The Common Story of a Common Man

Jaipal is around 45 but looks an old man of 60. Hair beaten by all types of winds; teeth gone in munching the stones that life has to offer; facial features roughed off like furious desert storms hitting against a lifeless rock face for years. Life has very little to offer to this daily wage earner from my neighbouring village. Still he gives best to the society around. Makes this darkening world a little brighter with his self-motivated commitment for the labour tasks at hand.

His friends call him 'Tihadi', i.e., the one who has been to the notorious jail in Delhi. But as you watch this bony figure heaving massive pulls at the conscience-lorn rope, you can find no justification for the title. Well, the famed Indian justice system mostly catches the smallest fish and allows the whales a safe passage. He was caught ticketless in a local passenger train to Delhi. Fine was to the tune of 500 rupees. 'But my whole being is not even worth that much!' he pleased. So he landed up in Tihar jail to earn the nickname. Babus made him do a hard labour to earn his roti and dal. There was no encashment for his fruitless work, of course. Unconcerned, he stretches out every sinew of his frail body to make my world better at the construction site.

For the marriage of his eldest daughter he had pooled almost his life-long earnings, and put them in his hovel. There was a fire and his 60,000 rupees turned to ashes. But then sometimes people get senty, so many came forward with a hand of charity. Money and gifts were collected by the villagers. This single good-countering-bad stroke of destiny has, may be, kept the thread of honesty tied to his being.

He has not even the bicycle. I ask him the reason. 'There is no space to put it at my place,' he says. I look for signs of a joke on his decimated face. But he is damn serious. His fellow labourers bear witness to this fact. His only possession is a tiny 10×15 depilated room. So where is the room for poor man's merc, i.e., bicycle? I think it does not need more emphasis to decide that he is amongst the poorest of the poor in the country. There is this scheme of BPL card in rural India. The card-holder enjoys many benefits like subsidized wheat, rice and kerosene from the public distribution system. If one can arrange some patronage and blessings from the mighty village strongmen and pradhan, one can get 25,000 rupees for house construction as well. But for such big benefits you must in a position to pay back many times more in many forms. He does not fit anywhere in this give–take equation. So despite many rounds for a BPL card he is found the least eligible for it.

The world may not care about him. The economic breeze blowing coolly in India may not kiss to vapourize the sweat beads on his hardened, bowing back. Swanky cars may glut the roads while he does not even get his bicycle. Scamesters may swindle public money to the tune of laks of crores and go scot free, while he spends 10 hardworking and insulting nights in Tihar jail. He may stay in a tiny hovel while he helps construct swanky apartments for others. He, but, has got his reward. The reward of goodness. Despite countless promptings to the contrary, his basics have not changed. He is true to himself. And this truth to the self is the fuel that is pulling the cart of this big, bad and still worsening world. It will collapse when the last of his type will say bye to this world.

Nehru Vs. Advani

Nearly all political parties in India bear the same foul-smelling
tricks and strategies in their secret books. However, in one
democratic aspect the BJP scores over the Congress. We can call it
intra-party democracy. Let us start with their respective fortune
turners in independent India—JL Nehru and LK Advani.

Nehru was a great statesman. Inevitably the legacy left behind by such
impressive personalities cannot be expected to say a quiet bye to this
world as soon as the holy flames kiss the body. It lingers over for a
long period of time. In third world countries where masses stay almost
in animal state due to poverty and illiteracy such memories are
carried over generations. Simply, because the masses have accepted to
be the good followers of the God-ordained authority at the higher
levels! There is paucity of charismatic and dynamic new leaders who
can help the masses forget the past and move on with the times. So
nothing wrong if the legacy escaping from the pyre of Nehru decides to
stay back to serve his progenies!

