Rickshaw-wallahs

One Mr. Shankar has vehemently opposed proposed abolishment of rickshaw-wallahs from Kolkata's streets in his article on page 12 of today's Times of India (5-Dec-2006). I must say I'm not a staunch supporter of this abolishment but must also add that the arguments made by Mr. Shankar are mostly superficial, at times ridiculous and do nothing to prove mr. Shankar as one of Bengal's best known contemporary writers as the footnotes boasts.

I am almost in complete agreement with his opinion that the concern shown by authorities is as good as crocodile tears and the cries of 'man-pulling-man must stop' perhaps serve vested interests. He also raises an excellent point by demanding a rickshaw-wallah thanksgiving day. His further suggestion that the rickshaw be declared a heritage transport is decently considerable.

However, his advice 'earn billions by exporting rickshaws' is nothing short of ludicrous. Elsewhere, he gives glimpses of a very sensitive mind but only in phases. As he says, of course we need to include the downtrodden in our literature and not leave it to foreigners to uphold their interests and of course rickshaw-wallahs are a Kolkatan's true friends through thick & thin.

But saying that 'our venerable rickshaw-wallahs render voluntary service' is nothing short of ridiculous. Yes their vocation is handed down from generation to generation but of course any educated man with a reasonably broad perspective can guess that this handing down is more out of compulsion than anything else.

Mr. Shankar argues that the per kilometer rate of rickshaws is the highest among all forms of transport on Kolkata. But he seems to have forgotten simple mathematics here. Any rickshaw runs less than one tenth the distance that motor vehicles do and therefore a rickshaw-wallah has no chance of earning a decent living.

Having visited Kolkata as an outsider I can say that rickshaws are not Kolkata's USP as Mr. Shankar would make us believe. Its USP could well be The tram, tube railway, white dhoti / white saree with bright red border, fish, communism, history, football, mithai, Tagore (any other great writers / thinkers / freedom fighters) or Victoria Memorial. But not the rickshaw. In fact an outsider is more likely to be agreived to see 'man-pulling-man' than amused by a rickshaw ride. I visited Kolkata with family and friends. We found it extremely difficult even to look at another man pulling our rickshaw and it won't be an overstatement to say that we were ashamed to be zooming like crown princes.

Mr. Shankar points out quite correctly that no one has ever heard of a rickshaw puller betraying his passangers' trust or outraging a woman's modesty. It breaks my heart to hear such comments from a writer who hails from communist land. Has he never heard of brainwashing over centuries making the down-trodden belive whole-heartedly that their 'moksha' lies only in serving the upper class with complete loyalty? This is clearly evident when a rickshaw-puller first refuses to accept tips and then almost touches your feet when you pay him a Rupee extra.

Mr. Shankar further narrates how the rickshaw-wallahs have inspired him to write stories (!) and how foreigners (read GORAs) are amused by the rickshaw. I find that neither a good reason to keep hand pulled rickshaws nor funny. Anybody who has seen even glimpses of Balraj Sahani pulling a rickshaw in 'Do beegha zameen' can never fall prey to Mr. Shankar's arguments.

I am not entirely for or against abolishment of rickshaws. I can understand an overzealous decision taken by those far away from reality can be disastrous. At the same time I also don't want to support superficial opinions expressed by the likes of Mr. Shankar who seem to be in love with rickshaws and will want the rickshaws to stay till death do them part.

I just wonder if replacing hand pulled rickshaws by cycle rickshaws will be a good solution.