Burning Trains

My mission in Purvanchal was to carry 270 Hindi books to a girls' intercollege, 22 kilometres east of Ghazipur. Until now, the school has had an enthusiastic staff but no facilities besides a building, blackboards, benches and the odd ceiling fan. A school function to mark the occasion, with 500 girls crammed into a small colourful shamiana, was a total delight. It was a multipurpose affair-the school said farewell to the 12th standard, who hugged their teachers and wept bitterly, and to a member of staff who was leaving to get married, for whom wedding songs were sung. I inaugurated the library by cutting a red ribbon. They had even found out it was my birthday. All 500 voices were raised in "Happy Birthday to You" as I cut a cake with my name and three icing rosebuds on it, which had been specially ordered and brought all the way from the best baker's in Ghazipur.