Everyone is telling me that I am good for nothing and I am loafing at auto rickshaw stand ogling at ladies. This is so wrong sir. Only lies, no truth. I am good and honest man sir. But still people telling same thing again and again. I got angry and started calling myself Rickshaw Rowdy in protest. Now no one can insult me.
I am belonging to Immedinayankanahalli village near Bangalore. I am migrating all the way to Bangalore to make living like honest man but people not giving me respect sir. We also have feelings. Look at my profile picture. It is an empty auto rickshaw. No passenger, no driver. I put it in protest sir. People say I am standing and chatting with other rickshaw driver all the time, that is why my auto is empty. Let people say what they want. Everyone has an opinion. But I must thank President anna for letting me write on this magazine. Thanks to anna we ordinary people also have a voice.
Last week only I saw ‘Pushpa’ movie. What a movie sir. I want to be like Pushpa anna. No, not sandalwood smuggler like him, but strong man who can beat up 20 people at one time. See how much Pushpa anna respect Srivalli in the movie. Like that only I respect other women and I don’t ogle at them, except if I want to make them my wife. I have many friends who are also rickshaw drivers like me. Some are rowdies, some are good people like me. The rowdies help me when I don’t have money. The good people disappear when I need money.
Why drive auto rickshaw when you can loaf around at the stand and make money?
– Auto Anna (Sr.)
You are asking about money, I am telling you we have a box full of money buried at every rickshaw stand. You see, all the one-and-a-half times money we take from you, the half goes into the box. In Bollywood movies they show people collecting ‘hafta’ no? That comes from the word ‘half’. People don’t give us credit. They think it means weekly extortion. But people are ignorant sir. Now you know why we never leave the rickshaw stand. Because we are guarding money. Not only ours, but every driver’s. In fact other drivers pay us to guard it. That is why we never have to drive. See, I told you everything honestly. I am telling you I am good and honest man.