DAAG ACHHE HAIN

The "indigenous incredible Indian indelible ink" mark on my left hand index finger refuses to go, it seems to have fallen in love with my index finger, having finally found its soulmate after all these years of waiting patiently when  I got it inked so it must ensure that it sis for keeps. This "Atithi (guest) has long overstayed its welcome but it has simply ignored all my subtle and not so subtle efforts to get rid of it. The quality of ink needs to complimented, in our country where durability of most items is suspect, this one stands out. I am sure we recall all the bridges which have collapsed while in construction or immediately after the inauguration. The diligence of the Poll Officials also deserves a special mention as in this era of adulteration the sacred sanctity of the ink has remained unscathed. We are proud of their integrity. Incidentally this ink comprises Silver Nitrate, a chemical compound and was first used during the 1962 General Elections. The ink has been developed by the Council of Scientific and Industri
al Research- National Physical Laboratory (CSIR_NPL), and manufactured by Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd. The good part is that we even earn some foreign exchange by exporting it to more than 30 countries. This humble ink definitely helps in conduct of free and fair elections and strengthens our democracy. The best part of voting is the number of selfies which appear on the various social media apps, this show of finger although is akin to the more common one which conveys a very different connotation, but is proudly done and everyone is happy generally 'fingering'.

Our generation and our parents generation grew up with fountain pens and ink was an essential part of our education. Chelpark and Camel were the most common inks used, no these were not indelible but even they did leave their mark especially when the pens were leaking on our fingers and at times on our shirts as well. These ink stains were pretty stubborn  and defied efforts by all the detergents and soaps. We had to finally rub our stained thumbs and fingers on stones after wetting them, and that was the only way we could get rid of them. Similarly while erasures for pencil were available dime a dozen and were quite effective but ink erasures were not, and ended up tearing up the page itself. In fact as kids we were not permitted to use ballpoint pens as they played havoc with our handwriting. Even today some of us are still in the habit of using a good fountain pen for inking important documents.  Ink pads have also been an essential part of our lives, as the rubber stamps use these pads for stamping and even for thumb impressions which are affixed on official documents. Our fauji Identity Cards also bear our thumb impression, similarly property transactions too require you to provide impressions of all the fingers and thumbs. The ink stains on the thumb and fingers cannot be washed away and the buyer and seller are quite conspicuous moving around with stained fingers. With the advent of biometrics these days at least Aadhaar cards do not need to use this tool.

The most interesting ink is the invisible ink which has been deciphered by many detectives in their pursuit of the mysterious killers. These days the only ink which the youngsters take to is the tattoo ink. Tattooing is in fashion, some ink which they like to show off with pride.

Over the last month plus, I have also got used to this ink and this is probably the closest to a tattoo that I will ever get. The nail is gradually growing and every clipping chips away at this mark. I will miss it, when it totally disappears. I recall an old advertisement, “With cigarette in hand I felt like a man..!” With this mark, I too have a similar feeling.