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CENTENARIAN |
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Strength behind the silence of almost 100 years |
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“Her feelings are too loud for words and too shy for the world. Among her most prized possessions are words that she has never spoken1”.
Babiben Ramchandraji Thakur has spent a century dealing with numerous hardships and responsibilities. She has faced many ups and downs of life. She is a silent but strong woman. Born in Varan village near Dhanera town of Banaskantha district, Babiben was the fourth of five daughters of her parents. “I never thought I would live this long,” gasping marvellously, as if at the discovery of her age, she continued, “My parents died young. I really didn’t think I would live so long.” She felt that long life span doesn’t run in her family.
After the demise of her parents, she looked after the family. “Though I was younger to my sisters, I somehow managed to look after them. I used to work on the farms for hours and earn our living,” recounted Babiben. Her eyes scintillated with the pride that she was the financial and moral support for the family.
She got married at the age of 15, by then all her siblings had got married. With two sons and five daughters, she was indeed a busy mother. Her eldest son shared, “She used to dig holes in the sand, bury the kids with their heads outside”. To which she jestfully added, “Seized kids are not able to disturb anymore. Mothers are free to work properly thereafter.”
Babiben lives with her family in the same house where she raised her children. She cooks her own meals, and does most of her work herself. “She is a wonderful cook” said her son, “She loves to eat Maalpua (an Indian sweet dish made from maida (refined wheat flour), milk and bananas and also the fruit safarjal (Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa).” Except for an eye operation a few years back, she has been healthy.
The times have changed with the invention of so many gadgets like mobile phones, but some of the traditions haven’t changed enough. Women still veil their faces in front of their sons-in law. So, whenever she would attend her son-in-laws’ calls, she would cover her head. The younger generation finds it funny, which is quite obvious. Our ways of communication have changed and so have our kinship ties.
On changes in the world, she very vociferously states her opinion, “When I was born, there wasn’t radio or TV. We spent our childhood playing games outside. Kids don’t do that these days. They don’t go out to play. They are indeed missing out on a lot of fun.” She adds, “The world has changed so much, and not much for the better. Presently they have medical treatments but at the same time, there is so much jealousy and hatred amongst people. We didn’t have that in my days.”
She attributes her longevity to eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep. “Work hard, eat well, and sleep calmly, what else one needs to do to live longer!” says a very content Babiben, She further clarified, “The tiredness of working in fields and taking care of the household chores would vanish the moment I ate together with my husband and kids in the evening.” Giving her parting piece of advice, she says, “Never do wrong to anyone. Always do good to others and be a good person. God will bless you.”
Scouts: Shelly Singh and Vishesh Sharma
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee 25(1) 20, 2014 |
