The Common Man: Ek Duvidha, Ek Khoj

Gurugram: “Who is a common man?” the wife asked. Prima facie, it was a strange question from someone who regularly reads the newspapers and watches TV. I felt sorry for Late RK Laxman.

Having held many teaching assignments during my working life, I have acquired a reasonable degree of patience when confronted with questions considered aberrant.

I thought I would explain in simple terms. “Common man is someone who is commonly found in common places.”

This brought a counter question.

“You mean in places like shopping malls etc.?”

“No, no” I said “the common man does not have the means to patronize the glitzy and expensive malls. He might go there to do an errand for his boss or occasionally on summer afternoons to enjoy free air-conditioning. But he cannot afford to frequent these places. He is too busy earning his bread.”

“I thought he was freer that many of the corporate honchos?” she asked.

This was hardly fair to the common man who is known to be toiling 12-14 hours a day; even longer if he is married. I decided to explain in plainer terms, like one does to a back-bencher.

“This could hardly be so”, I said, “he is not blessed with the luxury of leisure and burden-free hours. The common man struggles and sweats earning the bread for his usually large family. To keep the home and hearth going so to say”.

“Isn’t he the man who is often seen attending political rallies and street protests?”, she asked.

“Well, he does engage in this activity”, I explained, “but only if he is paid more than his one day’s wage that he may have to forgo for absenting himself from work. Simple profit and loss.”

“Is his salary cut for one day’s absence? Isn’t that very mean?”

“There is a limit to the number of days in a month when he can call sick; fake or real. Labour rules are stringent. Also, it depends on whether he is employed in the public or the private sector? The former is more liberal on the issue.”

“Doesn’t that mean a loss to the public sector?”

“It surely does. But they make it up from the budget, which in turn comes from the common man through increased taxes on common items.”

We were finally getting somewhere I thought.

“Hnnn….” She said.” Then she changed the thrust of her query.

“I have often watched closely on TV. Many faces of those attending rallies and protests of different political parties are the same.”

“Very correct observation”, I said, “He does participate in many such gatherings even if they are countering each other. No one has monopoly over the common man. That is why he is called “common”.

“But who pays the organisers of such jamborees for paying the common man?”.

“Well,” I said, “the rich folks owning big factories do so”. Anticipating her next question I added, “They in turn get licenses for making goods for the common man and keep raising their prices.”

“You mean, the common man ultimately pays himself?”

“Yes”, I said, “It is politinomics, a subject that is not formally taught but is commonly practised.” .

“Does it mean the common man listens to all political views?” she asked.

“Listens? I am only talking about attending, not listening. The two are different.”

Heaving a confused sigh she asked, “But then how does he decide who to vote for?”

“That is a good question” I said, “Now you are getting the drift of the democracy thing. No matter what flag he waves and what slogans he shouts, the common man has a pragmatic ideology. He ultimately votes for the party that gives him free water and free electricity.”