How peace comes - Travelogue

Just as this cold earth begins to warm up at the early touches of the sun, my eyes begin to see how lives are lived here. The rhythmic noise of the train set another rumbling in the head. Slowly, I was absorbed into the sorrows and joys of those who lived their journey on that train.

1. A Scary Episode

Every man and woman is god’s breath in bodily form. This statement excludes a minority of human beings from being God’s breath- the ‘transgenders.’ They by their form undergo unimaginable experiences just to be alive. Born in a society which does not have a space for them, they are left by themselves to fend for themselves – physically, emotionally and financially. For this reason, they are what they are. Today one from their community barged into my train. He/she spread fear in the passengers. s/he threatened men to give her money. She used abusive language to get there. She had to. There would be no other way. Nobody gives them work. Nobody loves them like human beings. They have no acceptance. They have no place in the mainstream society. If they wanted to survive, the had to become goons who can threaten and extract money from strangers.
I pity them. But what is my pity for them? There are also people who need to be accepted and appreciated as human beings. Society should realize this. They too should realize that there are other decent and dignified ways of living this beautiful life. All of us need to accept what is real. All of us need to let the other live. I don’t want to fear or look down upon my fellow human beings. I thin, neither do they.

2. The Wedding Duo
Another interesting vision!  Seated on two sections of the seats with an alley between them, the newly weds sat without looking at each other. The woman displays new ornaments on her while man shows off his new things – wife being the first in the list. Now, there comes a phone call. It rings from his pocket. He takes it out, checks who is calling and gives it to his woman. She knew it was her call, because it was her phone. She sobs on phone. It was her mom on phone. She is going away from home, may be for the first time, to her husband’s places. Two big bags indicate that.
Now his phone rings! She is curious too, looks intently. He doesn’t even mind her. He with authority creates a space exclusive for himself. Quite funny huh! She goes on to fiddle with her phone, listen to music, play videos, etc. Hubby buddy just gives a look or two on and off. He doesn’t have those on his basic cell phone!
Breakfast time. She serves. He eats. A traditional home on train. He finishes idlies one by one. 3, 6, 8, 9… Gosh, he stopped at 9. Her call now! She had her mark on the 6th one- wifely reduction may be! The drama continued. When those trans-people came, the man exhibited his guts by taking refuge in the toilet! Yet he is the Lord for her – “Pathi devo bhavah!”

3. The Reservation Drama

This drama also needs a little background story. India is geographically the 7th largest nation in the world. But demographically, we are second only to China. India Railways as I understand is the largest public sector employer in the world. It is filthy rich. These years, its income is going up dramatically. Among this, passenger ticketing is one of the major ones. Now, south India to be precise 3 ½ Southern states pay for their tickets as they should. Many of the remaining 24 ½ states bring lesser revenue to Railways through tickets. Being in Andhra, being on a train, I can vouch for that. My bloody reservation seat is under threat. Many, with a reservation have to come and fight to get their seats freed. This is a sad situation in many ways. Many of our people do not even understand what the meaning of reservation is. They get into any compartment/boggy of the train. Whatever is enough for them. But if it creates disturbance to those who have reserved their tickets well in advance, who is to blame?
It is here that the sociological equality of Indian population is at stake. Education and awareness are not equally distributed in India. Those who are economically at a better rung of the ladder also are at a higher position in the educational hierarchy. Therefore, the conveniences and goody packages of the government naturally go to this advantaged group. And the poor, uneducated majority remains at the bottom of the developmental ladder. For this reason were those people fighting with people who had their reservations ready. And those gentle men and women who showed actually using the privileges received from the tax payers’ money to show their supremacy on the less privileged ones. Another reading of the same would tell us that this democracy keeps certain percentage of its citizens under minimum levels of poverty, education and awareness – all for its knowledgeable rich to enjoy so me privileges.

4. The Little Princess
In the middle of the hurry burry of the reservation drama, god knows from where, this little princess who changed the tint of the journey came in (Hmm… Smell of kerosene.. there goes a kerosene tanker train…) in an all blue costume form top to bottom with her hair plaited and divided into two, she flashed her lightening smile over every unfamiliar face she saw. I remembered an old Malayalam story “Prakasham Parathunna Penkutty.”
Her family had no reservation. A middle aged woman with a small child, may be the little princess’ mother – came learning over me. The little princess came inside our alley to stand comfortably. Since I did not know the language, I had to smile back and keep quiet. I had a couple of questions boiling within me for her, but couldn’t ask. She went on chatting with her brother and my neighbours. I kept looking at that sweet face from which innocence gleamed. And I forget about everything that went around me. Peace… “Prakasham Parathunna Penkutty.”