Consolidation of the Nehruvian grasp over the very meaning of Congress
(and the consequent credit for winning the freedom for the country)
was a natural corollary to the fact that much-obliged and jubilant
masses as well as second-tier leaders within the Congress clapped
inapprehensively while the lighthouse of Nehruvian legacy was slowly
built up in the excitingly languid waters of free India during the
initial decades. It overshadowed many a capable Congress leaders.

If we analyze Advani's efforts in taking a party having just two seats
in the Parliament to the apostle of power within two decades, we can
say that it somehow matched or even surpassed Nehruvian endeavor to
turn Congress literally a family institution. But within BJP the
patriarch has been struggling to maintain his position amongst a
fantastic crop of career-oriented politicians. The man who almost
single-handedly took it to power has not been allowed to set it up as
a sort of family institution. On this account BJP counts as a far more
democratic set up given the freedom of choice of leadership among its
ranks.

On the other hand, when highly capable and very senior Congressmen
line up to pay homage and kiss the Yuvraj's (the heir apparent) hands
it unfortunately smacks of typical Indian medieval mentality of
treating rulers as the symbols of divinity. If Congress is a
democratic party and believes in its rituals then it is high time that
we see its great leaders taking the center-stage irrespective of the
family they are born in. If Indians still accept Rahul Gandhi (the boy
whose caliber and skills can be matched by thousands of Congress
workers across India) as their natural leader, it just tells that we
are very God-abiding people and just would go behind anybody he
decides to send to the first political families in the country.

Sachin's Parliamentary Innings

One thing is clear. It is almost impossible to be a successful Indian

and still not be a politician at some level. Ironically the league of

achievers, apart from the clean shirts, includes shadowy characters

like big-time criminals, swindlers, tricky scamesters and all those

spooky characters who cock snook at law and still be in influential

positions. Now, coming back to the clean-shirted successful Indians.

Sachin Tendulkar is in the front league of those whose cuts and pulls

can help the masses forget their individual miseries. He gives me/us

far too occasions to celebrate and be happy than I/we can manage with

my/our limited capabilities. There might be a really bad day with

me/us but then the news of Sachin hitting century finds me/us taken in

by the pleasant and welcoming pools of the sea of Indian humanity lost

in the whirlpools of his classy hits. He is the pain-killer and

joy-giver. God bless him! Long live Sachin!

Looking at his apolitical strides on the path of inspiring and

influencing millions of destinies, it appeared there are politics-free

domains in this country where you can strive for perfection. But then

how long an Indian after reaching the highest echelons and still not

kiss the political maiden with its tempting pout. It is just a matter

of time. The inevitable countdown! So our Sachin finally surrenders to

the temptation. Nothing wrong with that! But eating the political pie

while still with gloves on is a bit disappointing. It would have been

better with his willow in his restroom. Maybe he would have been in a

better position to understand a bit of Parliamentary thuggery and

hypothetical talk over public issues in Rajya Sabha. Sachin, but, is

Sachin—ever-lorn for new figures and targets. We agree that he does it

for Indians. Just wonder he will use the same single-minded

determination in adding some voice of sanity to some debate over some

bill. At least he can think of it when there is no Indian cricketing

itinerary and the Parliament session begins.

Indians love him as the son of India. However, in a country where

political opinions have the razor-sharp pernicity to cut down

relationships for ever, it will be interesting to see whether he will

lose some of his diehard fans because now he represents a particular

party as well. By the natural law of it, all those who oppose this

particular party may find Sachin less affable now. It is one of the

toughest challenges in India to maintain a good relationship with a

supporter of different political stream. Wonder there won't be a

section of Indians who will jump with joy when the great man adds to

the number of 0s in his kitty.

We can even surmise that the great man was just fed up with his status

of the King of cricketing Gods feasting upon the mass accolades of

hallucinated masses fed on rich cricket-opium diet. So just to realize

his human avatar he like any of us wants to have some bad neighbors so

that by hitting massive fours and sixes he can rub salt on their

wounds and thus enjoy the sweet-sour taste of it. Excuse him please!

It is just to be human.