God @ Rs.50/- (GST included)

 

God @ Rs.50/- (GST included)

 (Story)

It is very common to come across videos on Social media  showing  young men and women  organizing  food drives , clothes drives , hair cutting drives ,clean bath drives & providing  clean clothing to shrunken  ,destitute people .. .

 The philanthropic efforts deserve to be appreciated., However, applying some perverse logic one can  also conclude that   the  act of compassion  itself  can prove  detrimental  to the recipient. Psychologically, passersby would rather give alms to an emaciated, dirty looking person with matted hair & tattered clothes slouched on the footpaths more willingly, than to  someone who  is well groomed, wearing  good /fancy clothes. Thus the recipient of  one off  act of kindness loses his/her   ‘Privilege’(entitlement? USP ?) to beg for alms.  

For idle, nosy loiterers snooping around  to stay occupied, events like the above provide enough grist  to conjure up several ideas.

 Having watched a  “ show of Kindness”  performed by a group of energetic young people wearing matching T shirts emblazoned  “ we care”. Malappa Karadi(Karaadi ?)  sitting on a stone bench ,  tossing peanuts steadily into his mouth suddenly hit upon an idea. He too would indulge in some “ act of kindness” and conduct an experiment..

The next morning Malappa Karadi and a friend, (another Laggard) with a Gopro camera strapped  on forehead  arrived at a busy Road junction.  The experiment would involve 10 “selected ” people in pitiable condition.carefully selected by him:  a) an old man lying on  the grass in a park b)  middle aged woman with infant walking aimlessly up and down in front of a small hotel c) A very frail looking young man with shopping bags hanging on both hands , trying to sell his wares at the entrance of a flower market. d) e) f) and g) haggard looking men with push carts  selling trinkets, cut fruits,cheap plastic items etc.   h) A woman  bent double with age trying to sell hairpins & combs.  &  i)  J) old couple watching over footwear in front of the  roadside Ganesha shrine . Malappa Karadi  purchased  10 packets of breakfast & 10 bottles of packaged water at a small hotel.  His simple experiment  would be to give each one of his first eight   “Respondants” a packet each, draw them into conversation and elicit  answers to his question” Do you believe in God?” In the last case he would first  extract responses and only later present the packets( that is ,if possible) .All the while Laggard no.2 would be recording the “action”

Not wishing to  tormenting  you any further , the responses  that Karadi received from his “Chosen” respondants are as listed below

The Respondants:

a)    Sir, you are asking me the Question. Only because it has been ordained by the supreme power,isn’t it?

b)    If it is not God, whom else should we believe? It is his blessing that I and my child have something to  eat today. God bless you.

c)    I am running all over the place from 6.30 am. Still not  sold a bag. You have given me food, at the moment , sooo... you are God

d)    Broke into an old tamil movie song:“காசேதான் கடவுளுளடா. அந்தக் கடவுளுக்கும் அது தெரியுமடா.” and With folded   hands, looked up at the sky and uttered  “அருள் புரிவாய் அப்பனே”

e)    “I am managing a small business  for the past 15 years without much investment. I able to feed myself and my wife. It is all HIS grace.

f)     “ God is front of me now and has given me food.

g)    “ If a poor man like me doesn’t believe in God, does it mean God doesn’t exist?

The fact that a stranger like you has fed me, is enough proof”.

h)   “ I’m trying to sell hairpins and combs. On most days someone like you stops by  to chat with me. Like you some even give me some food. Is this not divine act ?,”  

       i)& j) As decided earlier, Malappa Karadi got ready to try his other method

Approaching the old couple sitting at the entrance of the temple, Karadi asks:” do you believe that God exists?” The old man replies: “Sir please give us alms!”

Maradi repeats the Question, the old woman begs  “Sir, please toss a 1 Re coin atleast”

Malappa Karadi persists with the same Question.Gesticulating threateningly, the couple scream:” you don’t even afford to give  a rupee, and here you are asking questions !  You & your God. Go away, miser, you  &*  ,@@ ,&&  so & so….*&#$ (more expletives).” Sensing that things might get worse, Karadi & his cohort place the remaining two food packets before the old couple and flee.

  The abuses heaped on him troubled Karadi a lot but the irreverent words “You & your GOD” uttered  by the couple   brought some consolation “Your God”  sounded pleasing ! Did they really mean he “Owned” God?