Himanshu Guru
While it is a fact that neighbours come to instant help during moments of crisis and, therefore, are more important
in that regard compared to relatives who live far by, they can often be unnecessarily gossipy and create misunderstandings in a locality or an apartment
Normally, it is considered wise to maintain a sound relationship with one’s neighbours, even if you find the height of Christian love embodied in the saying: “love your neighbour as you love yourself” a tad difficult to follow in practice. Neighbours are the first to help you in times of need. While male members of the family may not get the chance to interact with their male counterparts, women make relationships quickly. They exchange food and other pleasantries and kids of all the houses in a locality play together. But with the advent of the modern nuclear age it has been seen that a certain family doesn’t know anything about its neighbours. The outcome is that during hours of crisis neighbours don’t come to one’s help. Orissa POST asked some women about the level of cordiality with their neighbours.
Gayatri Mishra hails from Koraput district. She is a housewife and has a big family with kids to look after along with her in-laws. She loves making friends. Perhaps she is the first to take a call to make friendship with the lady of a house who has come recently to the locality. Narrating her experiences she said, “I love to make friendships with my neighbours and I have earned enough benefits. A few months back Samal bhauja’s family left this place, as her husband was transferred to Cuttack. My kids and her kids were friends. My son misses his friends a lot. Another family has come to live in the house where they were living in rent. But I am yet to make friendship with the new neighbour.”
Pushpa Sahoo is a resident of Balasore. Her hubby runs a private business. Pushpa is of the opinion that neighbours should be given more importance compared to relatives who live far off. She said, “Blood relations are welcome but people who are close to you physically can be of more help. Once I had fallen ill. Back then, even my hubby was on a tour for three days. I had called for my sister. But as her son’s examination was going on she came two days later. In the meanwhile my condition deteriorated and my neighbour came to my rescue. She called a doctor to our house and also purchased medicine for me. Later, I paid her the money but can never pay her back the help I got from her at that moment of crisis.”
“I don’t want to make friendships in our apartment because the families are not so friendly. Actually, most of them are housewives and have a lot of leisure time. So they do a lot of gossip. What I do not like about the gossip is that they often criticise somebody or some family. Besides, I am a professional and need to go to office. So, I hardly have anytime left for this boring gossip. That is the reason I am not interested to make friendship with my neighbours,” said Sujata Nanda who lives in Gurgaon. She is basically from Bhubaneswar.
Minu Jaiswal is a graduation student. She is originally from Kolkata but she lives in her aunt’s place in Bhubaneswar for studies. She gives tuition to kids of her neighbours. Everybody knows her. She said, “I teach kids and so every parent, especially mothers want to keep a good personal relationship with me so as to ensure that their kids get special care. But all my students are equal to me. Everybody pays me the tuition fee. So I cannot afford to be partial. Hence, I try to avoid the mothers.”