Thursday, February 09, 2006

Mendicancy, New Ishtyle

Should have been a good piece for 'Just for laugh, Gags'.I am even forced to think whether a hidden camera was there at the bus stop. A woman with a wooden basket, nothing unusual so far, except that in this case, the basket had a living snake.It was funny to watch people's reaction as the woman went on asking for alms.Thinking about it, its a nice way to threaten people, isnt it? 'You dont throw me a rupee or two, I would throw the snake at you'. Few people dropped coins out of fear.Fear of the snake that might rise anytime out of the basket,fear of getting bitten to death did the trick with a few atleast.Very few things work well with people like how 'Fear of Death' works.

Few were still reluctant: Nothing would stir my resolution of not giving anything to a begging person, not even a snake. They just gave a look at the snake, and the next moment motioned the woman to go away.They had nothing,nothing at all, to offer her. As I met the snake's eyes,I could feel a tinge of fear rising inside, but it was lying like a sadhu inside the basket, without any movement, unaware of what is happening around, unaware that its' mistress is using him/her as a means of making money,not through some snake show,but by begging.Had it known that, would it bite the mistress out of shame and for the indignity caused?

I was watching the people still. One person asked the woman with the basket to go to the other side of the road and start begging.Though he was afraid of the snake,he did not want to offer her anything. One person pointed his finger towards another guy so as to mean that the second guy, his friend, would give her the money.The second guy was caught unaware. Trembling after seeing the snake, he dropped the coin with his hands still shaking. The best laughing moment for the onlookers came when the woman went to these two girls. I think those girls should be in their PUC or in college. We expected them to scream, but they did not. But they closed their mouths like how a newly crowned "Miss Universe" would do and were of course shaking inside. They quickly walked away from the woman with their mouths still closed. It was fun watching this sight.

But,it's a depressing sight to see people who are hale and healthy(like our woman here) begging. People who otherwise could make a living out of any other work but not begging. May be they are:
a) lazy to work or
b) they could not get what they wanted and not ready to pursue for something else or
c) they tried every other option before resorting to this.

Sad sight. This case, it was more of a scary sight rather than sad.But people are adamant,isnt it?We have to appreciate their will power here.Do whatever you may want, threaten me with a snake if you like to,you would get nothing out of me.Ah,my bus arrived then and I left the bus stop after a nice little period of fun,scare and sadness.

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