Before the likes of right-wing extremists like GKA and the left-leaning liberals like Stambhit pounce upon the title of this post, here comes the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: Religion has nothing to do with this post. This is an a-political post.
I am bestowing the honour upon the quintessential Bangalore auto-rickshaw drivers for making their way into my blog because of their all-pervading, ever increasing exploits which would I am sure put them in the altar of greatness along with other Kannada greats in due course of time.
They are the principal characters of this post. It is a tribute to them.
Auto 1:
Expectant Passenger (EP): Richmond Circle jana hain (Around 10 Kms from the place)
Rick-Driver(RD): (No response. Just a shake of the head - like swatting an irritating fly away from your ears.)
EP: (Still waiting hopefully)
RD: Taking a more human approach, deciding that a response might not actually compromise his self-esteem - "Traffic bahut. Too far"
Ohh ! That's news. I did not know that traffic in Bangalore was too much !
Auto 2:
Still Expectant Passenger (SEP): HAL jana hain ( 2 km from the place)
RD: "Bahut paas hain. Walkable distance"
Thank you. I NEEDED that information. You see, he is doubling up as a driver and a portable information kiosk !
Auto 3:
EP (This time not 'expectant' but 'exasperated') : Bhaiyya, aap ko kahan jana hain?!
RD : Jannat (Thinking)
EP : Jahannum, you mean ! (Thinking back !)
This 3rd scenario is the most likely scenario that you are likely to face if you land up here in the "City of Gardens" with no gardens. But as one incurable optimist, in love with Bangalore and its gardens pointed out :
"True to Indian ethos, they are all completely secular. They do not distinguish whether you work in IT or HAL, whether you are a Kannadiga or Tamil, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are anything or nothing. They are humane in their approach - their only criteria for mugging you is that you should be human or look like one. They are professional muggers and they just happen to drive autos in the pastime."
It is of course mere coincidence that the same could be said of Indian communists as well. Funny, how communism always has a connotation with exploitation.
6 comments:
does not bring out the whole picture... sorry to disappoint you but TOI wrote a more "likeable" article... a better start would have been with "secular mothers"...
oh how i hate them...
You should have told me about the article da. I hate repeating things.
Thanks for calling me an extremist!! I always knew I was one but needed a certificate from you..
By the way - Its only in India where secularism is construed as -equality of all faiths(All religions are equal but some are more equal than others)... in other countries where it originated it is more of distancing from all faiths but recognition of a national faith.. E.g., The Supreme Court in USA once gave a judgment which said that - US as a state is secular but the country US is Christian.. So much that the President should take oath on Bible.
In India, we don't have the same concept...
I had a tough time even in Hyderabad... in Banagalore you feel you are asking service from a Nawab!! It was after one such fight that I went to buy a bike although at that pooint of time I did not know how to drive... I learnt driving on my new bike :)
Ignoring ur last part of the otherwise "apolitical" blog, I guess the experience of the Bangalore autowalas is unique in its genre. Throughout India, the variety in the nature of auto drivers is as diverse as our motherland and out of them the local variety is the toughest to handle. Delhi is famous for exorbitant fares, Mumbai for their professional and helping attitude, Kolkata for overburdening and illegal ones and Chennai for surging meters. However, Bangalore has a combination of all of them except Kolkata and Mumbai for some unknown and known reasons.
Because, the public transport is pathetic here and cabs are beyond common man's ability (believe me, cab fares wud put even MBAs to shame), the auto drivers virtually get a monopolistic market to reign in. You need to come over and experience for understanding this.
Lastly, communism is not always giving democracy a miss. The Indianized version is like adulterated petrol - highly combustible and unsafe yet cheap and easily available. However, sometimes, I believe, a faulty democracy is not the better option to choose (even though I am not in favour of Chinese version) without a responsible bunch of political citizens.
If I could I would...kill a few auto drivers from all over this country, I mean. Am yet to meet a more annoying breed of people who push me towards harakiri every day!
Took me time to read the whole article, the article is great but the comments bring more brainstorm ideas, thanks.
- Johnson
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