At the traffic signal I rest my
eyes on the lines in red sticker above the windshield, barely clearing the
bobbing skull cap of the impatient rickshaw driver as he waits for the signal
to turn green.
The saying by Nirankari Baba goes ….
मानवता की
क़द्र करे दिल से
मानवता खिल
उठे फिर
से
- निरंकारी बाबा
Manavta ki kadr kare dil se
Manavta khil utey phir se
- Nirankari Baba
In the backseat my world opens
out to fellow riders and familiar touch points on my morning commute. Only
occasionally will the ride offer up something more than the back of the
rickshaw driver’s head. So I read the lines again.
While I’m not surprised to see
the lines, for rickshaw drivers will sometimes philosophise and reflect on the teachings
of the Guru they follow, putting them up in their rickshaws for company, I was
surprised to see a Muslim rickshaw driver sport a non-Muslim (Sikh) “Godman’s” teaching
above his head, not something you see often if at all.
Translated, it reads
Value humanity with your heart
(And) Humanity will flower again
- Nirankari Baba
“You put that up?” I ask him at
the next traffic signal, pointing to the lines above his head.
“Yes, I did,” he replies, riding slow
and easy.
“Good one,” I let him know.
He nodds without turning his face.
“Does Nirankari Baba hold Shibir
(rallies)?
“He does. He had one at Airoli
last time,” he replied.
“Do you attend them?” I ask him.
“No. The night shift guys get to
attend,” implying he doesn’t get the day off from riding his rickshaw to attend
the rally.
