It was in the
summer of 2001 which was sort of a
homecoming for me to Manipur. I had left my
hometown Churachandpur when I was just a
year old as my father was in the central
service and we traveled along with him
wherever he went. But though he was posted
in far away places, he would take us back
home to Manipur during our holidays so that
we would be in touch with our roots and
never forget where we came from. Meanwhile
the once peaceful state I once visited as a
child is embroiled in one crisis after
another. My visits soon became fewer and the
only link I had of Manipur was through the
newspapers and the various news channels on
TV. Manipur always seemed to hit the
headlines for all the wrong reasons and
often highlighted by the media as a living
hell!
Still I could not help but admire the
magnificent landscape and the enchanting
hills of Manipur which makes it look like
God's own country. The people however seem
to have taken the beauty around them for
granted. But for someone like me who has
lived outside, it is indeed a sight for the
sore eyes. The lush green fields have an
almost therapeutic effect until I notice
army men in green fatigues posted around the
corners. The sight leaves me rather
uncomfortable making me wonder whether to
feel safe or alarmed. As I walk through the
roads of the troubled state, I can see why
Manipur with all its endless magnificence
and deformity; people might love this place
and hate it soon after or despise it and
adore it all at once. What astonishes me
most is the ability of the people to remain
cheerful even under the most adverse
economic, social and political circumstances
and I realize that it is precisely this hope
that gives them a sense of possession of the
future, no matter how distant that future
may be. Their strength and ability to accept
the various changes and move on is truly
amazing.
Here in Manipur I find that dharnas and
bandhs are very common and
individual/organizations/NGOs will be
fighting for the rights of some particular
people or thing. Then there are the groups
of people that all the politicians and
NGOs/organizations have forgotten. It is
with great pain inside me that I write about
those sections of our society i.e. the
Rickshaw Wallas or Pullers. Being or
agreeing to become a Rickshaw Puller is
something which is inconceivable for me,
even for a single day. I am sure none of the
staff of the Sangai Express would be caught
driving a rickshaw as I guess it is in being
ashamed of what people will say. I also
noticed that most of them have covered their
faces and I guess they wanted to hide their
identity. Some of these Rickshaw pullers
were students earning to help them in
completing their studies and they would
cover their faces so that their friends or
class mates would not notice them.
In the summer of 2001 coming from Assam to
Imphal, I saw an old and aged person driving
a Rickshaw. He was sweating it out in the
hot summer winds. Suddenly I find some khaki
uniformed people stopping him and asking for
money as he had no license, he had no money
so they took the back seat of his Rickshaw
and broke it and as if that was not enough
they hit the old aged person with the stick.
I was shocked at this sight, which for me
was inhuman to be treating another human in
such a fashion and that too in front of the
Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker's
residence. I am 100% sure that the money
collected by these khaki uniformed personnel
did not go to the government as from
interviews with the rickshaw wallas; it was
for those policemen’s pocket money.
So while the Rickshaw Wallas who unwillingly
took up this profession out of extreme
poverty and sweat it out by physically
driving the rickshaws all that the police
personnel have to do is stand in the middle
of the road with a stick and earn their
pocket money. It makes me angry to find that
there is no one saying anything against it.
What are all our I.A.S and I.P.S officers
doing? What are all the politicians doing
for them?
No one has said a word against what I term
daylight robbery or illegal tax. Maybe
unless there is something to be profited
from no one is willing to come forward to
help them. I would find it disgusting if
some official told me that they collect the
taxes properly because it is not one or two
incidents but of hundreds of cases and I am
not speaking of an isolated case as I have
been seeing this behavior of the police
personnel for over 4 years now. Moreover I
had interviewed over 57 rickshaw pullers
from different localities as I was looking
at the possibility of doing a story on them.
During those days I had worked for Aankhom
Dekhi a news channel in Hindi now on DD News
in Calcutta and had undergone basic training
under an Indian Correspondent of Asia Press
International which is based at Tokyo,
Japan. So to all the Government officials
please don’t give any excuses, I know what I
am saying as without proper investigation I
would not say it. If at all you have any
shame or pity for them stop this harassment
of the oppressed.
The rickshaw pullers have to make a living
with their meager earnings which is a tiring
work. If the men in khaki uniform with the
salary they get from the Government have to
adopt such measures to run their families
why can’t they for a minute wonder, how the
rickshaw wallas with such little income are
running their families. Let’s leave them
alone to their miseries, as it is something
which we will not dare to take up as a job.
I got married
in 2002, me and my wife each time we take a
rickshaw I would warn her never to bargain
the fares. She would tell it to everyone in
our village and all would have a good laugh.
I guess in my heart there is that something
which I think is clear oppression of the
oppressed, which will not keep me quiet
while they suffer as it is something which I
will not have the guts to do i.e. a rickshaw
Walla. I can think of
stealing/robbing/murder or even joining the
UG groups out of extreme poverty but
becoming a Rickshaw wallah. No way! And I
bet that goes for all of us so let us learn
to give them the respect they deserve.
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