I am a simple man. I believe in simple living. I am happy if I can take care of my family nicely, spend a good life and can perform all the responsibilities properly. My day starts with the 1st morning sun ray that touches the earth. Everyday, I wake up with a hope to make my life better. I work hard whole day to earn and at the end of the day I get the earnings which is enough to look after of my family.
I am carrying my forefathers' tradition and I am quite proud of it. Somebody should be there to carry forward their names and I am happily doing it.
But, nowadays, it seems it is not becoming enough for daily living. These days, people are more and more getting inclined towards the modernization. Modernization has touched it's magic wand everywhere and the world is changing faster than my imagination. I know, I can match the modernization by working little harder. Yes, I know I have to work harder.
I have started working harder. Summer or winter, I know the sun is also working hard to make my path tougher, but, hard working has no other replacement. I know I will be successful to get my job done in a better way. So, be it the scorching heat, be it raining heavily, be it the chilled winter I started working harder. But, unfortunately after doing all these I am only able to earn a meager two square meals a day for my family. What should I do to make my life better. Since my birth I have only learnt to earn my bread and butter in this way. What is going wrong with it. My days are becoming harder day by day. I am ready to give my service whole day, I never care for my health when it comes to give my service, I don't care of the nature of the weather, still I am lagging behind time, I am getting defeated by the modernization. When everybody is going ahead of time I am lagging behind in spite of giving my heart and soul to the work. Is this what I should get to carry the old tradition with me since this long time? After all I am a Rickshaw Puller.....
This is what is today's story of a rickshaw puller. A person is a rag that pulls a rickshaw is called rickshaw puller. He is often seen here and there on the road, in market complexes, near cinema halls, schools, hospitals etc.
A rickshaw puller leads a very hard life. He earns little to meet two square meals a day for his family. He never cares for his health and pulls his rickshaw for maximum hours in a day. Apart from carrying person or persons, he carries goods like vegetables, tea and other things in the form of packed or unpacked bundles.
Nowadays some rickshaw pullers are seen engaged in carrying school children. It gives them a permanent income. And what is more, they get a change in their hard life in the company of the small children.
No matter to whom they pull, but it looks very pathetic in itself. It is really a great pity. It is the dark side of our social traditions that a man has to pull two or three persons to earn his livelihood without caring the nature of the weather. In this advanced age, when there are various transport facilities, rickshaw pulling is still in existence on a mass level.
Pulling of human beings by a man is a curse upon society. Hence, rickshaw pullers must be given full support from the Government in the form of loan so that they may purchase auto-rickshaw or may start some other business thus, they will be able to earn more money by comparatively less manual labour. It will also make their family life a little bit more comfortable. They will be able to educate their children in order to make them worthy citizens of the country.
But it does not seem that rickshaw pulling will come to a complete end because it has been in existence from a long time. Even in 18th century man used to pull Palki or wood cart on foot, which was perhaps more miserable. Hence, so long it is in existence, it is the moral duty of common people to be sympathetic to the rickshaw pullers.
Sometimes it has been seen some people do not pay reasonable wages to them and start quarrelling in loud voice. Poor rickshaw puller becomes helpless and satisfies him with whatever he gets from such quarrelsome persons. We must change our attitude towards him.
He gives valuable service to us. Sometimes when it is scorching heat and we find ourselves unable to walk on foot, we take his service. We sit in the shade while the rickshaw puller pulls us wiping sweat with a piece of cloth every now and then.
We must feel the rickshaw puller's misery and be a little more lenient towards him. If we do not pay him more than the real wage, it's alright. But we should never underestimate his labour.
