A few weeks back, as I was walking at a very busy cross-road in Delhi during the morning rush-hour, I saw two rowdies on a motorcycle jumping a red-light. To compound the matters further, I noticed, none of them was wearing a helmet.
Trust a traffic-cop never to let such an opportunity fritter away. Soon as I thought, a traffic cop with his flailing hands, jumped in the center of the road and signaled both of them to stop. I swear I could see him salivating at the prospect of some “kamai” so early in the morning. What a way to start the day!
As happens in countless such dramas played out on our roads everyday, I fully expected the rowdies to get down, and then start their routine of cajoling, pleading, citing extremely valid reasons for such an invalid behaviour, and finally conspiratorially handing over a 50-rupee note, to be let away with a knowing smile. What followed was a complete surprise to me. Thereby this tale.
As soon as the motorcycle stopped, the pillion rider jumped down and walked with a pronounced swagger to the cop – “Oye, itna kood kyun raha hai? Hum kahin bhaage ja rahein hain kya?” (Hey, why are you jumping all over? Are we running off to somewhere?) The cop was positively astounded! After some hesitation, he tried to match up to the duo with a renewed confidence and tried to wrestle out the ignition key. The driver caught his hand firmly and snarled – “Saale, chaabi ko haath mat lagana!! Tere paon ka hi joota nikal kar itna maroonga ki bhool jayega sab kuchh!!” (#$%^&*, don't you ever touch that key! I will thrash you bad!). It was followed by a string of choicest expletives available to the Hindi language.
I could see the petrified face of the cop. He seemed to have shrunk a bit in his uniform. He beat a hasty retreat, confounded no doubt by this role-reversal, sort of. A small crowd, which had by that time gathered around, seemed equally surprised but none of them moved. Rather, most of them seemed to be enjoying his predicament.
As a law-abiding citizen, this incident should have angered me. Perverse as it may sound, at that time I actually loved it. It seemed to me a case of a doctor getting a dose of his own bitter medicine.
I would not wish this thing to be repeated. Never. But for not letting this happen again, its high time the average police personnel on the street is trained and sensitized to come out of the feudal, colonial mindset and is sensitized to the concept of human dignity and service to the people. Its then that it could expect reciprocation from your average person on the street.
