Diaries Magazine
How the Modern Day Poor Understands Indian Politics...? [fiction]
Posted on the 07 November 2012 by Rukhaiyaar @rukhaiyaarMr. Saxena, a 55 year old bank employee came out of his office during the tea break when he heard a couple of poor kids talking about “some” holiday. Mr. Saxena will tell us the whole incident in his own words now. “Today is 2nd October, and is a national holiday, and why is it a holiday, because some freedom fighter perhaps died or took birth on this day…” Those were the words of a Chai-wallah, strange, isn’t it…? I took care of it, and shared an important piece of my knowledge, you see, wisdom needs to spread. Hehehe… I asked him, “don’t you know the man in your 10 rupees note” He was excited as he replied “that bald man was born today…?” I replied affirmatively. “Who else was born today”, he asked again. I was about to furnish another piece of my knowledge with pride that Lal Bahadur Shastri was also born on some 2nd October, when he said “forget it, who cares”… Those last words struck me… I thought how an uneducated chai-wallah knows this ultimate truth of the 21st century… “WHO CARES”… who really cares who was born on this day or another. We only celebrate it as a non-working day. I wanted to convince him that I care and many others too. I called him again and said “I don’t know who cares or not, but you should, will you…?” He smiled and said, “Is he going to give my family an extra meal today?” I was numb at his strange question. “No, he won’t”. “Then I am surely going to remember his birthday from next year.” “Why is that generosity, by the way?” “Because I am fed up of the lies, our politicians speak to us, so for a change, I would like to give some respect to this honest bald man.” “Nice perspective” “I know” And thus he left the place with a smile on his face. I still wonder why he was so happy for my description about Mahatma Gandhi. But somehow he felt convinced as if he actually spoke to Gandhi and was told the truth of what he can actually be showered with. The Chai-wallah wanted the truth and nothing else. The poor wants the truth and nothing else, they don’t want promises. They want to face the truth, if only our Neta could give them the right fact about what they will be able to provide them, they would have planned their ways to get rid of poverty in a better manner. There is nothing wrong with poverty; the only thing which is wrong is the false promises to make them richer. -Amritt Rukhaiyaar