Apna Utthan, Apne Haath #1
The phrase I have used in the title (with the correct spelling, for a change) is something my boss/supervisor/advisor/mentor-without-his-consent often uses. It's a simple phrase reminding a person that they're responsible for where their growth and development. Astounding how we often hand over power for our own lives to others/fate. Sometimes, it is as simple as not having the courage to ask for what you want and sometimes it's as unhelpful as blaming others for every single unfavourable incident that happens in your life.
Moving on, this is the story of the Uber driver that I met yesterday - Mr. Santosh. He seemed like a kind man - gave us a life hack about how to reduce our cab fare. During the second half of the ride, I really got talking to him. Usually, cab/auto drivers have strong views on the government, so I enjoy talking to them about politics. He said he was from U.P. but when I asked him about the Adityanath government, he didn't have any opinions to give.
Instead, he told me his own life story... and left me forever scarred about Ferozabad, U.P.
Here it goes -
His parents used to live in Delhi, grandparents in Ferozabad. Has two younger brothers. He didn't like to study and occupied himself with jua and kancha. One day his mother hit him a lot and reprimanded him like Indian parents do 'shaam tak ruk, papa aayenge toh samjhega'. Obviously, this was enough to scare a kid. He stole Rs. 200 from his mother's purse and ran off to Ferozabad. In between, his mother did come to pick him up but he refused. He gave up on education.
Context about Ferozabad -It's a place where people are indentified by their 'jaat-paat'. There is a lot of goonda-ism. He talks of how nobody is safe there. Even right now, he wants to sell off his land but the local dominant caste asks him 'to give it away'to them. Challenges him that he won't be able to do anything. They cut up policemen and dispose them. In such a lawless state, whom do you expect to protect you. People might not have food to eat, but they have guns. Young children do the 'shaam ko bahar mil' and knife each other. If you show you have money, you get kidnapped. So, even if you're rich, you have a two wheeler for the world to see. Affluent families lived in fortress-like houses and yet their homes are tried to be broken into.
Anyway, he learnt glass work and started working for an influential caste over there. He didn't receive any pay. He once asked for some money to go back to Delhi to see his parents. They refused. So, he asked somebody else, visited his parents and returned home. On returning home, he went to work at that person's place who had loaned him money so as to repay the debt - he anyway, wasn't receiving any pay. One fine night, the previous employer came with a van, parked in front of his house door, opened the car door and asked him to get in. He didn't have any other option. The guy took him to the middle of the forest, took out his gun and threatened him to work for him while he was there. Exclusively. He quietly just listened and the guy dropped him back to his own house.
Fed up by the state of affairs, he ran back to Delhi. He was determined to do something for himself.
First he started working with a glass shop, to design the glass. That particular job role died when iron moulds came (if I understand correctly). Then he moved to designing glasses for buildings. The demand for that also died.
He moved on and brought a car - will pay the loan on it for another 1.25 years and the car will be his. He put his glass skills to use and now manufactures the glass that is used in laboratories to do blood tests. I asked him about the machinery and he just said 'jugaad'. He has now employed 2-3 people, runs glass manufacturing business out of his house. Has a house, two children studying in English medium schools and his wife earns Rs. 1,200-1,300 per day (I am assuming she handles the glass business and does not supplement the income by another job). In fact, his elder son aspires to becomes a musician - forced his mother to buy him a guitar, uploads his clips to YouTube and wants to earn through it.
It's not all a happy story. He regrets not studying more. He regrets that he drives while his brothers and their spouses have jobs. I told him how it's so great that he has his own business, does his own things. He told me had he been this enterprising when he was young and had access to education, he would have reached far. He talks about status - how he is judged because he is uneducated and drives - inspite of having everything. He comes from a place of caste and status and thus, I understand this sentiment too. But he's happy, his children study English and they even help him make bills for the glasses which his wife and he don't understand. We even discussed how unfair it is to impose a foreign language in this country but he seemed to have gotten with the times saying how what is necessary
I admit I have no idea about whether whatever he is doing is legal or safe or not. I also admit that it might be his 'fault' in the first place to skip education. However, I took away the following key points from his stories -
1) He is happy. He is esentially uneducated and he managed to pull himself up. You take chances and opportunities and you might reach somewhere as opposed to passive acceptance.
