The Provident Fund; English Short Story; Author: Deepak Budki; Translator: Jawahar Lal Bhat.

The Provident Fund; English Short Story

 Author: Deepak Budki

 Translator: Jawahar Lal Bhat.

While I was posted in Tripura I issued an administrative order that the conditions for withdrawal of the General Provident Fund should be followed strictly. I had been informed that most of the employees, in order to withdraw their GP Fund, circumvented existing rules by giving false reasons. They succeeded in withdrawing from the fund time and again only to spend on liquor and gambling ignoring the needs of their family though their welfare ought to be the primary purpose of this saving. After I took over as Director, Postal Offices in Agartala, within a few months I observed the plight of families of employees and was severely pained to see their miserable conditions. Besides West Bengal and Kerala, Tripura was the only place where communists ruled the state after independence yet the conditions of people were pathetic.

I must confess that during my school and college days, I had been associated emotionally with socialist thought. Like other socialists, I also believed that socialism only could cure society of the evils of poverty and other problems attached to it. But as time passed and the iron cage around the Communist Bloc was removed, the stark truth was laid bare before the public. However, the empathy towards the poor that had been sown in my mind by this ideology in my formative years didn’t wane. Consequently, after becoming a member of the bureaucracy, I always considered helping the poor and ridding them of their troubles as my prime duty though many of my colleagues did not favour my disposition.

Unlike Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland, Tripura is not mountainous and rich in natural beauty. Most of the area is plain and marshy. There are no snow-clad mountains and dense evergreen forests. Like Meghalaya, there are no coal mines too. The soil here produces plenty of jackfruit, litchis and pineapple. Truckloads of jackfruit are sent to distant places including Bangladesh. Before coming to this place I had eaten jackfruit as a vegetable only. It was here that I came to know that once it ripens fully it is as sweet and fragrant as a mango.

Tripura is a backward state. The people are steeped here in poverty and destitution. Even after more than fifty years of independence, no industrial development is seen anywhere nor do any professional colleges exist here. The people of this state have to proceed to cities like Kolkata for advanced education, professional training and ultimate employment. The remaining population indulges in drugs, drinking, gambling and betting in order to rid themselves of remorse. Almost the whole of the North East is steeped in this evil.

After the partition, lots of migrants from East Pakistan settled here. They were mostly Bengalis. They overpowered the simple and unassuming tribal population of Tripura who were ignorant of the complexities of urban life. Gradually the original Tripuris were marginalized and reduced to a minority and became dependent on the immigrants. When they felt that their rights were being denied to them by the new settlers, they were compelled to pick up the gun. Terrorism spread in the whole state and has not been controlled ever since. Taking advantage of this situation the Communist Party of India (Marxist) showed many rosy dreams to these poor and gullible people and exploited them for their personal benefit. A number of labour unions were formed under the Marxist rule and its leaders held absolute power in many areas of influence.

Almost all trade union leaders were annoyed by my directives regarding Provident Fund. Jayant Majumdar and his supporters who were associated with Marxist Union protested in my office though they knew very well that my decision was for the benefit of poor employees. The Government had laid down certain conditions for withdrawal from GP Fund which inter alia included giving information about the pressing need for such withdrawal and providing sufficient proof to that effect. The order also made it incumbent upon the sanctioning authority to check and verify the authenticity of the claim. Since the money in the fund was the personal saving of the employee so the drawing officers didn’t insist on providing proof regarding the need for withdrawal nor checked its validity. It surely works well in a healthy society but where the employees are mired deeply in bad habits and unable to judge their good and bad, it is the duty of Officers to ensure that the employees do not misuse their savings. It was for this reason that I issued orders for strict implementation of the conditions for the withdrawal of the GP Fund. I had anticipated that trade unions would appreciate my actions for the benefit of their fellow employees but I was proved wrong.

There was a long interaction with the Trade Union leader on the issue but I was unable to bring him around. He said loudly, "Sir, these are dictatorial orders which you have issued? We’ve learned that you’ve stopped employees from withdrawing from their GP Fund. This is extremely inhuman and cruel on your part. GP Fund is a part of their hard-earned money and is kept as a trust with the government. You have no business to stop its payment since it is their own money?”

“Please be calm and listen to me. There’s neither any ban imposed on withdrawal from this fund nor have any new rules been made. I’ve only reiterated the strict implementation of the conditions of its withdrawal. I have noticed that these conditions are not followed properly in many cases. There are cases where the roof of the same house has been repaired several times and Mundan, the first hair-cutting ceremony of the same child has been performed not less than five times. Huge amounts have been withdrawn for the marriage ceremony of the same daughter three to four times and the amount thus withdrawn spent on wine, betting and gambling. Families of these self-destructive officials are suffering for want of basic necessities of life while they spend money on boozing and gambling. Balance in the fund of most employees has touched the bare minimum. Isn't it our duty, yours and mine, to save their families from impending disaster? Isn’t it proper under the circumstances that the withdrawal is restricted to genuine cases and not permitted to fake claimants? Isn’t it our duty to ensure the welfare of the families of our fellow employees for which the money was intended to be saved?”

During the discussion, it remained my earnest endeavour that all pros and cons of the order are explicated properly to Majumdar. In the end, I made a humble request to him to make amends for his views and attitude. I felt he was not unaware of ground reality yet he pretended ignorance because he feared that by owning the truth he would invite the anger of his fellow union members.

After I finished, he said, “Sir, do you think I’m unaware of this all? The truth is, if I do not take up this issue before the administration, our rival union will, and in all probability, many of my union members will switch alliances to their side. The employees prefer only such a union which is able to highlight their genuine as well as bogus demands vehemently. I hope you understand my helplessness. In the circumstances, Sir, I make a humble submission that the order may please be withdrawn.  

