MY BRUSH WITH KHAKI

The  values in our  system at the moment have taken a perfect U turn . The things which were so rare and unheard of has become the order of the day and the most accepted practice. In all the govt. and public service deptts under the table is no more under but is now over the table. We have become  passive on lookers .Day in  and day  out  the common man is being taken for a ride and we are enjoying the ride !!! Very unfortunate indeed !!

But that day or better say  night something stirred in me and I could no more take it ! Enough was enough !!

I had to go to Nagpur from Pune . Had some urgent work in Nagpur during the day and  was supposed to return the next  day . There are a number of night buses running these days and with the introduction of VOLVO buses the journey has become quite comfortable. I got one  night VOLVO .It was supposed to reach Nagpur by 10 am. The perfect time for me . 

We started from Pune at 7 pm. It was as perfect as perfect can be . We stopped at a place Smiling Stones for dinner. The place is just as good as the name suggests .Very nicely man made stone structure welcomes you. Green lawn , clean bathroom and toilets , and a very modern restaurnt .All of us got down there. Got refreshed , had our dinner and started for the journey onwards again. 

Needless to say the good food and the cool breeze of the A/C inside the bus did the magic and I fell asleep . The road was  quite free of any trafiic ,  bus  sped ahead like a panther .The speed of the bus made my sleep more sound . I didnt know how long I was asleep . 

 After about 3 - 4 hrs I got up.I found that the Bus had stopped and was parked by the road side . There was no sign that it would start immediately  so I got  down to relieve myself.When I came out of the bus , what I found was , a long queue of other buses  also  ahead of us. There must be some road block ahead caused by some accident , that is what I thought and got in the bus and tried to sleep again. Moreover  the driver, conductor or the cleaner , non of them were to be seen anywhere near , who could tell  anything about the sudden stoppage .

Even after a lapse of another half an hour or so  I could not see any sign of the bus moving . Everything was quiet , the fellow passengers were sleeping as if they had got the chance of their life time , and will never get such a quiet atmosphere again.
But sleep was nowhere near me. I got down and decided to find out about this unscheduled stoppage. I was apprehensive that if they further delay the start , I may not be able to reach Nagpur in time for my appointment .

But no one was near the bus , I started walking past the other parked buses.After I covered two three buses  , I could see some people standing  and talking among themselves . I went nearer' I  saw our bus crew also among them. I tapped the shoulder of my driver and asked him what had happened. 
He said "Dont worry saheb , go and sleep again. There is very remote possibilty that it will start soon."
" After all what is the problem ? Is there any major accident ?"
"Arre  sir if there was an accident , we could have managed somehow and gone ahead. But this is no accident it is a man made disaster ."
"Come on , dont talk in riddles driver saheb , tell me , I am worried about my urgent job in Nagpur."Then what he told, made me disgusted at the state of affairs and the high handedness of the police.

The police department of that circle were going to organise a grand show during the coming Ganesh Puja. They were collecting an amount ofRs. 500 from each and every bus plying in their area. The long line of the buses were of those ones who had refused to pay. I asked the driver that why doesnt he pay ? 

"This amount ofRs. 500 will have to be paid by me sir . We dont collect any passenger fare during the journey, all the tickets are booked from Pune only. They(police) are not giving any receipt also so that I can get the amount back from my owner.You tell me how can I  afford to pay such a big amount from my pocket?
Let them stop the bus ."

The highhandedness of the police was quite blatant . It means just like the Dadas in a Mohalla , they were also collecting haftas . The very act which they were supposed to stop , they themselves had indulged into. Worst part being that the passengers for no fault of their own were being penalised ! For not paying the contribution for the puja so many passengers were simply stopped as if they didnt exist .Their cause , their welfare , their dignity   , their comfort didnt matter at all .The most important thing for them (police)was the 500Rs for the puja !Our right , our dignity , our freedom everything was so cheap !!!

I felt very disgusted at the helplessness.I saw some sort of commotion further ahead . I went there  to see what it was. When I reached I saw a police inspector with one constable surrounded by some passengers from different buses .They were just talking about the matter in a very casual way .The passengers were requesting the inspector to let the bus go.But the soft approach of the passengers didnt appeal to the not so clean conscious of the policeman .The policeman was thinking that we will pressurise the bus operator to give him the money , as we were the ones who were in trouble, and neither the operator nor the the inspector were inconvenienced in any way whatsoever ! We were being taken for the royal ride !! I could sense the frustration of the passengers . It was just reaching a boiling point ! They needed some provocation , some initiative from someone !!My patience also was reaching its limit . 

I went to the inspector and talked to him in the most calm and composed manner.

"Inspector  Saheb , I am not asking you why you are doing this , but do you think  what you are doing is right ?"

"Why not , we are collecting money for such a big cause. They earn so much money why cant they give such a small amount ?"

"But the driver does not earn that much money Inspector Saheb ! Why dont you talk to the owner of the bus?"I said

"Why should I talk to him ? I dont have that much of time , and this is the best way to pressurise them . Why dont you wait for some more time sir ? Go to your bus and have a sound sleep !" 

He replied so casually as if our harrasment and mental agony was a matter of pittance. Our time didnt have any importance , and he had all the time to stand here in the darkness of the night but no time to collect money for the so called great cause in the proper manner . What a reasoning !! The more we were delayed the less  was   my chance of making my appointmant to morrow.This thought made me very desperate and frustrated, and to top it all was the very crude reply of the inspector.All these factors stirred something in me. And I was angry !But in my senses .

"Yes u are very right. Inspecor Saheb. You dont have time to talk to the owner , your time is very important , we are bloody fools here standing to day here with you, pleading with you , requesting you.WE dont have any importance whatsoever , we all have spent more than 800  rupees  for the travel , that doesnt carry any meaning ! The bus operator is sleeping , you are carying out your duty , and who has to suffer ? Like always , everywhere , we the common  man has to suffer ! Very well done Inspector Saheb ! You can say anything you like , you can do anything you like but I will say only one thing that you are not doing the right thing !!!!! " these were the exact lines I said. Pouring all my frustration , anguish , helplessnes and still in a very calm and composed manner. May be it did some stirring in my fellow passengers standing there. Suddenly the murmuring  voice among them turned into loud protest and support to what I said . 

"Yes you are right sir !! " one of them said and all of them joined him . Their frustration also got the vent and  hearing the loud voices and commotion outside all the passengers sitting inside the buses also joined us . But whatever you may think about him , the inspector was quite smart . He sensed the trouble.He could feel that the situation may turn volatile and may not be possible for him to control  .

He came near me and said "Arre  Saheb , why did you lose your patience ? I was just going to allow the buses to leave . I dont want the public to suffer sir . Thik hai , we will talk to their owner. " 

He told something to his constable , got into the jeep nearby and left .

The faces of the people were to be seen to be believed . It was all jubilation and relief  .In no time all of them boarded their respective buses .

The starting of the buses , the sound of so many engines starting at the same time made a sort of festive atmosphere. All the drama and the tension prevailing there just moments before were dissolved . 

I also got inot my bus and took my seat . As I was getting settled , an old man sitting near me came to me shook my hands and offered me his bottle of water

"Sir you must be feeling thirsty . Now I can attend the marriage of my grand son to morrow in time . Thank you sir !!! ""

I took a gulp of the cold water!Lied back in the  push back chair comfortably , felt quite relaxed and went into a very very deep sleep !!!!!!!!

Tags:

26 Comment(s)  | Share   |  Permalink [?]  |  Digg!

Post Rating: [ Votes: 5 ]    Saved