FIVE RUPEES

Few days back I was travelling in the train. A vendor came selling water. I purchased a bottle of water worth 15 rupees and gave him a twenty rupee currency. The vendor asked for five rupees since he had no five rupee coin and I too did not have and said, “I don’t have.” Then the vendor said, “I am the only vendor selling water in this train and I shall give you back five rupees before you alight the train.” After some time, I wanted to have a cup of coffee and there came another man selling coffee. I asked, “How much” and he said, “Five rupees.” I gave him ten rupee currency. This time too neither I had a five rupees nor he had (!?). He too assured me that he would return my five rupees before I would reach my destination. But to make my confusion still worse, there were several coffee-tea and water vendors. Now my confusion was this, ‘which vendor owes me five rupees?’ Every time a Chaiwala or Paniwala was passing by, I had to pay attention to his identity in which I failed miserably. In fact I asked one chaiwala, “are you the one who owe me my five rupees?” He plainly said, “Sir, I am not. May be another man.” I thought it is better to keep quite than getting humiliated. Till I reached my destination, neither of them came to give my due nor I was able to trace them out.

There was a family sitting next to my berth. When at the time of supper, a vendor came selling Vegetable and Egg Biryani.  He bought two Egg Biryani and one Vegetable Biryani. The Vegetable Biryani costs fifty and Egg Biryani costs sixty rupees. Then only we realized that the same food which we ate at noon was charged more by another vendor. We had purchased the Vegetable Biryani for sixty rupees and Egg Biryani for seventy in the afternoon.  Then I asked him in Hindi language, “yah kaise aap sham ke vakt 50 aur 60 me de rahe hain aur dopahar ko 60 aur 70 rupaye lete hain?” Then he told us that the man who sold the food in the afternoon has taken more from us. This time lucky enough, the man who cheated us in the afternoon came that way and my neighbor held him. Without a second thought he returned his thirty rupees and slipped quietly.

These are not the instances happened to me by chance. These are the experiences of several people who travel often. It is not possible to carry coins every time. Vendors take this opportunity to grab from the passengers. The coffeewala had no five rupee to return to me but he had five rupee when a woman purchased a coffee few berths after me.

This does not mean that there are no honest vendors. There are people who serve you with love and care whose motto is, “the customer’s satisfaction is our satisfaction.” I too have come across several such people. They give the right information and service out of their generosity. But few selfish and dishonest people spoil the good reputation of other good people as it is said, “one rotten potato spoils the whole sack.” All the vendors I encountered in the above incident are from the IRCTC who give quality service to Indian Railways to which I am very much indebted.

One can go up to the grievance’ cell and report about the quality and reliability of the service of its workers. One can say, “Why so much fuss for five rupees? After all, you will have to pay another five hundred rupees in order to get your five rupees.” Thus, looking at the complications involved, one will surely back out. But the issue is, how far we are honest in our dealings?  A person who has enough and more things to do will not be able to spend time for such things. Complaining to the authorities concerned, will earn justice to the afflicted person and a time to correct the behavior of the culprit. It can teach a lesson to others. But again, how long and how far?

We need to raise our voice when someone takes undue advantage over us. It is our right and duty. At the same time we need to question the person when we see the injustice to be done. It may be my five rupees or another person’s five thousand rupees. It may be a piece of land or an acre of land. One may not speak or raise one’s voice due to fear or humiliation. It is our collective duty to safeguard human right, dignity and freedom. 

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FREEDOM AT THE CROSS-ROADS

Who

says that being free we are really not free? How dare are you to say, “India is in manacles.” Have we not got more freedom here than there in Heaven? Of course, we do have. Therefore, the question, “Where is thy freedom?” is an unnecessary bullshit! Then, listen carefully, understand and reflect. Am I not right in what I say? Have I no freedom to puke what I want? I will say what I want to say. You may christen me crazy, for you’ve your freedom.

Who

said that we have no freedom to use the world as we like? Peel the plantain, eat and throw the skin on the road. Smoke bundles of bidis and cigars and throw the buts in the public places. Empty the kitchen waste in the main road. Throw your dead pets and animals in the uncovered gutters of the municipality. Let others see and enjoy. Drive your vehicle as you like, honk as you wish and dash into whomsoever you want. No problem! After all it is your vehicle. You’re free to use it. Change the party as you wish at any time. You are free. Pelt stones at public vehicles, shops and offices as you used to throw at the ripe mango when you were young. Not yet satisfied? Enflame them! They are all at your service. After all, it is a democratic country! You have won freedom just a few days ago.

