The last book
I read was ‘The White Tiger’ by Mr. Arvind Adiga which unfolds the
unforeseeable cruise of the protagonist Munna aka the
white tiger aka Ashok Sharma, a boy born in ‘darkness’ who was destined to be a halwai or a
sweet maker but amazingly makes his way to become an entrepreneur in a city
like Bangalore. It narrates the journey of a simple, faithful servant who later
becomes a ‘murderer’ and an ‘entrepreneur’. Just read the book if you want to
know more. Worth reading.
So how did this influence my blog? I was born
in a middle class family in the city of Gorakhpur in North-eastern Uttar
Pradesh. Now when you read this book, you can very well relate the characters
in it with people you see around in a place like Gorakhpur. I can say that
Gorakhpur is still in the ‘darkness’.
And I do find people like Munna and Mr. Ashok and Pinky madam around me.
Uttar Pradesh
was once the city of cultures. Mini-India was the title given to it. There are
historic cities like Varanasi, Allahabad, Meerut, Kanpur and many more. Every
city in Uttar Pradesh has its own historic significance. Even my city,
Gorakhpur is known for the very famous chauri-chaura kaand which
possesses its own importance in our freedom struggle. There are three IIT’s in
Uttar Pradesh itself in Kanpur, Roorkee and Banaras. Besides, there are several
other proficient universities for technical and management studies in U.P. The
cities like Lucknow, Meerut, Noida, Ghaziabad et cetera are the
specimens for development that has been going in India. So why am I grumbling?
The reason
behind it is the inadequate, substandard, amateurish and an unpleasant
atmosphere that has been created for the women. Not only the women, but
honestly speaking, a boy like me with a strong built and 20 years of age would
also be nervous to go to the outskirts of the city in broad daylight. Let me
get this straight. I have many friends in my college who are cool hanging
around with girls. But it’s not the case with me. I experience uneasiness once
I am in company of women. It is so because I have never been in such an
atmosphere back there in darkness. You can’t have female friends back
there. Even if you have a few, the people are not cool with that. They start
making repudiating faces when you talk about it. I have a few female friends
now and whenever we go back to Gorakhpur from our colleges, we propose for a
meeting. But every time, it’s the same nervousness that hovers in our minds.
Where to meet? When to meet? Is it suitable to go to a particular place with
girls? How to rescue them if we are confronted by some thugs? I don’t know the
reason behind this kind of ambience. Maybe because these goons were devoid of
any female influence in their lives and they think of women as just a
commodity. They do disrespect women and
it is them who make our lives miserable in public places. Whomsoever I meet,
when I tell them I am from Uttar Pradesh, there is a strange expression on
their faces as if I will be an unpleasant company. But let me tell you my
friends, this is not the case with everyone in U.P. I am different and
certainly a large percentage of people are civilized even in the darkness.
Now I have a
political animosity with S.P. and B.S.P. and I have no worries writing this
that they are one of the major reasons for this kind of ambience. The samajwadi
party is packed up with lowlifes and street thugs who think that their Netaji
will cover their back for every offence they carry out. Same goes with B.S.P.
They are the ruling parties in U.P. and they are solely responsible for such conception
of the state.
Although, it
is saturated with discourteous, rude, uncivil, ill-mannered, ungracious and
inconsiderate men but still it has deferential, humble, respectful and grateful
people who will climb out of the darkness one day and will have
prominent positions in the existent framework. They are the ones who have to
make their city and their state proud. They are the ones who can bring about a
change much needed in the present framework of Uttar Pradesh. Certainly, they
are the ones whose presence you can enjoy and they will show you the real
essence and genuine ethos of Uttar Pradesh.
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