THE GAMES THEY PLAY

 



A while ago, I was having my mid-morning ‘cutting’ at a nearby tapri. That’s the place, I, often, get to hear some serious discussions/debates  - about politics, religion, or life at large… often, some finest dialogues, and, even, the choicest expletives!

This morning, I was ‘privileged’ to overhear some serious discussion over the latest Maharashtra politics. The paanwala and, apparently, his regular customer, a rickshaw-wala. The paanwala, who seemed to be a North Indian, sounded extremely excited and satisfied about the development… He wanted the MVA government to collapse. The Rickshaw-wala – apparently, a Maharashtrian – was angry at the political development. He was feeling cheated and was cursing his heart out on those leaders, who, he thought, were betrayers… He was blaming BJP for engineering all the drama… “Ye sab game hai; saare chor hai.” He was fuming with frustration and disappointment.

The chaiwala, a Rajasthani middle-aged man – who gets to witness such hardcore philosophy from dawn to dusk and through all seasons – went about his work, occasionally, shaking his head and smiling: "Saare pagal hai.”

I, a South Indian, was there, maybe for maximum five to ten minutes before I left that tapri... I was watching my own mind. I could easily trace to which side of the scale, my mind was tilting… “Was I thrilled,  or was I disappointed at the political development in this marvelous state, where we all – the chaiwalas, the paanwalas, the rickshaw-walas and the patshalawalas - had the privilege of fulfilling our respective dreams?

The answer to this question, my friends, is blowing in the wind... 

All of us, at the end of the day, will go back to our humble homes, with whatever daily earnings we could make by the sweat of our brows…

This patshalawala, at best, can cast his vote when the next election comes… but, sorry to say, he can’t stop the ‘voted ones’ from playing the games they do…

I bet, the Sun will rise, as usual, tomorrow early in the morning, and you and I – the chaiwalas, the paanwalas, the rickshaw-walas and patshalawalas – yes, we all have to leave our homes to earn our ‘daily bread’…

Amen.




 




GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: it NEWS

 

Video: 1. BBC News 2. Usha Uthup

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