I've seen a tendency among many of us taking an anti-progress stand on issues concerning our fellow human beings. I've wondered whether this quirky behavioural aspect stems from a feeling of disquiet or plain jealousy in the other's progress. Deep within, one doesn't want the person perceived to be below one's stature to overtake one in the course of one's life.
Let me try to amplify this behavioural pattern by narrating two real life incidents. I was on my evening walk as usual - incidentally, so many things concerning us are available on a platter on such occasions. One just needs to keep one's eyes and ears open to take in the sights and sounds!
A lady - a casual labourer, presumably after a weary day's work - was headed home. She seemed to have a handful of groceries purchased out of her earnings and thumbed an autorickshaw that was passing by, at that instant. It was the driver's actions that caught my fancy - he continues to coast further, then stops, cranes his neck out of the vehicle to study the person who'd hailed him and for some reason, decides that she doesn't measure up to his standards(?) and starts driving away. By this time, the lady had reached the rick and she's earnestly requesting him, "Sir, please take me I'm already late and my husband has to eat something before he takes his medicines". That was the time when I decided to intervene and chided the driver for being petty and class conscious. A small crowd had started gathering around us hearing my high decibel queries and thankfully, the driver relented and sped away with the hapless lady. My doubt is simple, if he gets the fare why should he bother about the 'class' of the person providing the fare? Or was he bugged by the fact that the casual labourer had the audacity to think of travelling in a rick when she should have walked it to her destination?
I must confess that the second incident that I'm gonna narrate is a bit earlier in vintage but absolutely relevant to the aspect being discussed here. It was at one of the departmental stores near our house, at Delhi. The shopkeeper, as well as his helps, were thoroughly respectful and alert while taking care of us 'saab log' but disdainful and brusque while dealing with the domestic helps who also went there for their requirements. He'd to be once told that as far as he was concerned, he should be treating all his customers alike, as everyone was paying him for the purchases! There were even complaints that he would offer stuff of differing quality based on the 'status' of his customers!!
Tailpiece.
I've cited the two incidents - one from Kochi and the other from Delhi - deliberately, to highlight this flaw in the Indian way of thinking. It's the famous 'KUPD'(kiss up piss down) syndrome - that the Indians are known for - at play here!
Let me try to amplify this behavioural pattern by narrating two real life incidents. I was on my evening walk as usual - incidentally, so many things concerning us are available on a platter on such occasions. One just needs to keep one's eyes and ears open to take in the sights and sounds!
A lady - a casual labourer, presumably after a weary day's work - was headed home. She seemed to have a handful of groceries purchased out of her earnings and thumbed an autorickshaw that was passing by, at that instant. It was the driver's actions that caught my fancy - he continues to coast further, then stops, cranes his neck out of the vehicle to study the person who'd hailed him and for some reason, decides that she doesn't measure up to his standards(?) and starts driving away. By this time, the lady had reached the rick and she's earnestly requesting him, "Sir, please take me I'm already late and my husband has to eat something before he takes his medicines". That was the time when I decided to intervene and chided the driver for being petty and class conscious. A small crowd had started gathering around us hearing my high decibel queries and thankfully, the driver relented and sped away with the hapless lady. My doubt is simple, if he gets the fare why should he bother about the 'class' of the person providing the fare? Or was he bugged by the fact that the casual labourer had the audacity to think of travelling in a rick when she should have walked it to her destination?
I must confess that the second incident that I'm gonna narrate is a bit earlier in vintage but absolutely relevant to the aspect being discussed here. It was at one of the departmental stores near our house, at Delhi. The shopkeeper, as well as his helps, were thoroughly respectful and alert while taking care of us 'saab log' but disdainful and brusque while dealing with the domestic helps who also went there for their requirements. He'd to be once told that as far as he was concerned, he should be treating all his customers alike, as everyone was paying him for the purchases! There were even complaints that he would offer stuff of differing quality based on the 'status' of his customers!!
Tailpiece.
I've cited the two incidents - one from Kochi and the other from Delhi - deliberately, to highlight this flaw in the Indian way of thinking. It's the famous 'KUPD'(kiss up piss down) syndrome - that the Indians are known for - at play here!
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