hidden image

I DO SUPPORT FARMERS; BUT NOT AS A FAD!

Balvinder Singh Balvinder Singh
19 Apr 2021

May sound cynical but I don’t support farmers the way everybody seems to be supporting them these days.  

Almost every other vehicle, from tiny Maruti 800s to jumbo luxury SUVs, displaying huge sized flags and stickers, which garishly announce support for farmers, can be seen running on the city roads rather frequently. 

I doubt if such a trendy and short lived acts would bring any change either in the lives of the troubled farmers, who have been agitating continuously now for more than four months, or in the haughty attitude of the government towards the farmers’ seemingly rightful demands. 

I see this kind of farmer supporting symbolism similar to hundreds of meaningless and never followed in their letter and spirit slogans which almost every public goods carrier displays rather loudly! The most popular among them are paradoxical phrases like DON’T MIX DRINKING AND DRIVING, AVOID AIDS and BETI PARRAHO - BETI BACHHAO; the last one sounds most obnoxious because we, a religious majority, boast of having Ma Sarasvati, a woman, as our Goddess of learning!  

On the contrary some rustic verses which are also painted on many of these vehicles, apart from apparently mandatory markings like OK-TATA, BURI NAZAR WALE KA MOOH KALA and HORN PLEASE, do make entertaining reads more than often! 

That is why I often wonder who would support Aman, and his many other unfortunate likes, who really require public support perhaps more than the hapless farmers. Not so strangely no one ever speaks for them even through faddish symbolism, like that of holding ‘mombatti-marches’ or displaying meaningless slogans!  

In his late twenties, lanky Aman’s ignorantly peaceful looking face truly matches his name. He daily collects garbage from each of the sixty odd flats in our multi storied housing society, if not smilingly, but with no sign of grim or revulsion ever on his face. Also, he is supposed to keep the large society area clean of dirt and tree leaves.  

Carrying heavy pair of bins, one for collecting dry and other for wet kitchen waste, his job makes him climb up and down about 500 stairs every day, with no or rare weekly off.  

Despite official instructions most of the households don’t segregate wet and dry garbage as yet, which he himself has to do with unprotected naked hands. And lo! These are Corona endemic days, when everyone preaches/sloganizes about keeping hygiene as a priority to fight the virus!  

Plus, he listens patiently, daily as a routine, many complaints followed by threats to stop paying his dues, from one or the other resident for leaving this or that part of the society unclean. 

He does this highly unhygienic and thankless job for earning a sum of Rupees 300 or so a day. And only god knows how many family members are destined to live on his this princely income in this city, which is known to be one of the costliest cities in the country. 

Let us start supporting all such workers and interact with them with some dignity and respect they deserve rightfully. The very first initiative, to start with, perhaps be to remember that these more than front-line workers, even eons before the ongoing pandemic, have their names also, other than with which we often address them rather contemptuously!  

(The writer is a former principal of Chandigarh's first government college)
 

Recent Posts

The Emergency must be remembered, not as a tool to target a political party but as a lesson against authoritarian excess. Yet, we cannot ignore that worse violations of democratic norms and human righ
apicture A. J. Philip
30 Jun 2025
Fifty years later, India faces a chilling déjà vu with an 'undeclared' Emergency. Freedom of speech is stifled, dissent is suppressed, and institutions are compromised. True democracy demands resistan
apicture Cedric Prakash
30 Jun 2025
Amit Shah's claim that those who speak English will be ashamed evidences that the BJP-RSS is trying to bring down the populace and push India into another Vedic dark age where ignorance and superstiti
apicture Jacob Peenikaparambil
30 Jun 2025
The NSE's ?1,400 crore settlement with SEBI raises critical concerns about India's financial markets. Any perceived regulatory capture risks eroding trust.
apicture Jaswant Kaur
30 Jun 2025
Christian education in India has had a profound influence on democracy and social justice in the country. It played a pivotal role in challenging caste oppression, promoting inclusivity, and fostering
apicture Fr Soroj Mullick, SDB
30 Jun 2025
"The spread of digital culture, particularly evident among young people, is profoundly changing their experience of space and time; it influences their daily activities, communication, and interperson
apicture Joe Eruppakkatt
30 Jun 2025
Welcome to the Happy State of Emergency: Where freedom is carefully curated, minds are pre-cooked, and Big Brother doesn't need to frown—he just raises one eyebrow... and we salute…!
apicture Robert Clements
30 Jun 2025
The North-South divide reflects India's broader regional and cultural tensions. The progress of Southern states in health, education, and development contrasts with the Hindi belt's struggles on devel
apicture Thomas Menamparampil
23 Jun 2025
India's 2027 census and ensuing delimitation will redefine its political landscape. As northern states gain influence due to burgeoning population, southern states will face reduced representation des
apicture Dr John Singarayar
23 Jun 2025
For India to become a global healthcare power, it must democratise medical education—revise outdated rules, invest in public institutions, expand seats, embrace technology, and ensure affordability. A
apicture A. J. Philip
23 Jun 2025