A page from diary.

On the busy roads of Delhi, while you are sitting on rickshaw and you feel how the rickshaw puller pulsates the pedals of the rickshaw through his tired legs. On 2 May 5, 2015, it seemed he made extra effort each time he pushed pedals through his feet. May has begun, the sun shines with its might in Delhi, especially in areas where there is dearth of greenery .Man with tanned feet, his lungi covering his both the legs just below the knees. Harshness of sun, it seemed has tanned not only his legs, hands and face but his life, mind and soul. Layers have been attached to his life-he has forgotten how to dream. All he knows is to feed his stomach and send money back to his hometown where his family waits for money.

Ever since I joined MA Development Communication, I am breaking my stereotypes by dozens. Initially I used to think Enlightenment can happen only when you are alone, in The Great Himalayas when everything is calm and soul is at rest. For the first time in my life enlightenment happened in  the middle of the busy road in the scorching sun.

My roommate who happens to be my classmate too and I usually walk down the road to reach the college. We seldom take rickshaw, as our college is just 10 minutes walk away from the Hostel. Walking is healthy and free of cost (thank god!-nobody still charges to walk on earth otherwise I would have died). On 2^nd may it was our seniors’ farewell party. It was around12:00 noon, we decided to take rickshaw .Rickshaw pullers generally ask 30 or 40 bucks for carrying two people. But we convince them to take us in 20 bucks.

This time too he agreed to take us in 20 bucks. They are quite lenient with students. Once he began pedaling I could feel he was making extra effort to cycle the rickshaw. He felt week. That moment I was caught in the monologue with my self

Me:Yaar, Niharika you should pay him30 bucks.

Niharika: why?

Me:don’t you see and feel his ‘extra effort’?

Niharika: 1O bucks extra.

Me: why do you sound like moron? Last night in Sabka Bazaar you spent 500 bucks in buying food items and did you think about 10 bucks that time? One never bargains at supermarket.

Niharika: okay. I will.

Me: This summer please, pay him Rs 30 when you two sit in rickshaw.

Niharika: summers are difficult. I would do my bit.

I thought that “those seldom moment” when I take rickshaw are those when I menstruate and don’t feel like walking too much. I take this man’s service. Do they have this choice? No matter how much pain they are in, no matter what season of the year or life they are going through, they have to pedal to eke out their living.

This government has made lives of certain classes miserable-migrant workers, landless farm laborers, displaced forest dwellers, weavers, artisans, domestic helps, child laborers etc. When social security schemes were there they had this opportunity of entering into middle class. But with government deciding to cut expenditure on education, Health and social schemes their lives are to get worse .Inequality will rise sharply .These are people who would pay the price for some people’s dream of good days. Then there is this middle class who continues to enjoy the fruits of prosperity and wants to restrict those fruits to itself. They will never pay extra 10 buck to rickshaw pullers or 100 extra bucks to domestic help; well it might badly impact their bank balance or their beer or pizza.