[Reader-list] Publics, Practices and Authority

[zainab at xtdnet.nl]

Publics and Practices

The last week has been one of intense interviews and fieldwork. I love
being on my field, making observations at VT, Churchgate and Nariman
Point. I enjoy being the researcher, the observer, the practitioner – all
at different times, some at some times, one at one time, but something
every time!

Through last week, I have been conducting interviews with authorities at
railway stations – Ticket Checkers and Women Home Guards for protection
and safety of women at railway stations. Today I am sitting down to
analyze some of the contents of these interviews. Bihari babu, a TC, tells
me that being a TC is a thankless job. Even his home people look down upon
him when he says that he is working as a TC. But Bihari babu swears by the
railways and tells me, “In all my seven births, I wish to work with the
railways. You see madam, with the railways there is always a guarantee. If
I am working with ICICI, I may not get my paycheck at the end of the
month, but with the railways, every 30th of the month, mera paisa mere
haathon mein hai.” Bihari babu is clear that commuters look down upon him
and consider his breed i.e. of TCs to be one which is corrupt and filth
ridden. “TC ke saath kaun friends banayega (Who will make friends with a
TC?)?” Bihari babu asks me rhetorically, adding, “A person will make
friends with me thinking that some day, if he is traveling ticketless, I
will let him go. But let me tell you madam, I will not let them go even if
they are my friends. Tomorrow, if Dawood or Chotta Rajan is traveling with
a ticket, they are bonafide passengers for me. But if some ordinary
commuter is traveling ticketless, he becomes Dawood or Chotta Rajan for
me. What do you say?” Bihari babu is aware that commuters treat him like
dirt. His colleague tells me that commuters abuse TCs and think of them as
leeches, worthless creatures.

The other day, Sushanti, a home guard tells me, “You ask me what commuters
think of me or other home guards? Some commuters have come and told me
that they really appreciate my services and they feel secure with my
presence. But some of them treat us like dirt. Especially those who are
‘of high thinking types’. They think of me as a ‘low thinking person’.
Some of them will tell me, ‘eh, my shoe has fallen on the tracks, pick it
up for me’. When they make such orders and demands, I simply call an
urchin or a drug addict from somewhere at the station and ask him to pick
up the shoe and give it to back t to them. This is how commuters can be.”
Sushanti adds, “Vardi ka rob hai, hathon mein danda hai,” meaning that my
uniform is my source of authority and the stick is in my hand. Sushanti is
young, nubile and she feels most secure when she is in her uniform for the
police uniform gives her the authority which otherwise, as an ordinary
civilian, signifies that she is nothing. As an ordinary civilian, she is
as vulnerable to harassment as anyone else. But the uniform gives he rob.

As I analyze these conversations and interviews, I realize that publics is
a highly fluid and confusing concept. Publics become authority and
authority can be treated like dirt at the railway station. But only
certain publics assume authority. For instance, the drug peddlar at the
railway station (popularly known as gardula) cannot become the authority.
The middle class is the authority. And the police and ‘protection forces’
(check out oxymorons in everyday life) at railway stations are no
authority before the middle classes/commuters who are the authority.

Perhaps in the emerging urban, authorities and publics are fluidly
changing roles. It depends on which level of authority you are dealing
with. I realize publics are not holier than thou and publics have its own
politics, maneuvers and manipulations. But this how tactics work and
cities survive each day.

Hmmm 
 still thinking!


Zainab Bawa
Bombay
www.xanga.com/CityBytes
http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html