Power of 'Pehechaan'
It it is said that power tags along with money and position, I would say think again… This morning started with an argument with the gas vendor where he said it’ll take 5 days to deliver.. I demanded an explanation as to what they then meant by over-the-counter delivery and why were they charging a premium over other agencies if they had to take so much time… honestly it doesn’t matter really even if they take another one week but I still argued for the sake of it I think !!!… then as I saw this lady sweeping the floor in front of me, I thought to myself what would be the plight of these lesser privileged class of people who struggle in queues everyday for basic necessities like water, ration, gas etc and specially when these things are not available on demand… she had overheard my conversation and stepped in “gas khatam ho gaya didi? Hum laake dete hai gas… kitna chahiye?” I said “kya matlab kitna chahiye? Ek hi cylinder chahiye aur koi urgent nahi hai.. filhaal doosra hai… mein toh bas aise hi pooch rahi thi unko ke itna time kyon laga rahe hai”
Without blinking an eye she said “kyon ki aapke paas paise hai na unko khilane ke liye.. hamein toh kabhi takleef nahi dete voh… hamara chokra jaata hai aur le aata hai bina kisi jhig jhig ke”… after a minute of contemplation, she continued “kabhi kabhi sochti hoon kitna fasate hai yeh log aapko… kitna wait karate hai yeh log aapko… bas kuch paiso ke liye”… and all this with a sympathetic expression towards me… wasn’t I pitying this same woman a few minutes back?? But now I realize that she is in a much powerful position than what I am… her basic necessities are probably easily met as compared to mine…
I started reading the newspaper lying in front of me but my eyes and thoughts kept going back to her… while still pretending to read the paper I asked her “roj roj mehengayi badh rahi hai… aapko bhi problem hoti hogi na”.. she just smiled at me… but that was not what I wanted to hear… so I probed further, “news mein batate hai pyaaz ki keemtein kam ho gayi hai.. par market mein pyaaz abhi bhi kitna mehenga milta hai”… she turned back and said “jo bahar bikne ke liye rakhte hai, uski keemat jyaada bataate hai… jo andar chupake rakhte hai, uski koi keemat nahi hoti… peeche se jaao aur utha lo… bas thodi ‘pehechaan’ honi chahiye”… I felt very underprivileged after this.. :-(
There have been such instances earlier too… a lady who had come to ask for work at our place in Mumbai had proudly said “kaam acche se karenge… bharosa kar sakte ho… poochtaach kar lo… hamara khud ka ghar hai cuffe parade mein !!” (she meant in the slums of cuffe parade!!!)… later when we employed her, we figured out that she owns a small room in the slums which she had bought by paying few thousand to someone who is now ‘tadipaar’… she later built another room above the existing one which she rents out for 2000rs per month… all of it is illegal but she is not worried because she says “mera mard sambhaal lega… uski acchi ‘pehechaan’ hai”… with this pehechaan, what she has (at her level of sustenance) is something that many only dream of – a duplex home at a plush address called cuffe parade… :-)
So while we strive to earn money and attain some powerful position within our respective spheres of work, it is worthwhile to pause and think if we are in any position to influence changes in our day to day living, or bring about any changes outside our sphere of work… most of us don’t and why? Why are the worker class and the lower middle class extended maximum support by people in power at all levels (be it politicians, mafia, or even the regular commodity traders)… As I see it, they are the real vote banks (feels sorry to say we are not!!) and carry a powerful weapon called ‘vote’… They trade their vote for ‘pehechaan’ and this ‘pehechaan’ with those in power seems to be enough to pull the strings (with or without money/position), making their life seemingly more bearable… So if it is said that power tags along with money and position, I would say think again…
Without blinking an eye she said “kyon ki aapke paas paise hai na unko khilane ke liye.. hamein toh kabhi takleef nahi dete voh… hamara chokra jaata hai aur le aata hai bina kisi jhig jhig ke”… after a minute of contemplation, she continued “kabhi kabhi sochti hoon kitna fasate hai yeh log aapko… kitna wait karate hai yeh log aapko… bas kuch paiso ke liye”… and all this with a sympathetic expression towards me… wasn’t I pitying this same woman a few minutes back?? But now I realize that she is in a much powerful position than what I am… her basic necessities are probably easily met as compared to mine…
I started reading the newspaper lying in front of me but my eyes and thoughts kept going back to her… while still pretending to read the paper I asked her “roj roj mehengayi badh rahi hai… aapko bhi problem hoti hogi na”.. she just smiled at me… but that was not what I wanted to hear… so I probed further, “news mein batate hai pyaaz ki keemtein kam ho gayi hai.. par market mein pyaaz abhi bhi kitna mehenga milta hai”… she turned back and said “jo bahar bikne ke liye rakhte hai, uski keemat jyaada bataate hai… jo andar chupake rakhte hai, uski koi keemat nahi hoti… peeche se jaao aur utha lo… bas thodi ‘pehechaan’ honi chahiye”… I felt very underprivileged after this.. :-(
There have been such instances earlier too… a lady who had come to ask for work at our place in Mumbai had proudly said “kaam acche se karenge… bharosa kar sakte ho… poochtaach kar lo… hamara khud ka ghar hai cuffe parade mein !!” (she meant in the slums of cuffe parade!!!)… later when we employed her, we figured out that she owns a small room in the slums which she had bought by paying few thousand to someone who is now ‘tadipaar’… she later built another room above the existing one which she rents out for 2000rs per month… all of it is illegal but she is not worried because she says “mera mard sambhaal lega… uski acchi ‘pehechaan’ hai”… with this pehechaan, what she has (at her level of sustenance) is something that many only dream of – a duplex home at a plush address called cuffe parade… :-)
So while we strive to earn money and attain some powerful position within our respective spheres of work, it is worthwhile to pause and think if we are in any position to influence changes in our day to day living, or bring about any changes outside our sphere of work… most of us don’t and why? Why are the worker class and the lower middle class extended maximum support by people in power at all levels (be it politicians, mafia, or even the regular commodity traders)… As I see it, they are the real vote banks (feels sorry to say we are not!!) and carry a powerful weapon called ‘vote’… They trade their vote for ‘pehechaan’ and this ‘pehechaan’ with those in power seems to be enough to pull the strings (with or without money/position), making their life seemingly more bearable… So if it is said that power tags along with money and position, I would say think again…
3 comments
So True. Another perspective to this probably is this a great leveller, a pseudo socialism, the have-nots are eased out to trouble the haves.
ReplyDeleteOhh cmon Gauri... tumharee bhi to "Pehechaaan" hai bade logon se... some 1 called Amit, isnt it ? ;)
ReplyDeleteSurprising that your maid speaks good hindi. :P
ReplyDelete