THE DAROGA BABU

A close friend, now employed in one of the struggling new enterprises, had spent two years  in getting a piece of land and putting up a perimeter wall. A metallurgist by profession, he landed up in a new world on retirement from the public sector and joined the private enterprise . He came across a lot many local political activists, jobseekers; local musclemen and spent many hours listening to them. "What is the progress in the industry so far?" I asked, when he visited this morning. He told me about those men and their expectations. We talked on the prevailing situation around us and the style of present day governance. He was silent for a moment and then smiled suddenly and sought my "go ahead" to narrate an interesting story which I am sure is apocryphal. Here is a summary of what he told me

     One morning, the Daroga of a police-station found himself and his staff without work and the Daroga babu,being kind, suggested to one of his men to walk an extra mile and stand on the busy highway to check documents of vehicles on the road. The man went and stopped a bike; the driver had no papers.

He was brought to the police-station. The man, on arrival at the Thana, wished the Daroga with great respect and blamed his brother for the mess he was in. "He took away the car and left for the headquarters to meet the leader and asked me to use the old bike till he returned. "How do I collect old papers of the bike since it is not in use and I am fine with my car?" he said. The Daroga seemed convinced with the explanation and wanted to know who his brother was. Daroga Babu surely wanted to develop a working relationship with the man as he was big enough and meeting the leader in the headquarters. The man blurted out the name of his brother-- a name widely known in connection with land grabbing in the state. The Daroga Babu treated the visitor to sweets, samosa and tea and let him go.

Then he turned to another member of the staff and said "the day seems to be bad.; in stead of income, I have started spending from my pocket. You go to the highway". The person complied with the orders of the boss.

He stopped a Bike and asked for papers. The bike user couldn't show any paper and was made to come to the Thana. On arrival, he wished the Daroga most respectfully. He was a popular hair-cutter of the nearby industrial township. He reminded the Daroga that he had not visited his salon during the puja season and his favourite hair-cutter had been deprived of his buksish. Now that he has come to the Thana, the Daroga Babu should pay him his annual buksish. The kindly Daroga paid him a hundred rupees and he left.

"The day is really bad, let no one go to the highway today', he said and all of them agreed.

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January 8, 2015