Sunday Special-Uddami-The un-Cut Diamond!

 Sunday Special-Uddami-The un-Cut Diamond!

In the year 1965 I was posted as Subdivisional Engineer in the erstwhile state 0f Punjab in the Public works department with headquarters at Kulu. As a gazetted officer my salary was Rs.315/-per month. The daily wages of the labour were Rs 1.25 for girl coolie,Rs.1.50 for boy coolie,Rs.2 or women collie,Rs.2.50-man coolie. A mason used to get Rs.5 /-and a Firstclass mason Rs.10/-

A bridge was under construction departmentally (Not through Contractual agency),between Aut and Laji on Aut Banjar Jalori pass road.(A portion of road Linking Kulu and Shimla) popularly known as Luri-Aut road

(Picture for representational purpose only)

Whenever I came for inspection dominant among the labour was a boy named Uddami. My eyes would catch him first, he used to be in tatters and one could have a glimpse of his beautiful body through holes in his torn shirt.

(Abutment of the bridge under construction)

One of the  Abutments of the bridge was under construction. Tha size of the stones needed to be in proportion to wall thickness. As per design the core of the abutment was of random -rubble masonry called uncoursed rubble and the facing was that of Ashlar masonry.(Ashlar masonry is built from accurately dressed or uniform size stones laid with fine joints)

                        (Ashlar masonry)

Random Rubble Masonry can be done by a 2nd class mason but for Ashlar Masonry First class Mason is required.

I used to inspect each and every work once a month. On my first visit I found that the job entrusted to Uddami's group of labourers by the supervisor was to bring the stones and pile them along the Wall ,uniformly distributed, for use by the mason. I took Uddami aside and asked him about his name and about his family. He told me the he was the only bread winner in the family and that his two sisters did not go to school and helped his mother in the domestic chores and sometimes worked in effluent families as domestic help and at times in the fields.None of them had regular job. My heart came out of the body to learn the struggle of the poor family for their existence. I told Udyami that I want to see his wages increase from Rs.1.50 to Rs.10.in other words I wanted to see him as a First-class mason. His eyes widened and glittered in surprise and he did not believe me. I assured him that I mean I say and that Becoming a Fist class mason was not a rocket science..I told him that the masons working there were illiterate,old,lean and 'Bidi'(an inexpensive cigarette, locally produced usually from cut tobacco rolled in leaf) addicts and did not have any formal training and were in no way superior to him and that he was young and healthier of them all. I told the supervisor to entrust him the job of handing over the chiselled stones to the mason. So that he may observe the mason doing the job and the use of the construction tools.

On my next month's inspection, I found uddmi bringing stones from a distance. I called the supervisor and asked him the reason for not following my instructions, he told me that the mason did not consider him suitable for the job. I pulled up the Supervisor and the mason and put him back myself and asked him to learn the use of the construction tools. I advised him to win the heart of the mason he works with.

On my next visit I asked Uddami to try his hand at mason's work. He said, "Sahib yeh merey se nahi ho sakeyga"(Sir I would not be able to do it).I scolded him,{"Tu bekaar aadmi apney naam di taa.n laaj rakkh" (You good for nothing fellow at least live up to your name.(Uddami is a Punjabi word meaning Diligent)}

I asked the mason to get aside, myself took the charge, picked up over the Angel trowel and dumped mortar on the stone pitching, took the brick towel and wooden float, spread the mortar in a thin layer. Took the 'line dori'(a sturdy thread) wrapped one end of it around a dressed stone and placed it on the spread mortar ,adjusted this corner stone with right angled scale and likewise on the other end and stretched the thread tight between the two end stones. and started placing the dressed stones on the spread mortar underneath the stretched string. Then I demonstrated to him that what the mason does is that if the stone does not touch the thread, he puts more mortar underneath the stone to make it touch the thread and that if the stone goes beyond the thread, he removes some mortar to bring it below the thread line. Then fills the joints with mortar using gauging towel "Iss mei.n kaunsa Ved padhney wali baat hai"{( One does not need to read 'Vedas'(Religious scriptures) to do this simple job)} I told him to repeat the process and he did it. Then I told him that after a few courses of masonry he has to check the verticality of the wall with a plumb bob and demonstrated the same to him. I Instructed the mason to let Uddami do the job ,correct him where ever he goes wrong and that training him was now his responsibility. Warned him if he fails to train him, he would be shunted out and some other mason will train him.

On my next inspection I entrusted him with the job of random rubble masonry, the work that needed very less

 expertise and precision as it was the core work to be covered with Ashlar masonry facing.

On the next monthly visit, I found him fit to be a 2nd class mason and increased his daily wage from Rs,1.50 to Rs.5. and directed him to send his sisters to school. For that I gave money for, books, school uniform and School fee for six months.

During my ninth Inspection I found that Uddami was a better mason than the mason who trained him. The Abutment had reached the stage for Ashlar masonry facing, I entrusted the work of Ashlar masonry to both 'Ustaad' (Teacher) & the 'Shagird'(taught) at each end and joining somewhere in the middle -third. Uddami covering more than his competitor because of former's youthful energy. Uddami's daily wage further increased from Rs.5/- to Rs.10/-and he joined the rank of First-class masons and rose to be one of the most sought-after Mason among the officers of the department.

In November 1966 the he state of Punjab was reorganised ,bifurcating the state in 3 states Punjab, Ariyana and Himachal Pradesh. I was allocated to Punjab and transferred from Kulu as it became part of Himachal Pradesh.

Uddami and his family got the shock of their life and plunged into grief as they could not even dream that Uddmi's worth could improve to the extent of 7 times in nine months. On the day I was to leave for my new posting Amritsar. The whole family as well as their relatives and neighbours camped at my residence early morning.(I was tenant of Brother-in-law, Lawyer Ratra and sister of actor Pran).My residence, office and Bus stop were at stone's throw, all located in Dhaalpur maidaan. Everybody was feeling emotional with tears in eyes expressing feeling of a mixture of love, respect, admiration and gratitude .Uddmi sitting in my feet his mother sisters clinging to me.

(Picture for representational purposes only)

Emotions ran high,With great difficulty i could part company with them, With tearful eyes they bid me adieu ,they followed me up to bus stop put my luggage on the roof of the bus. And even ran after the bus till bus was out of sight.

-Tejinder Kamboj

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      (1940-20??)