Hand Pulled Rickshaw: A bitter Truth
Hand Pulled Rickshaw is one of the oldest local means of transport prevailing in Kolkata since
British Times. India has got the independence from British rule but we have to still introspect
ourselves whether we are really independent from our own thought of continuing such custom-
ary still in India??? Hard to believe the fact that Indians are using Indians for small comfort of
their means of transport from one place to other.
Kolkata being one of the cultural city of India has been continuing this tradition as an emblem
of city in spite of having other advanced means of transport available in the same city like
Metro, Auto-rickshaw, etc. Hand pulled rickshaw is supposed to be one of the cheapest
vehicle in Kolkata that’s why the people are still utilising this means of transporting in-
spite of the fact that the per capita income of Kolkata has increased many fold since
independence. The simple reason behind
this disgraceful irony is that the humani-
ty is diminishing day by day. Everything
has become a fashion at the cost of
downtrodden and weak class of society
whose daily livelihoods are hard to attain
beuase of this attitude and culture.
We feel sad when we talk about these
rickshaw pullers and their terrible life but
do we really feel happy and proud when
we really discuss in public front or when
we really avail this transport system for
our small comfort of transport???? How
can a human being sit on a vehicle that
is being pulled by a human being by
running on heated road in a scorching
heat of sun??? Added to all these is a
bargaining for reducing Rs. 5.00 to Rs.
3.00 by passengers?????
A serious introspection is required to
free ourselves from such thought of
domination to weak society and to
work collectively for the upliftment of
such class of society.
APRIL 2018 |
57