Job For All - The Magic of Democracy

I was going through a highway to work in a Rural Market called Rajim. This is one of the historical Tehsil of Raipur District. Unfortunately just near to the city, the tyre of our bike bursts. Now we were left with no  option but to pull the bike on the highway so as to get some puncture shop. And to our great relief we managed to find a puncture shop just after around 2 KM of rigorously pulling the bike. While the puncture-wala was busy repairing the tube, I and my colleague were talking about the agenda of the day. Suddenly our engrossment broke by the dissonance of the crowd walking on the road and was around 200 – 300 meter away from us. Seeing this, the puncture-wala started working very fast so as to finish the work before the crowd comes to him. I asked what the problem is.

He said, “The Municipal Council Election is on and this rally is to support one of the contender of the election”.

Then I asked, “But why are you worried to finish the work before they reach you?”

“Arre the candidate of the election is my friend and I do have to join the procession to support him”.

This aroused my interest to know more about the election and this candidate contending for the election. While, the mechanic was in hastiness to finish the work before they reach us, I started talking to him. I asked about the profile of the candidate. He said that the candidate is having a small shop in the city. He is quite a good guy and everybody in the city knows him because of the fact he is quite helpful to the people. We only have motivated him to fight for the election. There are fare chances of him winning the election.

I was so happy to know that the Democracy no longer is the matter of drawing room discussion of middle or upper middle class people. This even has reached to the mass. They actively have started participating in the election even. Good that India is moving in a vertical manner as far as awareness is concern! Good story to tell.

So finally the crowd, sorry, the rally reached the puncture shop in their course of all dramatic locutions. The rally was having not less than a thousand participants. I was surprised to see the crowd. Few of the people from the rally came to the puncture – wala and asked him to shut the shop and be with them. He said that after finishing my work he will go with them and has started concentrating over the repairing work of my bike.

I got chance to talk to the people standing at the shop, waiting for the puncture – wala to finish his work.

I asked one person about the election pronunciamento of the candidate whom they are supporting. Now here was my chance to get more surprises. He said he don’t know any thing about the manifesto of the candidate. He is much worried about 70 bucks (The new rates are 200 rupees! Thanks to my maid for updating this information.) along with the lunch he is getting for being part of this rally!

Humm…

I asked if how many people are there who are getting paid for attending this rally, he replied, about 450. Also during the election season same set of people can be seen attending rally of almost all the contender of the election. And if they are being paid about 70 bucks (Rs. 200 is the new rates, I wish the share market snakes would progress in such a tremendous speed!) just for shouting slogan in favor of the candidate for an hour or two, why not they attend such rally. After all everyone has the right to earn extra money in the democratic country. Isn’t it.

The biggest and largest democracy of world has moved way ahead in this regard. People really don’t know if the candidate they are electing would bring some positive change in their life or not but pre – election campaign is definitely creating some temporary jobs for all… and also a plate full of meal. Who says election in democratic country is a dirty game. They must have to be part of one such election to change their thought, as perhaps I changed mine...

Immortal Mortality

This is not a new road for me. Neither the establishments of this road. I often see everything in its own place throughout the road. Toady when I was going through this road, I observed something in me which probably has became habit and which always has went unnoticed by me. Its while going through this road, I bowed at one place which I generally do while going through this establishment. This is “Handi Wale Baba Ki Mazaar”. I really don’t know much about this place. I even don’t know who this “Handi Wale Baba” was or how he brought felicity in the life of people that has lead people to make a cemetery for him.

Do I really bow while passing by this place? I really didn’t have observed this habit of mine. What I have observed is there are 12 – 15 young Muslim boys always standing near to the mazaar in whitish white Kurta and round black or white rumy cap over the head spreading lot of filth in form of spit of Paan or Paan Masala. The evidence of filthiness is quite visible as the road near the Mazar has become red because of the continuous spit of paan or paan masala by these people or likes. One of my friends here had once told me that these are the young people who are not doing anything / didn't have done anything great in their life to raise the head of their parents high but has always participated actively in the communal riots of the city, so as to raise the head of their community. Strange.

But why do I bow while passing through this Mazaar! Perhaps to remind myself that mortality is the one Universal Fact of the nature. Perhaps me or people like me don't care much about these boys while bowing to the so called Saint "Handi Wale Baba". 