2) How adaptable humans are - he used the skills he had learnt and changed it according to the need of the times thrice. Technology, which also took away his first job, is a source of a dream job to his son (although he says his son doesn't sing as well and he doesn't like it).
End of story! Wish for many more of these! :)
Moving on, this is the story of the Uber driver that I met yesterday - Mr. Santosh. He seemed like a kind man - gave us a life hack about how to reduce our cab fare. During the second half of the ride, I really got talking to him. Usually, cab/auto drivers have strong views on the government, so I enjoy talking to them about politics. He said he was from U.P. but when I asked him about the Adityanath government, he didn't have any opinions to give.
Instead, he told me his own life story... and left me forever scarred about Ferozabad, U.P.
Here it goes -
His parents used to live in Delhi, grandparents in Ferozabad. Has two younger brothers. He didn't like to study and occupied himself with jua and kancha. One day his mother hit him a lot and reprimanded him like Indian parents do 'shaam tak ruk, papa aayenge toh samjhega'. Obviously, this was enough to scare a kid. He stole Rs. 200 from his mother's purse and ran off to Ferozabad. In between, his mother did come to pick him up but he refused. He gave up on education.
Context about Ferozabad -It's a place where people are indentified by their 'jaat-paat'. There is a lot of goonda-ism. He talks of how nobody is safe there. Even right now, he wants to sell off his land but the local dominant caste asks him 'to give it away'to them. Challenges him that he won't be able to do anything. They cut up policemen and dispose them. In such a lawless state, whom do you expect to protect you. People might not have food to eat, but they have guns. Young children do the 'shaam ko bahar mil' and knife each other. If you show you have money, you get kidnapped. So, even if you're rich, you have a two wheeler for the world to see. Affluent families lived in fortress-like houses and yet their homes are tried to be broken into.
Anyway, he learnt glass work and started working for an influential caste over there. He didn't receive any pay. He once asked for some money to go back to Delhi to see his parents. They refused. So, he asked somebody else, visited his parents and returned home. On returning home, he went to work at that person's place who had loaned him money so as to repay the debt - he anyway, wasn't receiving any pay. One fine night, the previous employer came with a van, parked in front of his house door, opened the car door and asked him to get in. He didn't have any other option. The guy took him to the middle of the forest, took out his gun and threatened him to work for him while he was there. Exclusively. He quietly just listened and the guy dropped him back to his own house.
Fed up by the state of affairs, he ran back to Delhi. He was determined to do something for himself.
First he started working with a glass shop, to design the glass. That particular job role died when iron moulds came (if I understand correctly). Then he moved to designing glasses for buildings. The demand for that also died.
He moved on and brought a car - will pay the loan on it for another 1.25 years and the car will be his. He put his glass skills to use and now manufactures the glass that is used in laboratories to do blood tests. I asked him about the machinery and he just said 'jugaad'. He has now employed 2-3 people, runs glass manufacturing business out of his house. Has a house, two children studying in English medium schools and his wife earns Rs. 1,200-1,300 per day (I am assuming she handles the glass business and does not supplement the income by another job). In fact, his elder son aspires to becomes a musician - forced his mother to buy him a guitar, uploads his clips to YouTube and wants to earn through it.
It's not all a happy story. He regrets not studying more. He regrets that he drives while his brothers and their spouses have jobs. I told him how it's so great that he has his own business, does his own things. He told me had he been this enterprising when he was young and had access to education, he would have reached far. He talks about status - how he is judged because he is uneducated and drives - inspite of having everything. He comes from a place of caste and status and thus, I understand this sentiment too. But he's happy, his children study English and they even help him make bills for the glasses which his wife and he don't understand. We even discussed how unfair it is to impose a foreign language in this country but he seemed to have gotten with the times saying how what is necessary
I admit I have no idea about whether whatever he is doing is legal or safe or not. I also admit that it might be his 'fault' in the first place to skip education. However, I took away the following key points from his stories -
1) He is happy. He is esentially uneducated and he managed to pull himself up. You take chances and opportunities and you might reach somewhere as opposed to passive acceptance.
2) How adaptable humans are - he used the skills he had learnt and changed it according to the need of the times thrice. Technology, which also took away his first job, is a source of a dream job to his son (although he says his son doesn't sing as well and he doesn't like it).
End of story! Wish for many more of these! :)
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