“Jogeshwari?”
I took rickshaw from my clients office to home. Very rarely rickshawalas ready to come without any question or disguised face.
He didn’t ask and said "baitho…"
It was just few seconds, he ‘delivered’ a great spit of Pan on road…
It was enough big to cover substantial radius…
I said... (as I usual) “kyu raste pe thukte ho uncle…kyu rasta ganda karte ho…”
He didn’t respond…neither looked back…so rude!
Surprisingly after few minutes he did it again…
Without linking to previous one and taking on my ego…I asked him
same question…”Uncle aise raste pet thunkna acchi bat he kya?”
Now he turned back…generally people make ugly face to convey sorry…
I was expecting either same or an arrogant answer…
He asked interesting question… “beta maine pan khya he ..kaha thunku…?”
Question was rational!…obvious question came into my mind..phir pan kyu
khate ho…? I didn’t want to attack on Article 21 of Constitution…
So I asked..”pan khao..lekin kone me thuko...aise road kyu gande karte ho…”
He turned back and said…”waise aap ka kahna sahi he….!!! This was height…!
No rickshawala take me so seriously… (feel good)..lekin kya he na beta aadat
pad gayi he…
I realised this is one in blue moon…its really a great experience to talk
to rickshawalas during your journey…they are practical guys…they don’t live
on white colored philosophies and apparent show offs of cultures…
They live actual life…I could sense a great listening experience for next
30 minutes…its necessary, because if I want to do something for people, I
ought to listen grass root thoughts of these real people…
I thanked for being seated in this rickshaw…
“waise aapka kehna sahi he..lekin aadat pad gayi he…raste pe thukna apne
aap ho jata he…”
“Aapki jo generation he na beta..wo agar sudhar leti he to agle 10-15 salome
jo he ….. (he also had to see front..he was driving)…log pan khana band
kar denge..aur phir raste pe nahi thukenge…lekin hamari jo pidhi he na
use badalna muskil he…sadiyose kuch cheej karte ate he..wo badalna
mushkil he…”
He made a well point.
“Abhi aapne kaha …hame sahi laga…apni galti lagi..do teen din jo he hum
galti nahi karenge…lekin uske bad fires raste pe thukenge…”
Confession!They are real people with no show off…they speak what is real…
I chose not to comment. Every thing need not be opposed.
“Ab hamare gao me he na beta…pan khana accha mana jata he…”
I guessed his gaon…” daru pina ashuddh mana jata he…to log daru
nahi pite….lekin pan khate he…ab ye aadat lag gayi he…to yaha aake bhi
chalu he…”
I said after letting him completing sentence…” lekin aap hi bolo uncle…aapke
gao me daru pina accha nahi samjha jata…ab jaise kisi samaj me daru pina
bura nahi he…lekin agar koi aadmi daru pike rastepe leta rahe to accha he
kya?... he though and said…”aapki bat sahi he…”
It was an acceptance without any counter statement…
“jo karma he aapke ghar me karo na…raste me kyu?...”
Rickshaw took highway and he came on point...
“ye sirf ek hi karan band ho sakta he…agar …….. me raste pe thuku aur char
log mujhe dekhe…aur unke saamne mujhe thukne ko sharam ati he..mera
man bolta he nahi inke samne nahi thukna he…jaise aapke liye mujhe laga…
(he actually didn’t spit thereafter..though he had great liquid treasure in
his mouth…I appreciate it!) tohi…ye adapt badal sakti he…
This is a great theory…really…and I shall keep in mind…
So true…I don’t commit any wrong, if I fear to do it in front of those whom
I respect…and think..wo kya sochenge…!!!”
We should create culture where people will start respecting each other
and scaring to commit any wrong thinking, if they feel what will they think
for me….!
“lekin ye Mumbai me nahi hota….” Yaha pe sabhi aisa karte he…koi kisi ko
kuch nahi bolta…” he was damn right.We people have assumed many things
and stop complaining…everyone knows what wrong he is doing but doesn’t feel
so because he knows its not regarded as wrong by others.
“gaon me sandas nahi hote…log dur jate he..kyu? kyonki wo darte he..gaon
ke kisine dekh liya to?.... Mumbai me aap mujhe jaha chahe bolo…me
peshab karunga…yaha bolo waha bolo…kyunki koi kuch nahi bolta…”
He pointed right solution…
Saint Dnyaneshwar while describing ideal society in pasaydan says…
Ishwarnishthanchi mandiyali betatu bhuta||
Chala kalptarunche arav | chetana chintamaninche gav | bolate je
arnav piyushanche.||
There should be groups of wise people be roaming on earth…and they
should meet people…not single wise person but groups of wise people…
We really need to build groups of wise and gentle people in society…to
whom people will respect and scare of doing any wrong thing…to whom
people will regard their behavior responsible to…who would keep check
on behavior of society.
We discussed then on difference between UP and Bihari…Biharis destroyed
the culture he said…”wo sab ganda karte he…” lekin log kahte he
“ Bhaiyane ganda kiya…”
“hum pandit he…hamare gav me hum panditi karte he…mere pardada
kahte he…….Jab koyle ka engine tha tab hum gadi se utarte the to log
hamare pav padte the…Pundit aya… diesel ka engine aaya to logone dekhna
band kiya…ab electric engine aya to kehte he “Sala bhaiya aaya…!” (he used
three types of engines to denote changes in time…)
Logonki galti nahi he…unke liye sab ek jaisehi dikhte he…lekin dekho to
bolneki tone me farak he…
35 minutes of conversation…I think was more important for me, that I felt
to reduce in writing and share it with you …sometimes I feel myself fortunate
to be somewhere, I experience something very unique never before and
which lasts with me or make my thinking process…
That conversation was such…
When I gave him money we both pranam each other…milke accha laga!!!
He really gave me a new way of solution to work upon the old problem.
-Harshad Mane