Who

said that we’ve no freedom here? Who said that the freedom given for us is barricaded? To do what you want is freedom. You are given ample freedom and that too coagulated with responsibility. But you say, responsibility with freedom is a redundant absurdity. Rightly you’ve said it, ‘policing in my privacy is curtailing my freedom.’ ‘I dance and sing 24x7, because, I am responsible for my future. Who are you to dictate?’

Who

said our country is in the dark? Climb up to the terrace at night and have an aerial appraisal and see the beautiful panoramic towns twinkling like the sky and sing the rhyme, “twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are…” Who said our country is in BPL? Go for an evening walk, look at your right side, people are living in the castles. Their buildings are touching the sky like the Tower of Babel. Beware, how dare you are to glare at the left side, for there only demons live! Know this, that though our views have narrowed, yet no problem, our roads have broadened. Though we need only one child, the divorce rate has increased. Though our farmers do not get enough seed to sow, don’t worry our godowns are full. Though our children go hungry, we export enough food to alleviate hunger. Are we not good Samaritans? What else do we need?

Who

said we are intellectually abaft? Though our knowledge has weakened, our degrees and diplomas are increasing. Though we don’t get permission to open LKG and nursery schools, no permission is prerequisite for IITs, Engineering and Medical colleges, for they decide the GDP. Though our bullock-carts have not vanished, we ’re successful in organizing space-walk picnics. Though our reasoning has become weak, our aptitude for knowledge has increased. Though diseases have increased, medicines too have increased. The learned proclaim that the “decrease in adult mortality and increase in child mortality” is a sign of social awareness. What a paradox! So they don’t need LKGs.  Though we’ve stopped smiling and cheering, has not our shouting and yelling in the bars and pubs increased? And you say ‘it is modern a gurukul.’ Though we are unable to think afresh, there are enough think-tanks to think for us. So, why worry on unnecessary supranno?  After all we’ve money to pay. Though our appetite has declined, our fast-food centers are mushrooming. Though we’ve not learnt to live, we’ve learnt to live in the towns and metropolis. See how posh we are!

Who

said our spirituality has gone wrong? Though we don’t pray, our shrines on the roads are increasing. Shrines and worships are their needs and not my need! Simony is law of the land. My share is my right! Though we fail to bring people to God, we are able to empower them with our lofty ideals. Though we don’t practice what we ought to preach, the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of God, our preaching has not gone down with our mysterious agenda. Though we are unable to bring glorious revolution, we are talented to bring gory revolution. Is not Gurudev Tagore ubiquitously wrong, “Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads! Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee! He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground and where the pathmaker is breaking stones. He is with them in sun and in shower, and his garment is covered with dust….” We want to demolish one mosque and build a temple over there; demolish temple and build church over there, destroy that statue there and erect this one here. Though God protects us, we think we need to protect God! People of the country are the 'uncivilized vanvasis' while the others are 'civilized citizens'! This is the religion. This is the freedom of religion which my country proclaims today! I am proud of it!

Who

said our leaders are bad? Though they are producing and blasting tons of granite, receive handsome black bags and parade in scamy adventures, their hearts are soft like sponge! Today they blast granite and tomorrow weep at the blasted granite. Today they beep up for trekking and tomorrow receive medals of bravado. Though they cannot write their names, they’ve their secretaries to write for them. See, how faithfully they work for you! Every minute and second busy in writing and signing MoUs of MNCs, and other project works. MNS and Corporates, Amabanis and Adanis are their revered guests who only can uplift the poverty in India. They are busy in developmental acts to attend your calls, so don’t disturb them. Let them have the pleasure of serving you when they get time. That is why you have chosen them. Though we’ve no sandals to wear, they are busy funding pedal-less cycles for your sisters in the villages. You are healthy to drink murky water, that’s okay; but if they drink, who will cure them whilst they fall sick? So allow them to drink ‘bisleri’ water. They have passed bills in parliaments for wells and ponds for farmers. But you see, the delay of boring is due the punctured wheels of the trucks! If the present project has not addressed the 250 million farmers; don’t worry, the next 5 year plan will address their needs.

i

I find it difficult to understand what our Father wrote, the day after Independence: “We’ve achieved political freedom, but we’ve not yet achieved economic, social and moral freedom. It is a difficult task to achieve.” Is not Gandhi wrong!? I have the freedom to do what I want. I can raise my moral, social and economic standard. Therefore, I am not enslaved. Therefore, let us rejoice, celebrate and be proud! This is my nation, my country and I am proud of its heritage!

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

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