I make it a practise, to talk to my Cab Drivers. It teaches me a lot, about what is happening around India, my country,without stepping out of Kolkata, where I live now.
Last night, while returning from the bank, I took a cab. As it is the practise, I entered into conversation with him.
The following are details.
1) His name is NJ.
2) He is from Bihar.
3) Muzaffarpur in Bihar.
4) He is a Brahman.
5) "We Brahmins, cannot do 'kashtkari"(Farming) any more.
6) Farming has also become counter-productive
for us Uchha Varna(upper caste), as we do not allow our "bahu-betis" (wifes & daughters) and "neechi jaat ke log"(people of lower caste) pura parivar jhonk detein hain, aur khud MNREGA mein lag jaatein hain(engage the whole family in agriculture, and themselves work for MNREGA).
7) Earlier, we used to pay Rs60 for a labour, engage 4 men, give them lunch, they would , de-weed, & sow seeds in one day. Now, there are groups, of minimum ten, they come in package, in 2 hours, they de-weed & sow seeds, and take Rs2500, then move to another field.
8) If you see the above, economic condition of lower caste & labour, is better than us, upper caste, as they have higher wages, and, we do not get profit from agriculture, as selling price, if we engage labour, does not cover our input cost, no farmer grows crops, only to eat, he grows to sell, and farming for land owners, engaging labour is a loss. Itne mein to dugna anaj, isse bahut saste mein, mandi se khareed lao.(In the amount spend in farming, a farmer can fopdgrain, at a much cheaper price, from APMC Market)!!!. So we sub contract our land to a lower caste farm labour, for some money & few bags of crops.
9) It is differrent with the farm labour, his entire family works on the farm, while he works for MNREGA, he gets 6 months wages, from MNREGA, while he gets crops from the farm, They also take their cattle to graze, which gives them Milk. Ye to unke dono haathon mein laddoo hai. (They have pudding in both hands, they have their cake & eat it too.)
10. I have three kids, The first son is out of my hands. He now works in a factory in Delhi. Now, kids from Bihar, like to go to Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bangalore & Kochi, they hardly want to come to Kolkata. I spent a lot of money, on his education, tution, he was in an English Medium School, so was the son, of his local gaurdian , my brother, my brothers Son, studied hard and got through in competition. While my son, used to play cricket, during his tution time. He does not want to stay in Muzaffarpur. He does not even want to look after my farm, I have given it for 'Batai'(Contract Farming). Even when my wife fell sick, he could hardly stay for two days, and made some excuse, and returned to Delhi. I do not know, what he does, where he works, what he eats, where & how he lives!!
Luckily for me my Daughter, who is in 12th & Younger son who is in 10th are good scholars. Humnein apna kaam kar diya, ab upar wale ke haath mein hai bhawishya hamara aur unka(I have done my duty, now my & their future is in Gods hands).
11 Polity in Bihar is highly caste based. Neta chunaav ke baad, khabar hi nahin letey(Politician does not enquire about our fate, after elections) Nitish Sarkar has done very good things, now, our work in "Sarkari" Daftar, is easily done, and it is done timely. Baar Baar Chackkar nahin lagana padhta(We need not go to Government offices again & again for the same work. Rangdari bhi kam ho gayi hai. (The Mafia Tax also has reduced) The work of a common man is easily done now. People have good opinion about Nitish ji and his government. We are Brahmins not Kurmi or Yadav, still we are the common man. We feel secure now in Bihar, than earlier. Still, Nitish ji has lost politically after break up with Modi ji. Our house is in an area, which decides who goes to Patna or Delhi.
And this time, we are sending BJP!!! I know it is wrong for us common man, but that's the trend as of Now Politically Nitish ji has lost.
12 Whatever change, but there are some things, which don't change in Bihar. People do not get proper compensation for their losses.
Me: Explain...
NJ: Sir, I am in Kolkata, for the last 30 years, but, I have never travelled/returned,
by the same road from Patna to my village, which I took, while going to Patna, from my village, EVER!!!
Me: Why? Kosi floods?
NJ: Nahin, hamare yahan Burhi Gandak aur Lakhandei nadi behti hai(No Burhi Gandak(Old(by age) Gandak) & Lakhandei rivers flow in our region). Burhi
Gandak floods play a havoc every year during monsoon. If today it flows from here, tomorrow it flows from there. I have 6 houses(One mine, one parents, one sisters, 3 of my 3 brothers, all get destroyed every monsoon. Tehsil officials come with laptop take photo of the house, but we never get any compensation.
I part with the following.
a) give my phone number.
b) tell him to take a video of his destroyed houses, with his cell phone, which is Nokia Asha 201 qwerty phone with camera, when you go home. When you take it, call me and give it to me via bluetooth.
c) Educate his other 2 kids in only government colllege & not private.
d) Make his two kids get used to ordinary life, so that, in future , they're used to big bad world.
