Ignorance Breeds Capitalism

I remember strolling down to the streets of Dumdum Park, extolling the serene beauty of the Pujas, ignoring the pleas of beggars. The children, drool dripping from the corner of their chapped lips, crawled in the middle of every street without fear of getting trampled under the expensive heels and boots of the throng and having brands ranging from Gucci to Dharmatala's random shoe shops.

Every rung of society had the same words on their lips. With folded hand they prayed for more. The toothless babies giggled as the priest screamed strange words at the idol made of hay and mud while shaking the earthen lamp violently in a circular manner. An old woman thriving between the juxtaposition of poverty and malnutrition, occasionally coughing out blood lay there in dereliction.

The priest started invoking the Goddess through various permutations and and combinations of hymns on the eve of Durga Ashtami while Durga's soul cried in hunger inside the body of the poor lady. A dog started licking her unclean feet. Maybe, he was smarter than humans. I however did nothing other than offering her an one rupee coin. Something stopped me from spending the hundred rupee note that I had in my pocket, on her.

What if she's not the only one? What if there are thousands of others too, begging, nagging for help, worn down by the chronic disease or physical deformity? I don't have the capacity to feed them all. So I allowed my legs to carry me out from there quickly. Outside, somewhere aloof, I helped myself to a plate of momo and a packet of silk cut. While throwing out smoke from my nostrils I laughed at my failure to help the needy, at my success of being a slave of capitalism.

As I inhaled the taste of the ash, I could see the words of Swami Vivekananda telling us not to forget the citizens of our country, our own blood, in times of crisis, flying away from this 'human world' in search of 'humanity.'