It is heard that elections are approaching. May be in April or May. In the early morning, as usual, went to Souru’s tea-shop. All regulars were present. Pappanavan, Chullikadan, Mathai, Esthapanose, Kavat Kuriakose and Sasankan. All are regular customers of Souru. Sun had not risen. Darkness was slowly disappearing. Another dawn is in a hurry to appear.
Souru is always busy. Our bald-headed friend is busy preparing tea for us. Vada, jilebi, hot dosas, idlis- the shelf was almost full.
Sasankan is the only literate among us. He is young, educated and in search of a job somewhere. He is the only literate in the breakfast club, to read the news paper loudly and enlightening us is his duty. All of us would sit on the benches leaning back to the wall and listen to his news reading with rapt attention. Sasankan is blessed with a baritone voice.
Sasankan was all excitement when reading the news report from Delhi, about the preparations, discussions, debates and prophecies by some political observers and political leaders about in whose favour the electorate would swing.
While the young man was reading the news and the prophecies of observers and political leaders, I was silently watching the others. Like me all were in funny mood.
Eventhough an illiterate and a coolie, I have not yet abstained from exercising my franchise like a model Indian citizen. But I have not yet revealed to anyone in whose favour, I would cast my vote. That must remain a secret.
Though, I am not involved in any political parties, I have also some leanings to certain parties. But I won’t disclose.
I had voted on every election, without expecting anything from any party coming to power. I know deep down in my heart a common man is not going to benefit anything from these leaders, for example the MP of our constituency, after winning the election, in the last five years have not atleast once cared to visit the poor and rich seeking the welfare of those who stood in the queue under the blazing sun, for hours to cast vote for him.
After five years he is coming again to visit us for our valuable votes, with all humility in his face with a ‘colgate’ smile adorning his lips, sometimes he might kneel down before the old and young alike touch their feet with crocodile tears, begging for the precious votes to give him a chance once more to allow him serve us with all sincerity and love.
We have only hatred in store for him, but won’t show our anger and hatred, give him back our smile making him feel that we are all going to vote for him as long as he remains as one of the candidates in the electoral arena.
The other day Sasankan was reading an important and shocking news item- that 77 percent of Indians are making both ends meet with 2 dollars a day equivalent to about Rs 90 only. The other 23 percent consists of millionaires and billionaires leading a pompous life in Metropolitan cities like Mumbai, NewDelhi, Chennai, Calcutta and some others abroad enjoying their life with all luxuries.
The rich-poor gap is alarming. Even our rulers give the rich maximum respect and adulation. The rulers are very well aware of the power of money and the business man’s extraordinary skill to topple the government whenever he feels like taken for a ride by the ruling establishment.
As the sun already disappeared and blanket of darkness slowly thickened, I stood up from the bench in verandah, putting an end to the day’s thoughts. Now I have to take bath in the stream just infront of the house flowing in the northern direction and then to my daily quota of rice.
Wife is cooking something in the kitchen, might be fish curry or fish fry.
An Evolved Generation Of Women
We, women are an ignored lot. It was always like that. From time immemorial. Hapless and helpless, most of us bear the brunt of daily chores. At the worksite we are paid less amount as the daily wages than men. Always we are discriminated against. When will our plight come to an end? If we were allowed to go to school and continue our studies in colleges, we could have risen to the upper ladder of the society and would have become teachers, doctors, engineers, clerks or something equivalent to those jobs and could have been able to stand on our feet without depending upon anybody. Nobody was there to think about our plight, the elders in our families always took interest in the studies of sons only. Our brothers, got all they wanted, they studied well and had many hobbies like football, cricket, mimicry, and all such enjoyments of life.
We are always confined in the kitchen, cooking rice and curries, leisure time only for a brief spell and in the nights even when we are tired, have to surrender ourselves to our men for their momentary gratification, we feel like flowers trampled upon by pachyderms. A kind of ‘simple animal transaction’.
Contemporary generation, ie our young ones are somewhat very lucky compared to our pathetic situation as they are more enthusiastic to learn, study well, play well, score maximum marks and their dare devilry, challenging the male-chauvinism, no fear to fight for their rights, raise a hue and cry against female infanticide and also daring to join politics and fight for amicable settlement of student’s rights by joining hands with male students. Our female children are very lucky because they don’t have to live like slaves under their men and after marriage if they find it difficult to get on with a smooth marital relationship, they won’t hesitate to break the relationship then and there. All because of the education they achieved and jobs they got.
While thinking on such lines we are very happy. Though we couldn’t struggle against adverse circumstances our children fight against the atrocities and inequalities prevalent in the society and most of them are having nice times.
Our children are always vigilant and for equality of opportunity they have to tread a long path, our North Indian female children are still suffering from various hardships and lead slave like existence. Even child marriages are going on there. Unwed mothers are increasing. Progressive minded parties and their leaders, especially women leaders- there are umpteen women leaders in the communist parties and other like-minded parties- should be pro-active in the fulfillment of the long cherished dreams of illiterate girl children.
Street Children-their unknown sorrows
We, street children are an accursed lot. We are orphans. Nobody to look after us. We beg, pick-pocket, get thrashing by the gentle men of the city, as those things are not new to us, we have learnt to live with such things.
About our parents, we have no idea. We are not much concerned with such problems. Occasionally in the moments of our loneliness, we wish for somebody to shower love on us- motherly affection, sisterly affection or fatherly affection. We know these are all our long cherished dreams. Nobody will be there to care us. We are out-castes. Please don’t blame us, if we feel jealousy on children from higher societies, wearing attractive uniforms, bags full of books, shoes, watch in their wrists hurrying to schools cracking jokes. If we had also loving and caring parents, they would have brought us clothes, sweets, bags, shoes, books and umbrellas. During those times we feel hatred towards the world, the God--- feel like jumping to the front of speeding train and end the chapter once and for all. Actually who are we? What sin we have committed to undergo hardships like hunger, poverty, mal-nutrition and lack of facilities to study in the schools? What is the meaning of our existence? Any meaning? An absurd existence… We are floating in the city just like logs in a rushing river. Ignored by all. Even by God, we don’t know whether there is God, an ever loving, ever-affectionate force in this Universe?
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