Bhagwandeen, The Newspaperman

Kanpur, 6th June 2008, it had rained cats and dogs and for the first time our whole township was inundated with water. On earlier occasion also it used to flood but the water would recede away in an hour so. But on this occasion, it had rained so much so that the water could not drain out. In my house the water was just about an inch away from entering, my other neighbours house water has already entered and they had moved all items kept on the floor to the loft or above the beds or tables etc. Some of them had their carpets and other items damaged. Most of the houses the toilets were flooded and not usable. 

The rain continued for one more day and the situation was very bad. Our General manager courageously brought a diesel pump and tried to pump out the water with little success as the whole area was bereft of any gradient. Many of our friends were forced to take help of their friends in first floor for the daily needs. Many of us shared the food and children slept together. For almost three days it was a scene which will never be erased from my memory. 

With all this none of us missed our daily newspaper. We saw Bhagwandeen, the Newspaperman deliver the newspaper early in the morning, wading his cycle through the waters and reaching out to all the subscribed houses. He was fully drenched in rain water, covered the papers with plastic, it was as if himself and the cycle covered in plastic sheet with his head only jutting out. The head was wrapped with towel. The rain, the flooding of water, to top it invisible road, did not deter him from doing his daily chore. Though many of us skipped office citing the heavy rain and the inconvenience it caused, Bhagwandeen ensured that we were kept aware of worlds happenings. It appeared he was not at all affected by it. It was just another day for him. 

There was hardly anyone in the township who did not take newspaper from him. He was known to all and will deliver any newspaper one wanted, any magazine one wanted without fail. His memory was fantastic. I will ask for The Hindu, my neighbour would ask Dainik Bhaskar, Man in first floor would want Indian Express, next one will want Aaj Tak and the variation goes on. Never ever once did he mix up the deliveries. He was our regular supplier of newspapers and many Magazines for the Officers Club. Though a few of us subscribed to The Hindu, he will deliver it, of course it would be dark edition with stale news in contrast to the city edition Hindi newspapers. 

For those readers who do not know, dark edition is the edition of a newspaper published earlier than other editions in order to be distributed to mofussil areas (i.e. places outside of major metropolitan areas). Most news will be yesterday’s news ( Yesterday’s news with today’s date). This was due to the time required for the news to be collected, to be printed, the distances to be covered for delivery etc., Now thanks to internet and the technological improvements, the time for news collection is almost nil. The printing has become pretty fast. The time required for proof reading, correcting all have crashed to make it almost nil. The time required for transportation and delivery also have crashed considerably. The newspapers almost deliver the latest news.

He would also deliver the lunch box to the office for many people. I had used his lunch box deliveries during summer when I felt it was too hot to drive the scoter. But this man, irrespective of summer heat or winter cold, will go about doing his job diligently. After that exhausting work of delivering the magazines and news papers to many households, he would be still on the dot for lunch box delivery. It was half an hour window for the lunch, he would be allowed in, only during that period beyond the main gates of the factory for delivering the lunch box. He served us the worldly hot news in the morning and the hot homely food in the noon.

Never once had I seen the man in glum. He always will smile and a man of few words. Very interesting thing was, he never ever asked for the payment. Many had dues for months together, I was told many who got transferred did not pay him. He never complained or ever mentioned these things to anyone. Whenever I used to ask him how much I should pay, he will say sir you know it better than me. I had the habit of paying all my service providers on time. Occasionally he would say, sir if everyone is like you probably life will be easier. I would take it as compliment. But the man was an enigma for me. For I had learned many had not paid him for years. But there are others who would pay him in excess also. Life is a funny thing, there are good and bad people. But in general it’s the goodness that’s more. He will say sir its always eighty twenty. Out of hundred, eighty will pay, the remaining twenty will miss out or pay very late. 

He never gave us the time to ask him how he managed his finances or the commission he got from the newspaper delivery. Probably, the time he slept was the only time he was free. Only thing I knew was his day used to start very early in the morning around 3 am. Dash to Railway Station, Bus station and select few delivery points for collection of newspapers and then segregating them for delivery. All this on his companion cycle. He would indicate probably he slept very less may be four to five hours. But never portrayed the tired look. People like him cannot even say they sleep less and work hard. There will be nobody listening to him with awe the way one would listen to a famous guy. How sad that at times a poor person's wonderful words never gets the attention of the mass, but the worst of the sentences of famous people gets applaud from the crowds.

He will ride that cycle which had almost become his another limb. Typical Apollo or Hercules cycle of those days with carrier. Worn heavily, corroded at places and looked like it will give away anytime. Whenever I asked him why doesn’t he change, he would say sir Its given in Dowry and cannot be changed as its dearer to his wife than himself. Probably that cycle served him for his life. Likewise, we still have the Phillips Cycle that I learned to ride as a child, which was owned by my Mama, at our Village home, albeit its rim, chain, pedals and many parts have changed but the frame is intact and so is the carrier. 

Now a day I have switched to e-newspaper and after moving away from Kanpur, I don’t remember the names of the Newspaper men as the durations were shorter and the people changed. But Bhagwandeen will remain in my memories till it fades or I fade into the past. Our life is filled with good people like Bhagwandeen, who go about doing their job sincerely. Life never rewards such people but they are the quintessential part of this life cycle. Life is not only about our immediate relatives and our good friends but is also about people like Bhagwandeen who contribute to our life in a very different way. Likewise, there are many people that fill our life and we seldom think of them as contributors to our life for eg., Milk delivery man, Barber, Vegetable Seller , Tailor and many more. It’s our duty to notice them and make them feel as part of our life. Our life would be incomplete without them. 

While writing this piece of article I gathered from my Kanpur friends that Bhagwandeen is now busy delivering the Newspapers to the heavenly residents. What pained me is I have taken photographs of those days and missed to take his on that occasion or any other occasion. How silly of me.