I’m grateful to my organisation which makes sure that I’m trained at Mumbai in every six months by attending refreshers, for writing this blog.
Mumbai local(EMU) life line of the city is also livelihood for many. I was traveling from church gate to kandivali. In every station that passed by I saw men sitting in front of a wooden box with brushes in their hands, those who were free were seen banging their brush over the boxes the others engaged in polishing shoes. The famous “Boot polish”. I remember seeing this scene in an Amithab Bachan movie. That director must be a smart guy, he made it an inspirational scene. But here I was not inspired by the reality. I saw people polishing shoes over their wooden boxes with limbs of men laced inside them. Those men who stood there were posing as if they have hired those boot polishers for life by paying Rs.10. I’m not complaining the job but the way it is being conducted. I was so disturbed by the scene that on my way back at Church gate station I went to a Boot polish, he readily welcomed me and offered his box. But I leaned forward to him and asked, “Have you ever thought of what will be going on in the mind of your customer when you polish his shoes?” . The guy got confused. He stared at me for a while took out a pot from his side, spite the paan in his mouth and asked me to sit by his side. But he didn’t answer my question for which I insisted. He said, “ I never thought that way, but you asked a good question, in this busy place no one ever asked this, you must have tea with me.”
Amazed by his offer I insisted for a reply. The guy shyly said, “ I do this for a living and if I start thinking the way you ask, I may not make my bucks”, saying so banged his box and offered me a polish with a glitter in his face. How innocent and ignorant. Shouldn’t we call it a case of denial of Self Respect, isn’t it an abuse of a fellow citizen. Shall we run out and blame the Government or should we wake up and realise that we are the reason and it’s we who have to change.
The Boot Polish is just an example which attracted my attention. There are so many such people in our society who are denied their basic rights and misused. As a veteran, I feel even the sahayak system in army is a misuse more relevant to the Boot Polish
I don’t know how many from Mumbai are going to read this blog if at all anyone does they may rubbish it as another long silly WhatsApp message. But I’m relieved that I expressed my regret for that poor Boot Polish. His glitter still glowing in my mind I’m back to my city.
- Hareesh aravindakshan
Great article. Your blogs have always been on thoughts the way around from how it looks but never has failed in pointing out, as straight as an arrow, the intolerable, unjust actions and beliefs of our society. Keep up the good work and hope you will keep impressing us with more and more meaningful blogs. Kudos!
ReplyDeleteGood one and thought provoking,Hareesh. If you see the evolution of humans, this scene has repeated itself over and over in different situations. The wealthy rule over poor, the educated over uneducated, powerful over powerless. Even the poorest of people like the boot polisher probably abuses people below him, maybe his wife, children, animals. I am not saying that such people don't deserve sympathy but just pointing out that power comes in many forms and it is in human DNA to exert our power over others who are weaker than us. Even women and African slaves who were treated badly do lord over people or animals who are weaker than them. After all, we are the dominant racethe planet has ever seen.
ReplyDeleteThe fittest always prevails that's the rule of nature. We humans being the most evolved of all need to take along every co occupants of this planet and let that begin from among our own race. Thank you for Ur comments.I don't blog regularly these days but all Ur comments rejuvenate. Grateful
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