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The two teams from the two villages were playing
cricket in the village cricket ground. The first inning was over and the second
team was chasing the required runs to win the match. After few over, it became
apparent that first team would lose the match. The player of first team looked
frustrated and they would appeal for out unnecessary. The players ‘frustration
brought uneasiness among the spectators. Meanwhile a supporter of first team,
who had a desi katta in his hand, came running towards the centre of the
ground. After reaching the crease, he fired in the sky. A chaos prevailed there
and all the spectators ran opposite direction of the field. I was in the
spectators and that was my first encounter with weapon.
When I came home, I recounted the whole incidence to the grandfather. I was thrilled to see a person-carrying gun came to the field and fired and his act made people to flee away from there. My grandfather looked worried to see my admiration for gun and the man. That night, he told many stories and tried to convince me that gun was not good for humanity and those who believed in gun were not less than monster and beast.
After few months of that incident, I had second encounter with weapon. It was summer and a Barat party (bridegroom’s family and friends come to bride’s home on the marriage day) had come to my village to attend marriage. The youths were dancing on the tune of band party and few of them were waving the guns in the air. After that, they fired many rounds in the air. I was fascinated with gun. I too wanted to have a gun and fire in the air.
My third encounter with weapon took place at my friend’s village. It was last day of Durga Puja and my friend invited me to attend the Idol immersion ceremony. During immersion ceremony, many villagers had weapons in their hand and few of them were on horse with rifles. They fired when idol immersed in the water. After coming from there, when I told the story to my grandfather, he was distressed. He told me never to go that village during Durga Puja. When I expressed my wish to shoot bullets from the gun in air, he made me to take oath that I would not do anything like that and never befriend with those who had guns/ weapons.
My village is in Munger district. Munger is a historical town and once was capital for few months during Mir Kasim era. Now Munger is famous for cigarette and Gun factory. Because of Gun factory, many locals learnt the skill of making weapons and they would prepare it in their home based workshops. Many times police raided such workshops and captured weapons as well as workshop owner. Despite of administrative restriction, local weapons were ubiquitous in the district and surround areas. As adolescent , I was very much fascinated with gun but that time due to the counseling of grandfather, I understood the term ‘legal weapon’ and ‘illegal weapon’. I made a promise with myself, if I would fire the bullet in my life, I would do it with legal weapons only.
After three months of joining the Air force, we went for range firing practice. I was very excited about it. I had long cherished desire to fire the ammunition from the Gun and it was going to be fulfilled. In afternoon, the service vehicle carried us to range firing spot. The spot was separated by two sections, one was ground from where we were supposed to fire and, other was, from ground to slop of sand and earth. At the height of the slop, target was kept and we had to fire ammunitions from rifle and Sten gun, sixty ammunitions for rifles, and two magazines (perhaps 32 bullets each) for Sten gun. This was the first time I was holding weapons in my hand to fire. I heard the instructions of the instructor with rapt attention. After that, I took the position, put the bullet in the rifle, and pressed the trigger. Oh! I fired the bullet. The moment bullet went out of the rifle; I got a jolt at the shoulder from the butt of the rifle. I was mentally prepared for it as the instructor told about it at the time of briefing. Then after all sixty bullets I fired from the rifle. I was tired and my shoulder was hurt. After Rifle, I picked up the Sten gun. I was supposed to fire Sten gun in manual mode not in automatic mode. Manual mode means, every time one has to press the trigger to fire each bullet from the magazine and in automatic mode, one pulls the trigger once and it will empty the magazine. I was supposed to fire the Sten gun in manual mode but I did it in automatic mode. Within a moment, all the bullets from the magazine went out of Sten gun. It became so quickly that anyhow I controlled the muzzle of the weapon. My Instructor was very angry with me and he admonished me. I listened him silently but internally I was very thrilled as I experienced firing the Sten gun in automatic mode.
After range firing, I was completely exhausted. I came to billet and went to bathroom. I stayed in the shower for almost two hours. I came out of the bathroom only when the water of the tank completely ran out.
When I came home, I recounted the whole incidence to the grandfather. I was thrilled to see a person-carrying gun came to the field and fired and his act made people to flee away from there. My grandfather looked worried to see my admiration for gun and the man. That night, he told many stories and tried to convince me that gun was not good for humanity and those who believed in gun were not less than monster and beast.
After few months of that incident, I had second encounter with weapon. It was summer and a Barat party (bridegroom’s family and friends come to bride’s home on the marriage day) had come to my village to attend marriage. The youths were dancing on the tune of band party and few of them were waving the guns in the air. After that, they fired many rounds in the air. I was fascinated with gun. I too wanted to have a gun and fire in the air.
My third encounter with weapon took place at my friend’s village. It was last day of Durga Puja and my friend invited me to attend the Idol immersion ceremony. During immersion ceremony, many villagers had weapons in their hand and few of them were on horse with rifles. They fired when idol immersed in the water. After coming from there, when I told the story to my grandfather, he was distressed. He told me never to go that village during Durga Puja. When I expressed my wish to shoot bullets from the gun in air, he made me to take oath that I would not do anything like that and never befriend with those who had guns/ weapons.
My village is in Munger district. Munger is a historical town and once was capital for few months during Mir Kasim era. Now Munger is famous for cigarette and Gun factory. Because of Gun factory, many locals learnt the skill of making weapons and they would prepare it in their home based workshops. Many times police raided such workshops and captured weapons as well as workshop owner. Despite of administrative restriction, local weapons were ubiquitous in the district and surround areas. As adolescent , I was very much fascinated with gun but that time due to the counseling of grandfather, I understood the term ‘legal weapon’ and ‘illegal weapon’. I made a promise with myself, if I would fire the bullet in my life, I would do it with legal weapons only.
After three months of joining the Air force, we went for range firing practice. I was very excited about it. I had long cherished desire to fire the ammunition from the Gun and it was going to be fulfilled. In afternoon, the service vehicle carried us to range firing spot. The spot was separated by two sections, one was ground from where we were supposed to fire and, other was, from ground to slop of sand and earth. At the height of the slop, target was kept and we had to fire ammunitions from rifle and Sten gun, sixty ammunitions for rifles, and two magazines (perhaps 32 bullets each) for Sten gun. This was the first time I was holding weapons in my hand to fire. I heard the instructions of the instructor with rapt attention. After that, I took the position, put the bullet in the rifle, and pressed the trigger. Oh! I fired the bullet. The moment bullet went out of the rifle; I got a jolt at the shoulder from the butt of the rifle. I was mentally prepared for it as the instructor told about it at the time of briefing. Then after all sixty bullets I fired from the rifle. I was tired and my shoulder was hurt. After Rifle, I picked up the Sten gun. I was supposed to fire Sten gun in manual mode not in automatic mode. Manual mode means, every time one has to press the trigger to fire each bullet from the magazine and in automatic mode, one pulls the trigger once and it will empty the magazine. I was supposed to fire the Sten gun in manual mode but I did it in automatic mode. Within a moment, all the bullets from the magazine went out of Sten gun. It became so quickly that anyhow I controlled the muzzle of the weapon. My Instructor was very angry with me and he admonished me. I listened him silently but internally I was very thrilled as I experienced firing the Sten gun in automatic mode.
After range firing, I was completely exhausted. I came to billet and went to bathroom. I stayed in the shower for almost two hours. I came out of the bathroom only when the water of the tank completely ran out.
~~~ Ramanuj Dubey
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