Ranchi to Bokaro

My grandmother lives in Bokaro. She and her sister are the last of their generation on my mother's and father's side, and all of Deepti's grandparents have passed away, so it was important to both of us that generation 1 meet generation 4 (i.e. Naina).

To get to Bokaro was spectacular. The road is dangerous, unsealed for a 100 metre stretch and panoramic. Ranchi is at 1500 feet whereas Bokaro is at sea level (or thereabouts) so to get down the hills means long and winding roads. To get there we took NH 33 northeast out of Ranchi and then turned right at Ramgarh and took NH 23 to Bokaro through Phusro.


View Larger Map

The panoramic part was just before Ramgarh, if you enlarge the map, you can see the curving roads and winding roads as we descended from Ranchi.

This was also the stage that N showed her predeliction for motion sickness. She would be jumping about in the back seat of the car, thoroughly enjoying her trip and then would go quiet, refusing food and water. It took us a while to read the signs. Coming back, I started to work out when she would be sick, but she still "surprised" us and the car floor from time to time.

Parts of Jharkhand (including areas surrounding Ranchi) are known for Maoist sympathisers and Naxalites (a type of regional freedom fighter or disorganised guerilla fighters). These sympathisers are in a violent struggle against the government and the commonly held view is that these sympathisers are funded by China, in order for it to increase its sphere of influence.

There is a scene in Yes Minister where Humphrey is describing the urgent need for an upgrade of nuclear deterrents because of the enemy. Hacker replies, what the Russians? Humphrey replies, no the French. Likewise, India is surrounded by two enemies, one well known, Pakistan and, the other not so well known, China. Tensions wax and wane regularly.

Arriving in Bokaro was like arriving in Paris compared to Ranchi. Bokaro is full of grand boulevards, tree lined roads and organised chaos. If Bokaro were not so remote, it should have been the capital of Jharkhand. Unfortunately, a mistake was made and Ranchi was chosen.

On meeting my uncle, aunt and grandmother, Naina was unsettled after vomiting and did not want to be close to anyone except Deepti. But slowly she opened up, her curiousity to explore a new surrounds got the better of her and she started being N like. She was muted though, a sign of still feeling unwell.

She got the intergenerational massage with mustard oil (with unhappy sounds like most Indian babies make) and was particularly amused by the mosquito net that we put up around the bed to sleep at night.

My grandmother regaled us with tales of my sisters when they were young. Usually they involved them being naughty and running around too much. The story of my oldest sister running at 6 months came up, as it does at every family gathering. I wish we could have spent more time there. Getting to see her is so hard when we visit India as we have to fly to Delhi then Ranchi, then drive to Bokaro. It felt unfair to be leaving so quickly.