STANDING OVATION - AN EXPERIENCE

                                   STREET SILENCE

 

                                                   KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA (APU)

In 1996, during the peaceful time in Midnapore, a small district town in West Bengal in India the traffic rule to the pedestrian amazes me. I was moved with anger and worried about the further caution measures taken by the local district police. During that period none of any high profile leaders or ministers resided there. Any red lamp lightened siren car passing by on the road was a hard test for public. A mandatory civic obedience to the administration compelled to follow with abusing precious time of someone.  No people could make any movement during the warning time. All must have to remain standstill with the same situation. Walking, plying the wheel on the road or any movement on the footpath was not allowed by the security men deployed.

I was caught in a situation with face to face patience skill. In the dusk i, along with my bicycle, was riding to attend a private tutor to solve a problem. Suddenly a khaki dressed man ran towards me with a lathi (rod) and stopped me. Before he could reach, I was asked to get down from from the cushion pillow. I just started walking to step forward along with my two wheeler pulling in the footpath. Immediately after that a police came and hurt my rear wheel with a rod like lathi and pushed me to stop with a harsh voice as i was standing beside the footpath on the road. I was anxiously eager to know about this unexpected fall out happened with me. There was no any single person waiting to give the answer for fulfillment my query. I was hurry for reaching my destination. No other way to reach there in this small town.

After a long time a white car embedded with a plate glossed " Medinipur Zilla Parisad" (rider was the presidential  member of the district members' council election) passed behind an escort van of police. I got relief for a moment though there was none to soften me with consolation. Looking around that place i left for to find a public toilet as i was bothered to stop forcibly.

I must obey the traffic rules. I respect the leaders but i do not expect the harsh situation amidst the hardest rule of remain standstill or immovable for a period not mentioned before for a local, regional or state level recognized persons.