This morning, while coming from home to Bank, met a 60+ Sardarji driving yellow Amby.
Me: Sat Sri Akal, Daar ji, Aap to inneen umar ich Taxi Chalande ho? Ai taan bahot ee vaddiya gal haigi.(You're driving still at this age, that's so great thing)
1Name:HS.
2 Sikh, 62, from Amritsar.
3 Had a rented house near PG gurdwara, now has two flats, one in his name, second in his daughter in Law's name.
4 Came to Kolkata 40 years back.
5 Has 5 pieces of farm land in Punjab, has sub-cobtracted them all gets Rs125000 from that annualy.
Me: These days , youth in Punjab are addicted to drugs, how is it in your area?
HS is shocked by my statement.
Sir jee, you're in Kolkata, and you know about it? Thats great. Not many people do. Well there is not much to do in Punjab, that is why I came to Kolkata, Paapi pet karata hai sab kuch. Par na karein to khayein kya? Chalo mehnat ki to khaa rahein hain. Kheti Machinein kardi hai, to aadmi ko kaam hi nahin. (All this for this sinner of stomach, if I don't work, what will we eat & how? At least I'm eating the fruits of my labour. Farming is done with machines, what do men do? If we did not work, we would do drugs.
I have a small flat, with one bed room a drawing room, kitchen and bath room, which I bought for Rs7 lakhs, another in the name of my daughter in law for the same price. The farmland will go equally to my two sons. They have bought swift dezires, which they have given on Contract to companies like Tata. They do not drive. This Taxi is mine, Today my driver did not come, who takes this cab on hire. My car washing boy told me Daar ji, if the driver has not come, why not take it for a drive? You will make some money. I will drive for 5 hours, make Rs250 and then go to Gurdwara, after Mattha Tek, then go home.
We both agreed on
a) All religions are same.
b) We both go to Gurdwara, Temple, Mosque & Churches & do Shish Jhuka & namaskar.
c) Dignity of labour & hard work.
d) Simple living & high thinking.
e) Good Deeds.
f) Honesty.
g) Being good to mankind.
I am not being judgemental.
I am not at all adding my comments.
I am not make my analysis .
I am not preaching.
I am a Marwari Malayali Migrant, to Kolkata from Jaipur.
My late Dad, came from Trichur, Kerala, to Mumbai, then, Indore, then to Jodhpur, then finally settling at Jaipur.
NJ from Samastipur to Kolkata.
HS from Amritsar to Kolkata(To whom, I mentioned, that my Late Mother in Law, was from Atari, near Wagah Border.)
My Father in Law's Dad came from Andhra Pradesh to serve as Rajpurohit, to Ganga Singh of Bikaner.
Migration, grit, hard work never kills.
Empty mind is a devils workshop.
I only would state to politicians.
a) Adress the demands of population with honesty.
b) It is high time, agriculture produce pricing is either increased, or backend subsidy be provided, or else, no one will pursue farming.
c) Lack of gainful employment, will increase crimes, addictions.
d) Train youth for agriculture farming professionally.
To Public.
a) Collaborate & Do collective farming.
b) Mechanise Farming.
c) Understand dignity of labour, and respect people from all proffessions, even your drivers, cooks & ayahs, coolies, vegetable green grocer, taxi driver, watchman. After all, they are working hard to earn their livelihood.
To educated & socially active, level headed Indians, who want to make India , That is Bharat, The Wonder, that India WAS.
Jai Hind.
Lets make the world
a better place to live,
for people,
like you & me.
We are the world.
Micheal Jackson.
PS:Muzzaffarpur is one of the 46 extremely backward districts in India. It has been so, for over a century now. So are Samastipur, Champaran .
I remember a story, written by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the president of our Constituent Assembly, which designed The Constitution of India, and the First President of India,
in Hindi "Champaran mein Bapu ke saath" On Mahatma Gandhi's first visit to Champaran, in 1920, for "Neel Satyagraha"
Even after 94 years, Gaya, Samastipur, Muzaffarpar, Champaran, continue to remain, out of the radius of development.
May I ask why?
These are the same places,
Where, once there lived, Amrapali, Raj Nartaki(Court Dancer)
Where, Ajatshstru ruled.
Sita, emerged from earthen Pot.
Lord Mahavir , The 24th Jain Teerthankara was born, in Vaishali.
The important People from There
Dr Rajendra Prasad.
Acharya Kripalani.
George Fernandes.
Capt Nishad(Current MP)
Anand Mohan & Lovely Anand(Anand Mohan is currently undergoing a sentence, for "alleged" murder of an IAS.
It was a breeding ground laboratory of Socialist, Lohiaite politics. Chandrashekhar, George Fernandes, Anand Mohan Singh & The Current Chief Minister of Bihar Mr Nitish Kumar.