Two Roads!

Someone once asked me why do you always insist on taking the hard road?

And I replied why do you assume I see two roads?

The Sinful Sin

Child labor is one of the major concerns for the entire world. Every country is making their effort or law to stop this so as to give the children of world their right to play, right to learn and right to live as other children do. Every body believes in this. If not everyone then atleast all educated people know that appreciating child labor is a sin not only to the society but to the God even. What if someone unknowingly making this sin!

I did that.

Being a bachelor, I need a housemaid to take care of my house. So, wherever I stay, I try arranging for that. But this time, it was not so easy task. Raipur is a city which is growing very fast, so as the expectation of people. You can find God easily here, but finding a housemaid is like seeing bamboo flower.

I stay here in a separate portion of a duplex house whose duplicate keys remains with the landlord staying downstairs. Being a good landlord, he took the responsibility of taking care of my flat or hiring a maid. After all their efforts they hired a maid who was doing household works at my house. Though it took me around 15 days to see who is working, since, by the time she comes in the morning, I leave for job. She was a middle aged lady who often remains ill. So after a couple of months, she left the job.

Now my landlord said that he will take care of the maid issue and that I should not be worry about this. And seriously he took care of the issue of finding a new maid. He appointed a new maid. This time, I was occupied with loads of work that I could not be able to see who the new maid is. But the fact was, whoever was working in my house, my house was looking much cleaner than ever.

Then a slothful Sunday came after about a month. I was not having any important work and I was staying in my house, lazily. At around 11 in the morning, while I was finishing my 3rd cup of tea, I got a knock over my door. Lazily I opened the door and a 9 - 10 year old girl came in. I asked if I can help her. She said, she is maid here and need to clean the house.

Whhaattt!

I was astonished of the situation. I was speechless. I never have appreciated child labor. Then how can I allow a little kid to work as a maid in my house! She entered inside my house, went to the kitchen and started washing dirty utensils. I was just speechless. I don’t know what to do. How to stop her of doing these works. I just went downstairs where my landlord was living. I asked him if he have appointed this little kid for doing household works. He said, see being a kid, she would not complain even if you are telling her to wash your bed cover or curtains. And he started laughing in jest and said, sir its better to have a mum kid than an old whore.

Shit.

I was so upset of this and said that this is her last day in my house for the work as my cognizance does not govern to let her work. And I came to my flat.

She was still working there.

I dig my head in the sand like ostrich and let her work in the house. I think this was the best thing I could do at that point of time.

After finishing her work, she went downstairs to finish her works at landlord place. And just in 15 min, she came to me again and said, “Bhaiya mere kaam me kya kami hai. Kya tumhe mera kaam pasand nahi aaya. Mai yaha kaam kyo nahi kar sakti?” (Is there any fault in my work? Did you not like my work? Why I can’t work here?) And she started crying.

Oh, what to say little lady. You are too good in your work. I really like your cleanliness and the way you work. Perhaps you need some money also. But you are too little to work. I think you need to live your childhood, rather then growing up early.

I was not having any word to tell her. I was just finding words to frame and tell her the reason. With a very heavy heart, I gave here money and said, “See I am staying alone here, and I don’t have more work to do. So I really don’t need any maid. And if you promise me to study, I will pay your school fee every month till your high school”.

She laughed and said, “Bhaiya hum kaha padhege. Aap paise denge to mera baap daru pee jayega aur mujhe phir kisi aur ke ghar me kaam karne ko bhej dega.” (What would I read? If you pay me money for school, my father will take that and will use that for his alcohol habit and will again send me to work somewhere else.). She left saying this with a very heavy heart.

Huh.
I think the problem is not as simple as it seems to be. I don’t know my this act of stopping child labor will help the children of the world or will deepen their problem. I even don’t know if that girl (I didn’t even asked her name) will ever go to school or will spend her life going house to house, spoiling her childhood.

But after telling her not to come from tomorrow, I was having very mixed type of feelings. Means, I was having a feeling that I did my work towards the society by stopping child labor and at the same time was not be able to figure out her future.

But I had avoided a sin which unknowingly I was committing. Atleast I think so...