RUINING THE RUINS
- Kevichüsie Nakhro
7th April, 2004

The Kacharis ruin was magnificent - a true work of art. As we wandered around admiring the architecture, the beautiful stuctures, the gate, the ancient ruins of the Kacharis had me entranced. It didnt take long , though, for the spell to be broken. There before me,splashed right across the wall of the survining ruins of an ancient civilisation,were the words'best of love'- mister Rajib. I'm sure Raja Dima had never heard of Mister Rajib. Nor would he have been interested in one whose sole claim to fame was the ugly writing across that beautiful wall.

From a distance, I could see a structure standing so majestic among the beautiful ruins. I could hardly control my exitement. But as I walked closer I realised that Neiko, Hokali, Atoka, Mary Thong ... (with names like that one can hardly say the Kacharis did it) had already in a crude interwined heart express themselves. But that's just innocent lovey-dovey mush compared to some of the obscene stuff.

Our land seems to spawn this generation of egoistic scribblers, the level of cleanliness (or rather the lack of it) makes the graffiti so much more of the surroundings. To start with there's the oh-so popular 'paan-stained' building walls and corridoors (look at the recently shifted Post Office) then our walls are poster-plastered and paint-smeared with the words 'vote for so and so' or 'come one come all to such and such meetings, crusades'. It's all so routine by now, that we've started turning a blind eye to it.

But more outrageous than sad are the 'monumental' scribblers. It seems we are unable to pass any wall or pillar - be it of historic importance or just the wall next door- without leaving a mark behind. "The solution to this problem evades me." People of that generation sought to give identity to the humble rock while we of this generation attemptto mar the beauty of it. Perhaps an identity crisis? Maybe. Maybe not.

No matter what, for some, it isn't much more than 'time pass'. Something you do because everybody else does. Apparently, if the names on those structures makes these individuals feel one with them, then these are truly for keep ('our national monuments?') If that were not so, the invasion by these present 'dynasty' of scribblers would ruin the ruins. Unless, of course, the ruins themselves rot.