Saturday, June 14, 2025

The Pedestrian, the Tea and Marx

The road was moving, and people were moving with it. It seemed to end suddenly and unannounced. With its twists and turns, the road had become routine for some. Others used it to showcase their rowdiness. Black Thars roared down it now and then. They believed they were performing stunts—speeding up, braking hard, showing off. Little did they know that many pedestrians feared these Thars more than Satan himself, or even Yama, the lord of Death.

One such pedestrian, walking across this road, was deep in thought. It was impossible to tell whether the Thars were moving faster, or his thoughts. He stopped near a tea stall to shield himself from the scorching heat. Under the same tin roof, a few labourers sat. Their faces were silent, their eyes fixed on him.
“Who is this babu moshai resting in our shade?”, they seemed to wonder.
Two of them, however, were unbothered. Lost in conversation, they paid him no mind. The pedestrian overheard them complaining about the low wages they had received.

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He couldn’t help but recall Karl Marx—the topic of today’s lecture. His mind stirred with Marxist ideas: equality, revolution, emancipation. He observed, almost whimsically, that at the tea stall, everyone was equal,everyone was served the same tea, unless someone ordered a ‘special’ one.

In recent days, he had noticed Thar owners and other car drivers stopping by the stall. Lowering their tinted windows, they 'orders', "two special chais and a cigarette." Some didn’t speak at all, simply gestured with two fingers. There was politeness in none.

He wondered:
Were those labourers aware of Marx’s idea of revolution? Did they know that Karl Marx once declared, “Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains”?
Were they, in their small way, already discussing their chains?
But is revolution even possible in this globalised world?

He even recalled George Orwell, whom he had read during his college days:

All animals are equals. But some animals are more equal than others. 

Professor Pedestrian knew the likely answer. Marx, these days, lived mostly in classrooms. These men may not have even gone to school, let alone college.

The questions stayed unanswered. The ticking watch on his wrist brought him back. He had to rush. His workplace, after all, wasn’t as harsh as theirs.

Aware of his privilege, he unplugged his mind from Marx and his ideas of equality. He plugged in his Boat earbuds instead. Music worked its magic. Bollywood songs filled his ears, and he walked along the road till he reached the university.


Later, during lunch break, he noticed a construction site on the university campus. A new building was coming up. To his surprise, he spotted the same two workers from the tea stall.

What were they doing here?
Discussing Marx atop the scaffolding? Or silently accepting their fate- working until this building is finished, then moving on to another, wages unchanged, tea unchanged?


The Pedestrian, the Tea and Marx

The road was moving, and people were moving with it. It seemed to end suddenly and unannounced. With its twists and turns, the road had beco...