What An Empty Stomach Can Do?

It was the usual Christmas holiday: cold, foggy, and entirely suitable for spending the day in bed, cuddled up under a blanket without the pressure of having to report to the institute early in the morning.

But who knew that in the next few hours, I would find myself standing above the Ganga river on the Munger Ganga bridge, which is still under construction? Only your crazy batchmates know how to change your reluctant mind!

The spectacular view of the river Ganga dyed golden by the sunlight, along with the ripe yellow mustard in the fields dancing in the wind, mesmerized us. Equally enthralling was the majestic view of the steel structure on which we were standing. Considering ourselves as the potential engineers of the future, we found it very insightful to see how engineering was being put into practice. However, I was unaware of what else was there in store for me ahead.

Some construction site workers in messy steel-colored overalls were busy making a scaffold. One of them was expressionlessly painting a lofty structure by sitting on its edge, with only a flimsy rope tied around his waist for support. He seemed quite at home in this precarious position! Yet another one was making his way down a rope, knotting it as he went to create a ladder.

The life of the man in the middle is inches away from danger

Some workers were sitting in a group after a hard day’s work. I could hear a popular Bhojpuri song playing on one of their cell-phones while some indulged in light-hearted banter. I was tempted to strike up a conversation with them. So, I asked those sitting for a photograph to break their monotony and bring a smile to their faces by trying to convey that I valued their work. But I abstained from making even the slightest noise while walking past those working on the edges of these high structures.

I felt a shiver run down my spine when I realized how dangerous these jobs were. What if someone were to fall from this lofty structure? What if the scaffold collapses? What if the person making the ladder slips? I was horrified, and my horror intensified further when I spotted a large beehive on a roof of the structure. I wondered what would happen if, when provoked, the bees attacked one of the workers in a swarm, causing him to lose his concentration and fall down.

Beehive on the structure

These thoughts made my head reel. To date, I have never been able to wake up 5 minutes early so that I don’t have to skip my breakfast. But, no matter how harsh the weather is, these workers are constantly working and taking such risks to earn little money so that they could feed their poor families.

We remember Shah Jahan as the one who built the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife Mum Taj Mahal. But are we not mistaken in our concept? It was Shah Jahan’s idea to build the Taj Mahal, but it was the dedication and sacrifices of thousands of poor construction workers which gifted us with that glorious monument, which is proudly considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World today. But what did they get in return? They were treated like dirt! We all know the legend about their ugly fate at his hands once their work was completed.

This lack of recognition of their sufferings and their poor living and working conditions seem to tell me thousands of tales of deprivation, stories of broken promises, stories of charred dreams and stories of empty stomachs which forced them to take up such jobs for a modest payment. This compelled my mind to think of this uglier side of the construction of the glorious bridge, which is least highlighted. Surely, these construction workers are big and strong men and the real heroes who build all these wonderful structures.

I know that my realization won’t uplift their conditions. But, whenever I will see these structures, deep down in my heart, the respect for their sacrifices will increase. As one day, I would be an engineer and will have men like these under my command, I hope to be able to, in some form, convey my respect and gratitude for their work through my actions.

Well, these are my thoughts on this situation. What do you feel when you see such things happening around you? Do let me know in the comments section below.

P.S. – Munger Ganga Bridge has been constructed over the Ganga river to connect two major trade hubs of Bihar–Munger, and Begusarai. It is a mega rail-road bridge, reportedly the third largest in India with a length of 3190 meters.