To
get involved in or getting motivated by someone is a normal thing for any human
being. But, in imbibing that level of comprehension, the thinking animal- the
Homo sapiens, always use their cognitive faculty more than their affective or
emotional ones. Exceptions are rare but not unavailable. Such an exception
happened during the high day of Dussehra while I was travelling in a cycle
rickshaw. The cycle rickshaw wala is the man who pulls the weight of the entire
world, but, hardly gets an ear to his ‘knowledgeable’ verbal discourse. Many a
time we ignore the fact that he is talking to us, while at times we lend just
half an ear to satisfy his ego and our super-ego.
Honestly,
the listening started in the latter form. But, very soon I was startled by the
enormous amount of information he is throwing out both from his knowledge and
experience. He was taking me through the congested streets of a residential area where we noted that on every junction a Ravan effigy was being mounted by the
young residents (mainly) of the particular area, making it difficult for the
cycle rickshaw wala to take his normal route to reach my destination (which was
more of his, than mine now). At each point where Ravan was being mounted, he
was shooed way; a very common scene of road rage against the suppressed lot of
such rickshaw pullers. He tried to ignore the use of words on him by the
residents each time and tried to engage me with his extra-ordinary knowledge in
Ramayan. He explained that these effigies will be burnt in the evening,
symbolizing the killing of Asur Raja Ravan by Lord Ram during the sunset time.
The moment he understood that he got a patient listener behind him, he started
narrating the entire Ramayan. At each junction, we were met with youngsters
mounting the Ravan effigy, who were unnecessarily harassing the man and forcing
him to change the direction. I could see the frustration and helplessness of a
poor downtrodden man, who belongs to the bottom of the socio-economic strata of
the Indian class-conscious society.
He
kept on continuing the dictation of Ramayan, while he was busy changing the
routes to avoid the Ravan effigies. And, then as if, it had to happen, the
situation reached a dead end whereby in a junction all the three sides were
blocked by mighty Lanka Raja Ravan. I had no other option than to get out of
rickshaw. I handed him the full route money he had told me initially, though he
refused accepting it at the first go, owing to the moral itch it has caused him
in not making me reach my destination. While I was getting down and paying him,
he told me that what they (read the rich brats who were mounting the effigies) were
doing was one of the greatest sin. Lord Ram was rendered less effective after
the killing of Ravan, since it was after all a Brahmhatya. Neither did I
accept, nor did I reject his proposition. But, for time-being I nodded my head
in accordance with him. He advised me to read Ramayan for a better
understanding. Finally, parting ways, he gave the lesson of the lifetime. The
self-centered, arrogant, supercilious behavior which these brats show on the people,
who are perceived to be of no use, is the real Ravan which should actually be
burnt away. Many a time, we are, what we are not. Moving away from him, I
shouted, “What is your name?”. The reply came Ram Kumar!
