Old Folks of Kroh

He is 80. A retired police (forest) officer. He was a sergeant major in PPH. He came to this town a few decades ago and settled here. Never married. Lives alone. He eats only strict vegetarian diet, mainly juices. He meditates. He prays. He says he is a Brahmin. In his younger days, he taught bhajans and prayers to neighbourhood children including my aunts. After his retirement, he did little odd jobs e.g. grass-cutting even at midnight. He used to cover himself in thick clothing, with a head-torch and go about his business. He used to cycle 20 miles daily to Baling , uphill and downhill, to buy fresh milk and supply to locals. Now he is too frail to cycle so he drags this little ice-box with him 6.30am to the local bus station and catches the first bus to a town half an hour away.

















From the main road, he walks 3 miles in to a Pejabat Pertanian to buy the milk. Then he walks another 3 miles back to the main road and waits at the bus stop to catch the bus back home. If he misses the bus, he has to wait another 2 hours. Back home, he loads the ice box on his old bicycle and pushes the bicycle around town to distribute to his loyal, old time customers. Hot sun or rain doesn't stop him. By the time he is finished, it is around 10pm. Nearly fifteen hours of work, all for a mere $15 profit a day. Why he does it we don't know but he does it with passion and mindful presence. And he is contented with his simple life and he is an inspiration.

Please meet good ole Uncle Karunagaran!