Today, I talked to Aslam and Ravi when I was in canteen. I came to know a lot about them and a lot about how so many people suffer. The conversation really sent me to a lot of thinking. I was initially trying to encourage them towards good life but by the end of the conversation, I did not have anything to say, anything to contradict the various things they told me and I could not suggest them anything. I just went away.
This was how conversation went on:
Me: Aur Aslam Bhai! Kesi chal rahi hai zindagi
Aslam: Arre ham logo ki kya zindagi, bas kat rai hai. Aap logo ki zindagi badh rahi hai, hamari ghat rahi hai
Me: Arre aisa mat bolo yaar. Khush raho. Dekho, khush kon rahta hai?
Khush wahi rahta hai, jo apni majboori main maza dhoond leta hai. Khush raho
(Ravi was preparing some dish while singing a song on the platform)
I pointed Ravi and again said : See how Ravi is enjoying being in the same condition as you and doing his work.
(Ravi also came near the counter hearing that and we started having chat)
Me: Aur Ravi Bhai kaha se ho?
Ravi: (kuch to bataya, yaad nai)
Me: Aslam Bhai, tum kaha se ho, Bangalore se?
Aslam: Nai, me (kuch to naam) gaon se hu. Kalkatta ke paas hai
Me(Shocked): To itni door yaha pe kyu kaam karte ho? Yaha pe kyu aae the?
Aslam: Arre paiso ke liye aae the, kaam ke liye aae the, par yaha pe aake bhi kuch nai. Aap logo ko dekhta hu, aap logo ki zindagi badh rahi hai, hamari ghat rahi hai.
Me: Achcha tum logo ki tankhwah kitni hai?
Aslam: Yei 2000, 2500 se lekar 4000, 4500 tak
Me: Bas?
Aslam: Aur kya
Me: Tumhari kitni hai?
Aslam: 4500
Me: aur kitne saal se kaam kar rahe ho?
Aslam: saade 6 saal se
Me: Aur Ravi bhai, tumhari kitni hai tankhwah?
Aslam: 2500
Me: Aur tum kab se kaam kar rahe ho?
Ravi: 6 mahine se
Me: To yaha kyu kaam karte ho. Chhod kyu nahi dete? Kher yaha rahne khane ka milta hai, to wo bach jata hai. Bahar rahoge to rahne khane ka bhi bahut lagega. Par tum log yaha aate hi kyu ho? Apne ghar ke aas paas hi kaam karte to bhale hi yaha se thoda kam kamate, par ghar pe zyada bhej sakte the. Kalkatta me bhi kaam kar hi sakte the.
(Then Ravi told the reason why they come to places so far away from their home to work. The same thing Aslam was not willing to tell)
Ravi: Yaha pe itni door kaam karte hain to logo ko pata nahi chalta ki ham kaha hain, kya kar tahe hain. Waha pe gaon ke aas paas kaam karege, to waha pe jaankaar log mil jate hain, to achcha nahi lagta ye sab kaam karte hue. Isliye ham log itni door aa jate hain
(Now, I was already out of suggestions. So, I wanted to enquire how much have they studied)
Me(to Aslam): Kaha tak padhe ho?
Aslam: bilkul nahi
Me(to Ravi): Tum?
Ravi: Navmi(9th) tak
Me: Aur kyu nahi padhe?
Ravi: Aur kya karta padke. School jata tha to master marta tha. Dimaag kharab hota tha to chhod diya
Me: Kyu marta tha
Ravi: Mahine mahine ke baad school jata tha, isliye marta tha
Me: To mahine mahine ke baad kyu jate the?
Ravi: Khet me kaam karna padta tha
Me: To school ke baad kar lete
Ravi: School 10 baje se 3 baje tak rahti thi. Aur thi bahut door, pedal jana padta tha. Isliye aane jane me bhi time lag jata tha. Fir kaam kab karta
Me: To tum hi kyu karte the khet me kaam?
Ravi: Me nahi karta to aur kaun karta? Ma akeli hai ghar pe. Me nahi karta to aur kaun karta.
Me: Yaar 5 saal aur padh lete to digri mil jati. Kisi school me, primary school me to teacher ki naukri kar hi sakte the
Ravi: Kuch nahi hota padne se. Naukri unhi ki lagti hai, jinke paas paisa hota hai. Waha ghoos dena padti hai, tab jaake naukri lagti hai. Yaha school jane ke liye fees ke to paise the nahi, padke ghoos kaha pe dete. Aur school jane me aur paise lagte the, isliye padhai hi chhod di
Me: Waha bhi ghoos lete hain?
Aslam: Ha, bina paiso ke kuch nahi hota. Yaha jaisa nahi hota waha pe. Yaha aap log IIT se nikalte hi saath naukri karne lag jate ho. Waha padne ka koi fayda nahi jab tak aapke paas paise nai ho.
Ravi: Meri Ma Chawda(14) class tak padi hai. Agar Naukri milti hoti to use bhi nai mil jati?
Aslam: Yaha jaisa nai hai waha pe. Bina paiso ke kuch nai hota. Aap log to yaha pe maze kar rahe ho, bahar naukri karoge, to aur achche se rahne lagoge. Shaadi kar loge, to aur bhi maze. Ham to shaadi kar le to aur zimmedari badh jati hai. Yaha pe ham khud ko to sambhal nahi sakte, biwi ko kya sambhale. Aap log ki zindagi badh rahi hai, hamari ghat rahi hai.
After this, the discussion was no more a discussion. Now, only they were telling their story and I was listening. I had nothing to say. I could neither suggest anything, nor could I blame themselves wrong anywhere. I just kept thinking.
Now, you should yourself figure out, who is wrong or who is to blame for their such condition.
It is a very hard issue and most of you may come to the conclusion that it is nobody's fault, just their destiny. May be, but if they were sure that they will get a job after they study, then there was a little hope for their improvement. I talked to them and they were not even in the mood of letting their children study.
So, what I think is:
I agree that destiny also has a little part to play in it. But, there is a little wrong on the part of those people also, who got themselves employed as teachers by paying bribe. It eliminated the hope totally for people like Aslam and Ravi.
And I really couldn't suggest them anything. Nor I could think of a solution.
