Saturday, April 30, 2016

May day: two narratives

Narrative 1

Kaleidoscope's friend's driver on a highway on their return journey from haldia.

Kaleidoscope: do you have association where you can organise for your benefits?
Driver: no, sadly we do not have one. If we had we could shout out slogans for payment hike, we would never want to work for more than  8 hours until we get a handsome overtime... we could make blockade in the roads to meet our demand. But we do not have one.

Narrative 2

At eastern diagnostic centre on Free School street kolkata.

The floor cleaner arrives. He works at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and gets a salary. These cleaning services at different commercial buildings are his extra earning opportunities. He belongs to traditional 'Mathor', i.e. the scavengers, a Dalit caste.

Cleaner: tomorrow is may day... will celebrate!
Kaleidoscope: how will you celebrate?
C: will attend the morning assembly, hoist TMC flag and then work.
K: you will work tomorrow? Tomorrow is a holiday, isn't it?
C: yes and that is why we will get just the double pay!
K: then? Will you work more?or its the same?
C: will try to work more and then in the evening will have liquor

4 comments:

  1. Sad truth... well captured...

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  2. Stereotyping is a characteristic of our human kind?

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  3. Yes what i believe is that we have cognitive inability to deal with informations... we always tend to classify and/or attach stereotyping with world. But then again questioning such stereotypes is the most crucial part of human endeavour as well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes what i believe is that we have cognitive inability to deal with informations... we always tend to classify and/or attach stereotyping with world. But then again questioning such stereotypes is the most crucial part of human endeavour as well.

    ReplyDelete