We Too are Human Beings (Bama)
When Bama was studying in the third class, she had not yet heard people speak openly of untouchability. But she had already seen, felt, experienced and been humiliated by what it was.
She was walking home from school one day. It was possible to walk the distance in ten minutes, but it would usually take her at least thirty minutes. She watched all the fun and games, novelties and oddities in the streets, the shops and the bazaar. Each thing would pull her to a standstill and not allow her to go any further.
Speeches by leaders of political parties, street plays, puppet show, stunt performances or some other entertainment happened from time to time. She watched waiters pouring coffee in other tumbler to cool it, people chopping up onion with eyes turned to other side, or almonds blown down from the tree by the wind. According to the season, there would be various fruit. She saw people selling sweet and tasty snacks, payasam, halva and iced lollies.
One day she saw in her street, a threshing floor set up in the corner. Their people were driving cattle in pairs round and round to crush the grain from straw. The animals were muzzled. She saw the landlord seated on a piece of sacking spread over a stone slab. He was watching the proceedings. She stood there for a while, watching the fun.
Just then, she saw an elder of their street coming from the direction of the bazaar. He looked quite funny in his manner. He held out a packet by its string without touching it. Then he went to the landlord, bowed low and extended the packet towards him. He cupped the hand that held the string with his other hand. The landlord opened the parcel and began to eat the vadais.
She told her elder brother the story with its comic details. Annan was not amused. He told her that the elder was carrying the package for his upper caste landlord. These people believed that people of lower caste should not touch them. If they did, they would be polluted. That was the reason why he had to carry the package by the string. She became sad on listening all this. She felt angry towards the people of upper castes.
She thought that these miserly people, who had collected money somehow, had lost all human feelings. But the lower castes were also human beings. They should not do petty jobs for them. They should work in their fields, take their wages home, and leave it at that.
Annan, her elder brother, was studying at a university. He had come home for the holidays. He would often go to the library in their neighbouring village in order to borrow books. One day, one of the landlord’s men met him. Thinking him to be a stranger, he addressed Annan respectfully. His manner changed on knowing his name and he asked for the street he lived in. The street would indicate their caste.
Annan told her that they were not given any honour, dignity or respect because they were born in a particular community. He advised her to study and make progress. People will come to her of their own accord then. She studied hard and stood first in her class. Many people then became her friends.
#class12
#class12english
#englishabaca
13 янв 2023
