rambagh Silk factory used to pass on an empty utensil to their colleague from across the Chungi post to get it filled with cooked rice the other day. Transportation of cooked rice had no restriction.
Ration outlets were at river ghats. A particular section of the boatmen who owned ‘particular type of Bahatch’ to store and carry paddy and other rationed items to the ghat were licensed to do the job. They had to issue ration against the ration-card piece issued by the ghat munshi. Supervisor from the department used to pay a surprise visit to check correctness of the weight of the ration and ensure that the quality was not infringed with any adulteration.
Movement of paddy or rice from villages beyond the Chungi posts to city was strictly banned. Landlords with land holding in villages and living in the city were issued permits for transportation of limited quantity of paddy for their personal consumption. Trading in rice was not allowed. Rice traders known as ‘galea dhar’ were looked down upon in the society. Any unscrupulous merchant was taunted as ‘oh; you ‘galeadhar.
Ration sanctioned per head was four ‘trekh’ of paddy. (One trekh=5 seer and 3 chutangh; There were two types of trekh. One was ‘kham’ and the other ‘pokhtea’. Pokhtea trekh consisted of six seers. (5 chutangh=1 pav; 4 pav=one seer; 40 seer=1maund, 16 trekh=1 khervar; Seer=925 gms). 4 trekh of paddy used to yield 12 seers of rice. Each household would fall short of the actual consumption.
Some people engaged at the Rambagh Silk factory used to pass on an empty utensil to their colleague from across the Chungi post to get it filled with cooked rice the other day. Transportation of cooked rice had no restriction.
Ration outlets were at river ghats. A particular section of the boatmen who owned ‘particular type of Bahatch’ to store and carry paddy and other rationed items to the ghat were licensed to do the job. They had to issue ration against the ration-card piece issued by the ghat munshi. Supervisor from the department used to pay a surprise visit to check correctness of the weight of the ration and ensure that the quality was not infringed with any adulteration.
On first of every month each ration card holder was eager to deposit his ration card at his earliest. Those days the valley used to get a heavy snowfall. The snow would often freeze to make the narrow streets and roads slippery. One had to be cautious lest snow from any tin roof slip and bury the one under its weight. Hanging icebergs too were deterrent.
Despite all hazards, lantern in hand people used to rush at 5 in the morning to be the first. By 8 AM the pile of ration cards would rise to the height of 30 cm. Some muscleman would come and deliberately give a push to the pile to reshuffle and keep his card at a preferable number. Somehow, my ration card was restored its position.
The scene at the ration ghat:
On his arrival, the boatman got the tin box (working table) along with hookah from his boat to the Munshi. In absence of any shed or shelter the Munshi opened his office under the veranda of some neighbouring house. The pile of ration cards in the custody of one of the volunteers was now in safe custody of the Munshi. The boatman made the ‘chilim’ live. Soon the soot was all around and simultaneously people around responded to the call of the Munshi. Absentees were piled up separately. I received my piece and passed it on to the boatman. Coolies were only from the milkmen community. The customer had not to pay him any carriage. The coolie received my supply in a large and narrow waterproof terpal cloth bag known as ‘bostuer’. I had already spread vaguvie and carpet (dhurie) aside the road to dry it of any moisture. It was an off day for my schooling. With a stick in hand I kept the stray cows and sparrows away. At sunset, the coolie came again, filled his ‘bostuer’ and carried it to the local rice mill of my choice. Apprehensive of any pilferage, the paddy was husked in my presence. Loan of any amount of rice, if any was liquidated and the balance was carried to my home by the coolie of the owner of the machine. This total service was rendered to me against the rice polish. In barter system, for his services, the ghat coolie used to get rice polish for his cows from the rice-mill owner.
We had option for any of the three rice mills from Dadikadal to Malik Bagh Zaindar Mohalla. Malik Bagh machine was owned by Aziz Joo and his machine man was Shamboo Nath. Dadikadal machine was owned by Rahim Joo and his two brothers. They were extremely generous during those days of utter scarcity full of crises. Any time, I would go to any of them with a request: “Aziz joo, pouetch huz chue amuet, vie chunea kehien, yotam rusudh kharav totam dhie tomuel vozuem(Aziz Joo, guest came to us. We have no rice. Give me some rice on loan until we get our ration). Without a second thought, he would direct his coolie to give me one trekh of rice on loan. At a later stage, seeing Aziz Joo from distance, I used to come down from my car to express my gratitude to Aziz Joo for his liberal help to all to bridge the crises. Sixth boat on the side of the vegetable boats is the ‘bahatch’ that carried the supply to ghat. Today the ration ghats as seen in the album have become defunct. Ration is no more ferried in boats. Boatmen changed their way of life. Most of them purchased Kashmiri Pundit houses and shifted from boat to houses.
Despite all hazards, lantern in hand people used to rush at 5 in the morning to be the first. By 8 AM the pile of ration cards would rise to the height of 30 cm. Some muscleman would come and deliberately give a push to the pile to reshuffle and keep his card at a preferable number. Somehow, my ration card was restored its position.
The scene at the ration ghat:
On his arrival, the boatman got the tin box (working table) along with hookah from his boat to the Munshi. In absence of any shed or shelter the Munshi opened his office under the veranda of some neighbouring house. The pile of ration cards in the custody of one of the volunteers was now in safe custody of the Munshi. The boatman made the ‘chilim’ live. Soon the soot was all around and simultaneously people around responded to the call of the Munshi. Absentees were piled up separately. I received my piece and passed it on to the boatman. Coolies were only from the milkmen community. The customer had not to pay him any carriage. The coolie received my supply in a large and narrow waterproof terpal cloth bag known as ‘bostuer’. I had already spread vaguvie and carpet (dhurie) aside the road to dry it of any moisture. It was an off day for my schooling. With a stick in hand I kept the stray cows and sparrows away. At sunset, the coolie came again, filled his ‘bostuer’ and carried it to the local rice mill of my choice. Apprehensive of any pilferage, the paddy was husked in my presence. Loan of any amount of rice, if any was liquidated and the balance was carried to my home by the coolie of the owner of the machine. This total service was rendered to me against the rice polish. In barter system, for his services, the ghat coolie used to get rice polish for his cows from the rice-mill owner.
We had option for any of the three rice mills from Dadikadal to Malik Bagh Zaindar Mohalla. Malik Bagh machine was owned by Aziz Joo and his machine man was Shamboo Nath. Dadikadal machine was owned by Rahim Joo and his two brothers. They were extremely generous during those days of utter scarcity full of crises. Any time, I would go to any of them with a request: “Aziz joo, pouetch huz chue amuet, vie chunea kehien, yotam rusudh kharav totam dhie tomuel vozuem(Aziz Joo, guest came to us. We have no rice. Give me some rice on loan until we get our ration). Without a second thought, he would direct his coolie to give me one trekh of rice on loan. At a later stage, seeing Aziz Joo from distance, I used to come down from my car to express my gratitude to Aziz Joo for his liberal help to all to bridge the crises. Sixth boat on the side of the vegetable boats is the ‘bahatch’ that carried the supply to ghat. Today the ration ghats as seen in the album have become defunct. Ration is no more ferried in boats. Boatmen changed their way of life. Most of them purchased Kashmiri Pundit houses and shifted from boat to houses.
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| Once the busies ration ghat has become defunct. |
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| Once the busies ration ghat has become defunct. |
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| He is Sadmuqar. |
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