Next
day of lockdown 2 extension till May 3rd to curb the pandemic spreading, I had
understood that the labourers who were surviving with their families on daily
wages were in big trouble then.
Since
all the economic activities had been halt under this nationwide shut down for
the past 21 days, their saved fistful of cash in hands might have zeroed, and
they would not be in position to satiate their hunger by other means.
In a
sceptical mind, I wake up early in morning of Wednesday last week and went out
for a walk while I would have seldom or never woke up in morning for the past 6
months.
I
walked 500 meters and arrived infront of a shanty on roadside.
A
man 70 years old was inside space to clean up it. I spoke him... Bhaijaan...
Ram...Ram.... the man's voice came Ram... Ram.... His face was not towards me
so he was not able to reckoned me.
It
had passed about 7 years since I had met him, but I knew him during my school
days... it was the year of 1986, my
ghetto dwelling shanty was at roadside near the trisections of this
place, and I used to study here daily.
To
tell you the truth I had born here. My parent used to live in this shanty
unless my mother's parent left the home where my family is now residing after
my parent deaths.
My
elder brother had completed his post graduation (MSc Physics) from this place to University of Lucknow.
A
man had begun his bicycles and riksaw repairing ploy on roadside culvert and
after he had established his shop.
This
repairing man who had come with my brother in law was from Maskunwa, a station
in eastern UP under district Gonda.
Bhaijaan would come to repair his ricksaw and
my proximity to Bhaijaan was because of my rising puberty and he used to carry
the school girls to thier schools and colleges by his ricksaw.
He
was elder than I and I could not garner the courage to confess any of my
colourful day dreams. Mostly I used to continue my study, but for short
refreshment I used to talk with this Mistry who always did the kidding with me, and meanwhile if
Bhaijaan used to come there for a short stay, I talked him.
He
often used to offer me to have a cup of tea, and i pleasantly accept it.
He
was unaware of my crave, but in his view I was a gentle and studious boy then.
In
1981 when my father died in brain cancer, my all dependency was over my mother
and the elder brother.
My
father was in government service, so after completion of my intermediate I
joined the service on compensation ground as a junior clerk.
Since then I could not spare time amply, say
to truth the gentry had changed and I began to talk with my compering status.
Ever
at anon on roadside pavement Bhaijaan used to a vacant look at me in eloquent
way while ricksaw pulling and my smile gave him respect.
My
frequent visit to this small home had been occasional.
In
the year 2008 when this was removed by Lucknow municipal corpoartion including
all the shanties errected in one kilometere along the roadside, my visit to
this place became random.
On
the name of encroachment this removal surprised me and I investigated the cause behind through my sources, I found
that a local leader of a political party
and its gang were involved this erasing.
The
chairman of PAC in then Union Government was to visit in a marriage ceremony
held to this leader's home and the gang having taken the benefit of this visit
to satiate their rivalary they made all erased.
Anyway
had these homeless nothing to where they would have gone, they again erected
shanties and began to live there.
We
found local corporator's interest too; even he did not fail to demolish
partially the old temple while he had won the election of that party ticket,
which is known the protectors of temples by its tenet.
I
should not discuss these facts to this story, and should talk about Bhaijaan
who was cleaning his home in shanty.
Still
his livelyhood is earned by ricksaw pulling. He has a bank account only where
he has some money.
He
told me that he met with Kallu hotel Walle for some rice and flour which were
being distributed to the destitutes provisioned by Government during this
pandemic Covid-19.
Kallu
hotel owner is the man who had funded and supported the corporator who was
involved in the shanty removed allegely from roadside although he is not now
corporator and has been defeated in the municipal election in the district.
Kallu
have distributed this government assistance to the local residents by choosing
them discriminated; and Bhaijaan had tried three times, but Bhaijaan request
was not enough to make Kallu listen.
Solemnly
I hear whole narration of this real story... and gave him some money and asked
him call me whenever he would feel any such trouble, or come to my home.
