Wednesday 13 December 2017

SWEET APARTHEID



Once I had to go to Haridwar due to a family religious work. There I took a bath in the Holy Ganges. I took a roadways bus to go back to my hometown, Ghaziabad. A black African Negro was also travelling by the same bus. He listened and read many stories about the Holy city, Haridwar. Fascinated by the stories about Haridwar, he also decided to visit Haridwar. But he had no idea about the cold climate of Haridwar and bone freezing water of Mother Ganges. He had no woollen clothes and he was shivering badly.

 As was usual with Indians, most of the people started laughing at his condition or looking at that Negro curiously. The Negro was shivering and shaking due to biting cold winds.

 A middle-aged Pundit-Ji (religious Brahman), in holy saffron clothes, Chandan tilak on his forehead, long knowledge Shikha (Choti) on his head and a garland of Holy Rudraksha in his neck were also travelling by that bus. Due to the cold, he had covered himself in a big blanket. Seeing shivering Negro he could not control himself. Out of kindness, he shouted in his innocent Hindi, "O kalia, aaja, mere kambal me baith ja, nahi to mar jayega" (black man, come here and sit in my blanket, otherwise die). He requested the lady seated next to him, to shift to some other seat so that he could accommodate the Negro on that seat in his blanket.

 The Negro came to Pundit-Ji and looked at Pundit-Ji with a sense of gratitude but neither of them could talk as both were ignorant of each other's language.  After some hours the driver stopped the bus at a roadside dhaba (motel) for some rest. Most of the passenger alighted from the bus. Some went for tea and some went for pissing. Some of the ill-mannered passengers pissed almost very near the bus.

 The Negro also alighted from the bus and went at some distance from the bus to piss. In the meantime, the driver came back on the bus. All the passengers came rushing to the bus but the Negro could not board the bus. The bus moved a few yards. Not seeing the black Negro in his seat, worried Pundit-Ji shouted at the driver, very innocently and worryingly, "aere bevkoof driver, kala shani deveta to peeche hee choot gaya." (O foolish driver! Black Shani God (Negro) is left behind).

 Listening to Pundit-Ji, the driver stopped the bus. In a few minutes, the Negro came puffing and boarded the bus. Again Pundit ji shouted at the Negro and admonishing him gently and lovingly, "aere kalia bus choot jati to thand se mar jata. Aaja kambal me beth ja." (O Black Man! If you had missed the bus, you would have died of cold). 

 Like an obedient child, the Negro covered himself in the Pundit Ji's blanket and the bus moved and took the speed.









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