Happy Man

Last weekend, i was on a trip to few villages in Somarpet Taluk for some work. On our way back, we decided to trek down to malalli falls which was about 3 Kms from the Main road. Though we were getting late, we decided that it may be worth the trek. So we decided to take the diversion towards the falls. The road was bad, slushy and bumpy. We met Mr Rajanna, the security near the bridge. The water level was almost till the bridge and it was cold and breezy. He advised us to drive. After about 600 or 700 metres, the road became very bad. So we decided to keep the car and walk. It was a good decision since the road was virtually absent.

The walk from there was great, the road was steep and slippery. It was a walk for about 700 metres and we were treated by a fabulous creation of nature, a deep gorge, water running in its full momentum. It was such great treat to see it.

There were hardly any people there since it is quite remote in the country side. There were some concrete steps which lead us to nowhere. We walked down the steps just to explore where it goes. It ended abruptly. There was a small narrow slippery lane from there which again went nowhere. We walked a little and found it to be endless. A friend of mine was getting a little scared and was insisting we go back. We went down a little. It was no point going further since the lane was not leading to the falls. {If we had somehow hit the river (which becomes kumara dhara at Kukke subramanya) and followed it, we would have gone to Kukke subramanya}.

So we decided to get back. Just as we were climbing back, we met Mr Vijay Kumar, a native of Malalli. He must be between 30 to 35 years old. He was all smiling and jovial. He had got a couple of his cattle for Grazing. I asked him if the kaaldhaari (Narrow foot lane) takes me to Subramanya. He smiled and said, "This goes to the falls". He offered to guide us and take us till the Falls. He took us in a bushy and very steep way. Since i was finding it difficult thanks to my weight, he kept on saying "Its steep only for some distance and its flat terrain thereafter". So finally he got us near the Falls and said "Please carry on further and experience shower bath near the falls, i will wait here and will assure you that it will not rain till you people are back".( We were 4 engineers who had carried 5 umbrellas only to keep in the car, Jai ho).

Thanks to Vijaykumar, we went close to one of the best falls that i have seen in the recent past. But for him,we would not have found our way there. We spent sometime there and trekked back. Vijaykumar was waiting for us. Cumulatively, Vijaykumar was with us for 20 minutes and all of which he was smiling.

I asked vijaykumar, what he was doing for livelihood? He said "Dhana meistheeni saar" (I look after the cattle). He asked us for a tip and i gave him a 100 rupee note and he was simply overjoyed. His face became big. He was so happy that he suddenly started talking about pushpagiri, Brahmagiri, Girigadhge Battaru (One must read "bettada jeeva" by Shivram Karanth to know more about girigadhge Battaru) . He made a remark that left all of us thinking. He said, he has never made 100 rupees a day till today and that on a average, his weekly income will be around 100 rupees.

Immediately i was reminded about Arjun sengupta report published in 2007 (http://nceus.gov.in/condition_of_workers_sep_2007.pdf) .( This report said that about 77% of the population in India, roughly about 835 million people earn only 20 rupees a day. Ever since i read this report, i was always doubting the numbers. Fourth largest economy in the world cannot have 800 million people earning only 20 rupees a day).

Well, This is the fact. Vijaykumar has about 2 acres of land on which he grows paddy for his own consumption. Many times the field gets flooded and he loses his crop. He has two cattle. His village is not electrified and has about 30 houses. He has never sold his produce (paddy) till today. His farm income is Zero and dairy income is negligible. He gets tipped once in a way by trekkers or tourists seeking help.

Given all this, this chap was so happy. Immaterial of the fee (tip) he received from us, He was looking very contended in life. There were no worries on his face. The tip just made him happier.

It makes me wonder, where and why some of us feel the disconnect and get engrossed in silly materialistic life. Sometimes i feel one does not need a reason to be Happy.

(Pictures of the trip here)