I was really impressed by the matter-of-fact answer of Jayant Majumdar and felt astonished as to what levels can these trade unions stoop down to in order to keep their hold on their members. These union leaders were more worried about the number of members affiliated with them rather than the welfare of such employees. So it was decided in the meeting that action on the particular order shall be put off for some time.

Barely a week had passed it was reported to me that a Postmaster had died in the BG Hospital, Agartala. On hearing the news, I immediately rushed to the hospital to express condolence. As per convention, I was expected to arrange for a specific amount of money from my office and hand it over to the heir of the deceased for performing his last rites but I forgot the same and nobody in the office had reminded me about it. Someone in the hospital did point it out to me but it was too late. So I thought I’ll arrange to send the amount immediately on return to my office and by the time the dead body could be taken home. Meanwhile, Union Secretary Jayant Majumdar had also reached the hospital.

The dead body of the Postmaster was lying on the bed of the general ward of the hospital. After a while I requested Mujamdar, “Please call for a stretcher so that the body is taken downstairs. Also, arrange for a Taxi for carrying it to his home.”

“Sir, taxis are not available here, we can get a three-wheeler and carry the body in it.” He signalled someone and told him to get a three-wheeler.

Two men got a stretcher and placed it before us. On looking at the stretcher Majumdar turned to me, “Sir, I’ll call two sweepers who’ll pick up the body and carry it downstairs.”

“Why, what for the sweeper? Can’t we take him down ourselves?”

“No Sir, that’s not done. Nobody will touch or help to lift a dead body. People here are very conservative.”

I was shocked to hear that. On looking at the powerless face of Majumdar I understood that nobody around was in fact ready to touch the dead body. For them, it was the job of sweepers.  How unfortunate! These people loathed the touch of the dead body of a person who till yesterday was their colleague and with whom they were associated for so long. In India, even if you are a staunch believer of  Marxist ideology, you cannot escape the caste prejudices that you have inherited from generation to generation.

Just a few minutes later, I rolled up my sleeves, put both my arms underneath the body, lifted it up and placed it on the stretcher. Having seen me shifting the dead body single-handed the employees present there were stunned and felt ashamed. Though reluctantly, they started helping me to keep the dead body on the stretcher properly and later brought it downstairs to place it in the three-wheeler.

Postmaster’s wife was standing beside the auto-rickshaw and crying inconsolably. She was hesitant to sit in the auto beside the body of her dead husband and continued to look at my and Majumdar's face expectantly. I was at a loss to find proper words to console her in such a pitiable condition. All I could say was, “Sister, you sit in the auto with the body and reach home. We will also reach there soon. You need not worry about anything.”

She continued staring at me as if she had not understood anything whatever I had told her and it seemed she was looking for some urgent help. Meanwhile, an employee who was standing with us asked her something in Bengali and after getting her reply addressed me, “Sir, the poor woman is penniless. How can she go home? Who will pay for the three-wheeler? Her husband was a compulsive gambler and a heavy drunkard. Because of his excessive drinking, his liver had been damaged totally. Whatever he earned in his life, he spent on drinking and gambling leaving nothing for his family. If you check his GP Fund balance, it’ll just be the bare minimum, the rest evaporated like ether. Who knows how much he may be owing to his creditors? Thankfully he was living in a staff quarter, otherwise, his children would have no roof over their heads. They will now be thrown out on the road. This poor woman is a mother of three kids. She earns her living by selling vegetables in the vegetable market. That man never spent anything on his home. Every penny of his salary was spent on booze and betting. On the contrary, he would frequently demand money from his wife and if she refused he would beat her mercilessly and leave the house while she wailed and cried painfully.”

On hearing this all, I was deeply anguished. It was beyond my imagination that a human being would fall so deep in the abyss of vice that he betrays his personal life, soul, conscience and everything. Further, it drove him mad to such an extent that he was gripped by a malady which abruptly terminated his life. Instead of becoming a savior to his family he became a source of great trouble and worry for them. I had already got a clue of this behaviour of some employees much earlier, and therefore as a remedial measure, had issued an order for strict implementation of conditions for withdrawals from GP Fund. However, it was not even in my remotest thoughts that the conditions would turn so explosive.

I took out a hundred rupee note from my pocket and handed it over to the distressed woman saying, “Sister, keep it and make payment to the rickshaw driver. Meanwhile, I’m going to my office and shall in an hour or so arrange to send you the permissible amount for funeral rites and other related expenses.”

Jayant Majumdar heard this conversation. I could feel vexation inside him due to his guilty conscience. He was unable to look at me face to face. Normally he is talkative and keeps everyone absorbed around him but for some time now he had grown calm and quiet. Maybe either his inner conscience was blaming him or he was thinking about the further course of action to be adopted to survive as an effective trade union leader. Who knows what new schemes were fleeting through his corrupt and mischievous mind?

As for me, I was deeply immersed in the sea of irritation and uneasiness. My aversion to the selfishness of human beings was getting pronounced since some of them did not feel any shame to sacrifice the interests of their blood relations and colleagues. The members of their family - parents, brothers and sisters besides their colleagues were meant to achieve their own goals and became ladders for their own career hops. For such people, human values sink into the morass of selfishness with total disregard for the rest of the world.

In an awful state of worry and discomfort, I took leave of all the mourners there and went straight to my office, arranged for the funeral expenses allowance, and sent the same to the Postmaster’s house before proceeding to my home. I couldn't sleep for the whole night. Frequently the face of the poor old widow would pop up before me. I was not able to understand how the mother of three children would be able to pass her life of deprivation and loneliness hereafter? Besides, the question that was repeatedly arising in my mind was whether the object of the formation of trade unions was the betterment of the union members or their ruination?

 

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