Junta House is falling down … and I'm heartbroken!
Junta House is in the news again, for right reasons or wrong, only time will tell.
This 59-year-old building, a relic of the post-liberation days of Goa rises like a mammoth monument on the bustling 18th June road, the main arterial road in Panjim, Goa. Back then, the Anglo-American style building was occupied partly by musty government offices and partly by private residences of the semi-elite of Goan society. With 4 huge blocks each with its own manually-operated lift, this iconic building of 6 floors would be pointed out by earnest tourist guides to equally earnest tourists as Goa's tallest and only high-rise. I'm talking about 40 or 50 years ago, mind you.
A newspaper report back then declared Junta House, The People's Building as '… the most famed address.'
And this famed address, so say recent news reports, is soon to be evacuated and brought down, with the concerned authorities running around in circles singing Junta House is falling down, falling down, falling down!
And why does this random piece of information leave me stirred and shaken? Because for the better part of our 25-year stint in Goa, this ionic building happened to be our residential address. With my doctor dad's rise up his professional ladder, we moved bag, baggage and bucket to the 4th floor of the building, in a distinct rise up the social ladder.
And today, as I read about 'project demolition' soon to be unleashed on our beloved Junta House, happy childhood memories associated with this building came flooding back, and strangely enough among all the memories, one which stands out is of that morning years ago … a lazy sultry Sunday morning when our entire family set out of the house, dressed in our Sunday best. When we returned an hour later, we stood at the front door and … well, this was the time normally when papa would put his hand into his pocket and come up with the house keys, just like a magician produces a rabbit out of his pocket. But this time, dad came up with nothing, neither house key nor rabbit. He patted himself all over. Nothing. Then he turned to amma – who as if on cue – dived into her bag and spent precious minutes fishing among its contents. Dad looked on impatiently and remarked on the foolishness of women who carried half the household in their bags but not the house key. These golden words however didn't help. Still no keys.
We three siblings stood around, shuffling our feet and not being of any use. After some harried discussions, dad sallied forth in search of a carpenter, a house breaker, anybody who would help us get into our blessed home. There was not much hope there. Did I tell you it was a Sunday?
The four of us then sat on an old rickety bench outside our front door and the fun, kind of began then. You see, the entire top floor of our building was occupied by a large community hall run by the Swamy Vivekananda Society, where all kinds of events and functions took place. And that Sunday there was a wedding reception up there – resulting in a steady stream of wedding guests clattering up and down the stairs. Every time someone reached our floor, they stopped clattering, gazed at us silently and then clattered off again. If you've ever wondered how the animals in a zoo feel when visitors stop by to gaze at them in their cages, look no further – just ask me!
After a futile search which lasted three quarters of an hour dad finally came back minus carpenter and minus house breaker. I told you it was a Sunday! Even for house breakers!
Happy ending though, folks. Amma rather belatedly remembered that a spare key had been kept with a friend living across our building, for just such contingencies. With dad muttering annoyed remarks about the failing memory of some women, the brother was dispatched to get the keys and we were finally inside our home. On the 4th floor. Of Junta House.
A house which will soon be broken down into a million pieces.
And my heart … it breaketh into a million pieces too.
Ah well, that's life!
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