[Reader-list] Publics, Practices and Authority

[Rakesh]

Dear Zainab

Yes, you are ture. Publics are fluid and confusing concept, But they 
have a perfect understanding of their postions in different 
circumstances. This is not only limited to those who works in any govt. 
agency. For instance, in my field many a times person like Jawahar 
exercise certain kind of autority and sometimes a millionaire from 
Lajpatrai market has to bow before him and then he dictates him on his 
own term. So, it is the matter of situation, which seems to me a very 
significant aspect of emerging urban.

It was just a random thought.

cheers
rakesh

zainab at xtdnet.nl wrote:

>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
>
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-- 
Rakesh Kumar Singh
Sarai-CSDS
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