THE PORI MAN
The real crorepatis of India: This is from Indian Express (23rd). The writer, Ratna Rajaiah, narrates her experience with a "puffed rice (PORI, in tamil) seller." You will come across all over India these vendors of Pori, mur mura, puffed rice or whatever - an old man with a 'saakku mootai' on his back. This particular man was no different - poor, extremely poor, of ill-health, weak etc. In spite of his deteriorating health, he used to pedal his wares, hot sun or chill winter, day in and day out. Stop wondering. How do millions and millions of our people get by, crushingly poor and often terribly sick? It is an unanswerable question, another uneasy
question we city people don't want to ponder over.
Back to the Pori-seller, you may not be an avid fan of Pori, but when he comes calling "puri, bisi puri" (hot pori in Kannada), you won't have a mind to disappoint him, so you buy one measure or two. Thus the writer too purchased a measure for two rupees and fifty paise. When it was the time to pay, she brought out her can of coins. (** every house has one such can in which you put all your 1-, 2-, 5- rupee coins; I have one. What about you? **). Oops, there was one single 2-rupee coin only; she turned to go inside to fetch the remaining 50-paise. He looked at her, smiled his slow,sad smile, and said, "Forget the 50-paisa, avva" (avva is a
respectful term in Kannada, for women from "mother" to "dear girl"). She stared at him.
How much money would you make on one measure of pori selling at 2-50p? 20 paise? 25? 50? And how many measures of pori would he need to sell to feed his family? We have seen the largest jewelers and shopkeepers not willing to forego one rupee on a bill of Rs.20000/- No, she said, you must have the 50-p. "Forget the 50p, avva," this time he was firmer. She looked at him. Her heart swelled and overflowed. She was moved beyond measure humbled and awed by the unasked, spontanaeous, open-hearted generosity of this man - for the world one almost crushed by the burden of his poverty, an object of pity and charity. "For me, one of the richest men I have ever met." The REAL crorepati, the REAL Indian.
The pori man - such people are what keep us going - what keeps India going. Against all odds.
** Adapted from The Puffed Rice Man - by Ratna Rajaiah, Indian Express, 23-10-2005. **
Rajappa
24-10-2005 11:45
The real crorepatis of India: This is from Indian Express (23rd). The writer, Ratna Rajaiah, narrates her experience with a "puffed rice (PORI, in tamil) seller." You will come across all over India these vendors of Pori, mur mura, puffed rice or whatever - an old man with a 'saakku mootai' on his back. This particular man was no different - poor, extremely poor, of ill-health, weak etc. In spite of his deteriorating health, he used to pedal his wares, hot sun or chill winter, day in and day out. Stop wondering. How do millions and millions of our people get by, crushingly poor and often terribly sick? It is an unanswerable question, another uneasy
question we city people don't want to ponder over.
Back to the Pori-seller, you may not be an avid fan of Pori, but when he comes calling "puri, bisi puri" (hot pori in Kannada), you won't have a mind to disappoint him, so you buy one measure or two. Thus the writer too purchased a measure for two rupees and fifty paise. When it was the time to pay, she brought out her can of coins. (** every house has one such can in which you put all your 1-, 2-, 5- rupee coins; I have one. What about you? **). Oops, there was one single 2-rupee coin only; she turned to go inside to fetch the remaining 50-paise. He looked at her, smiled his slow,sad smile, and said, "Forget the 50-paisa, avva" (avva is a
respectful term in Kannada, for women from "mother" to "dear girl"). She stared at him.
How much money would you make on one measure of pori selling at 2-50p? 20 paise? 25? 50? And how many measures of pori would he need to sell to feed his family? We have seen the largest jewelers and shopkeepers not willing to forego one rupee on a bill of Rs.20000/- No, she said, you must have the 50-p. "Forget the 50p, avva," this time he was firmer. She looked at him. Her heart swelled and overflowed. She was moved beyond measure humbled and awed by the unasked, spontanaeous, open-hearted generosity of this man - for the world one almost crushed by the burden of his poverty, an object of pity and charity. "For me, one of the richest men I have ever met." The REAL crorepati, the REAL Indian.
The pori man - such people are what keep us going - what keeps India going. Against all odds.
** Adapted from The Puffed Rice Man - by Ratna Rajaiah, Indian Express, 23-10-2005. **
Rajappa
24-10-2005 11:45
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