Tracing The Chinese in Tangra - Part II

Walking through the lanes of the Chinese township in Tangra, we came across a rectangular space, guarded with grill. Avijit Da informed us that this space comes alive every morning at an unearthly hour. For it is the headquarters of the only Chinese newspaper that is still in circulation amongst the community. 
The enclosure that houses the Chinese Daily


Yes! As the Chinese population grew in India, they set up institutions to cater to their needs. One such area was the requirement of a Daily that would spread the news amongst them, help them bond and keep the community intact. The only Chinese newspaper of India was published from China Town. It was handwritten and then printed. Named as the Overseas Chinese Commerce of India, the circulation of the paper has dropped today. The younger generation has no interest in reading it. Neither do they know Mandarin. The newspaper is trying its best to keep itself alive by earning revenue from advertisements announcing marriages and other social events in the neighbourhood. 

Educational institutions 

Hidden in one of the lanes, we came across another building. It was a huge area secured by a boundary wall and a tall gate. The Chinese inscription on the gate was all that we could see. But impossible for us to decipher. 

The Entrance to the School


One of the guards opened the gate and allowed us to enter. The enormous three-storied U-shaped building with a football field and basketball court is a school. A huge Ox in Golden colour sat in the hall staring at us menacingly. Ahh, 2021 - the Year of the OX! 

The Majestic Ox


Pei May Chinese High School sits on 3 bighas, 13 cottahs of prime land in Tangra and was set up by the Chinese Tannery Owners’ Association more than eighty years ago. The Chinese who moved to India felt the need to keep their language and script alive. Hence came the need to set up a school that would keep their culture alive. The community at that time was still struggling to find a foothold in the Indian fabric. Donations were made by the community members. Books were brought from China, as nothing was available in India. There are almost 30 classrooms.

 
The Empty Corridors

Today. there are no students. The rooms are empty and locked up. The long corridors lie desolate. I see no signs of the school opening up even though the Covid situation has improved. The staff informs us that the that school has been declining since long. The dwindling Chinese population is one factor. Also there are very few who wish to learn Chinese. The school threw its gates open for Indian students. That did not help. Who would learn Chinese? The school also lost out when another school — Grace Ling Liang was set up and offered English along with Mandarin. By then, taking advantage of the situation, the developers closed in. The property has prospects, they decided.  These days, the building does not usher in students, but remains a mute spectator to grand events, mostly parties. 

A High-value Property, Definitely!


We climbed up the building to reach the terrace. The view of Tangra and Topsia from there is breathtaking. Asbestos sheets and reddish tiles dominate the scene. The high-rises can be seen from afar striking an incongruity between the vestiges of the past and the promises of the future. I decide that Tangra is distressing in the daylight. All you see is, elderly citizens lazing in the sun, a faraway look in their eyes as they regale us with stories of their home. 
An Inscription at the Entrance


It would be wrong to say that their home is somewhere in China. These people who have been here for almost two generations do not consider themselves as Chinese. Indian! They are Indians. Despite the taunts and the severe backlash during Covid (they were branded as corona and even warned of being attacked during the first lockdown) they consider Tangra as their home. Despite the fact that there is not much left here for them, they hold onto o their past. ‘I am old. I will die soon. But our legacy will live on reminding everyone of our story, the Chinese story that took shape on the Indian soil.’ 

I had tears as I listened to the octogenarian I befriended during one of my daylong trips to Tangra.

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