It was a bright sunny morning; the morning that everybody expects, but not wishes for a hot summer day. The Sun, the scorching heat, however seemed to have no effect on daily activities around me, or rather a very few around me have the luxury to follow the itinerary of the Sun. The only sound that was audible in this morning was honking of cars; the cars that deprive the roads of enjoying the sunlight. These cars despite having kaleidoscopic countenances had one thing in common, the faces they carried; the faces that had the only expression of restiveness.
Such was the morning of the day in the New Delhi. And like everybody around me, I had to get out of my house and be a part of the crowd.
On a summer morning, the first thing that I look for after getting out of my house is a rickshaw. This morning was not different and like other mornings as soon as I stepped out of my house, I was approached by 3-4 rickshawallas, urging me to hire their rickshaw. I boarded one of the rickshaws and set forth for my office, soon to be stopped at a red light. Agitated by honking of cars at the red light, I struck a conversation with the rickshawalla. The conversation was more like a question answer session with me asking questions about him, his native place, and so on. Some of the answer that he gave were:
"My home is in Bengal"
"I have been living here for past 1 year with with my family"
"Who wants to leave his native place, but people like us don't have any other option"
"What to say. I was a farmer with a small piece of land at my native place. The income from farming wasn't enough to meet demands of my family. By the way I have three sons and one daughter. So, I had been planning to come to Delhi for some other income source leaving the farming to my eldest son."
"No that's not why I came here. Around 3 years back, I heard that Tata is setting a big factory at my native place and that everyone in the locality will be employed. The factory soon started to materialize and though I had to sell my farm, I was happy because two of my sons were promised job in the factory. And for me I decided that I will start a small general store with the money I got by selling my land. We were so happy then with the factory built so quickly"
"But, our happiness was short-lived. Soon after the factory was set-up, Mamta Banarjee madam started protesting against the factory with a small bunch of farmers supporting her."
"No, its wrong, most of the farmers were in support of the factory. Everybody was happy, why would anybody oppose the development. I tell you, only 1 out of 20 farmers were against the factory."
"Yes, not only you, but the whole country know about what happened afterwards."
"So, here I am, with no land, no job, pulling rickshaw in this alien city."
To tell you the truth, I couldn't bear more of his misery so I just said that even I and my friends have left our native places to work here. And like every other day, like every other morning, I felt helpless...
The Red Light turned Green just then and I decided that I have to do something, at least I will VOTE.
