The story of fifty paise and the Brown man's burden

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50 Paise

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 I was coming to office in my bike , just for a change. Bangalore is going through the change of seasons. Winter - to - summer. IT is 5:30 early in the morning .There is a hint of mist in the air and my light wind-cheater is not a complete protection from the teasing cold. I felt the urge for that hot tea and an occasional cigarette. The shops in Bangalore still carry the laziness from the old days, despite being a part of the new, bristling, bubbling IT City. They go live only around 7:00 AM, so are the hotels. Now the only option left for me is to look for the small tea shops those open very early. After 5 minutes I found one such shop and got down. There were a couple of construction workers talking in Hindi while having their tea . I ordered my tea, bought a cigarette and lit up. They stopped talking when they saw me and stared for a while. Once they convinced that I am not a biting type, the continued their conversation. Since there is nothing else to do, I just listened what the workers are talking. In India it is ok if you over-hear someone's conversation as most of the Indians like the sound of their own voice and hence conversations can be loud in most of the times with all kind of gestures and other variety of sign languages.. :-)).

From their Hindi accent, I gathered that they are from the state of Bihar. It is one of the most poverty stricken states in India. Even though it has plenty of natural resources and a lot of scope for development, one species made sure that Bihar remains in the dark - age forever - the Politicos. Because of this lot of Biharis find their way to other states looking for means to live as nothing much is available in there - let it be jobs or education wise or medical facilities. It is a familiar story and picture and very common in most of the third world countries.
So I am there, listening, but actually not listening to their conversation. It goes like this.
One : -  I did not get my money yesterday . That son-of-a- gun promised to give, but he did not.
Two: - Yeah, he did not give me too. Fortunately I have 20 Rupees in my hand, so somehow I can survive this day.
One: -   How lucky you are. If at all I did not watch the movie on last Sunday, I would have some money left.
Three: - I told you that day itself not to go, not to go. You did not listen to me. What will you do now?
One:  - Oh yeah, I remember now..! I do remember..! On Sunday you took 50 borrowed 50 paise from me, right? Give it back, NOW..!
Three: - (girly voice) Err...yeah...I did, but I don’t have 50 paise now to give you.
One :  -   (Louder)..so you are all good for giving advice then, but even you dont have any money with you now...(laughing out loud)
Three: -   (Shrunken further)...hehe..yeah..it is easy to give advice. But on Sunday I spent all my money in the liquor shop.
Chorus: - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...HARHARHARHARHAR.............
My tea came by this time and I finished both the cigarette and tea, paid the money and quietly left the place.
Now sitting at my office, in an air-conditioned and plush place, typing away in the laptop, the words of those poor workers echoing in my mind. The cigarette I smoke coasted me 4 Rupees and the tea is 3 Rupees. In my office, coffee and tea is free. If I have two tea or coffee from my office, it will easily cost the company anywhere around 30 Rupees. But those poor workers, they survive a day just with 20 Rupees and they even count 50 paise and value it very much.
I suspect now whether it is time to coin the term "Brown man's burden" in synonymous with the white man's one.
 
.Agent.
PS: - For the un-initiated. Rupee is the Indian currency. One rupee is 100 paise. Today's currncy converter says that one USD - 49.9002  Indian rupees.