Standing on a rooftop toilet of a downtrodden family in suburban Ludhiana as I looked towards my left, I saw a woman holding her child in her arms almost staring at me. I had this "Kaala Bandar" feeling from the Delhi 6 movie. Now this washroom, as it would be termed in the upwardly mobile society, had no taps, no flush. just about nothing at all. I was wondering why the hell had my bladder swollen up at the wrong place.
With no other choice on me I looked towards my right, there were few men on another rooftop. Ultimately I looked downwards. It struck me, today for a single use of some 2 minutes I am feeling so awkward, what about those who use it daily? men women alike. "Vedaas" as they call it in Punjab, house 3-4 families sometimes going upto 5-6 in a very small place. So that would be usual 20+ people using that very place for daily chores. a tiny bathroom place attached to it and all the water flowing into the drain next to the house.
How poor is our country? my second thought that blazed through my mind. Whatever they could they had done, the occupants had kept the place clean, But where is the government? Local authorities may say it is an illegal construction but it is at least better than the jhuggies (huts) where others stay? These very people slog to send their kids to nearby english medium schools. But with such poor living conditions productivity and angst is always likely to be high.
Working with such people gives pleasure, yet it leaves me grey stark questions and doubts about our society which is so lop sided. The bottom 20% have a very very harsh life here. This may not continue for long, as with such a large size in actual numbers such poor living conditions will act as speed breakers to growth of modern india.
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