Today morning as I was being dropped off at the venue of the literature festival, the policeman on duty waved his hand to indicate where the autorickshaw had to stop to let me off. Then, much to my surprise he bent down to peep in and solicitously ask, ‘Can you walk?’

The rest of the walk to the venue was all up hill. You either had to walk up the sloping road, or up the steps. When people arrived who had difficulty in negotiating the terrain, their vehicle was allowed to go up the road to drop them, which was the reason for his query.

Having no issue with walking up slopes (or climbing stairs), I got out of the autorickshaw, cheerfully told him that I could walk, got a smile in return and went on my merry way.

Now contrast this to what happened yesterday. The auto I was in was stopped on the other side of the road by a different policeman who had just allowed another vehicle to make a u-turn there right in front of my eyes. Reason? We would hold up the traffic. I mean like, WHAT??!

How is it that the other one which went before us wouldn’t hold up the traffic? But you cannot argue with policemen. So I waited patiently on the other side of the bust road to cross to the venue of the festival.

Finally I got my chance and who should I meet at the middle of the road? The same policeman now allowing a huge car to turn. Remember there is actually no restriction to making a u-turn there.

I couldn’t let it go.

“Why did you have to make me get down on the other side? You are letting other vehicles make a turn here!” I told him. For no reason AT ALL, or just to show that he had some power, he stopped a vehicle while letting others go. He had no answer to my question, all he did was smile sheepishly.

That policemen come in different varieties, the helpful kind and the unnecessarily putting you to trouble kind, couldn’t have been made any clearer.

©️ Shail Mohan 2024