CHETTIAR’S TRAVAILS

Chettiar is a mason’s help. He came to work for Balu,  a mason who had worked for us at one point of time. Once Balu had finished the work assigned to him we did not see  Chettiar for a long time.

We faced a problem. Our compound was littered with dry leaves. It was dirty. It needed a thorough clean up. We were concerned since a dirty compound was an open invitation to rats, snakes and mosquitos. Dengue, Chickun Guniea and leptospirosis could any day erupt. We had already lost Jimmy, our pet dog, due to a Cobra’s venom.

I went out in search of a  worker who would do the job. The practice at our area was that the workers looking for work would converge in front of the local tea shop. If the terms are agreeable they would consent to come and work for you. Kerala has become so rich today that wokers for odd jobs have become an endangererd species. While we were young the workers used to hunt for work. It is the other way now. The employers hunt for workers. They relent to work for you at their own terms.

I found Chettiar loitering in front of the tea shop. I requested him to do the clean up operation in our compound. Chettiar expressed his inability to work for us because he was Balu’s man as far as we were concerned. If he came to work for us without Balu’s consent Balu would be annoyed. Balu would never employ him again. What Balu was doing was that out of the Rupees Five Hundred we were paying Balu for Chettiar’s work Balu would be keeping Rupees Fifty for himself and pay Chettiar Rupees Four hundred and Fifty only. Chettiar was going along with this as he did not like loitering in front of the tea shop every day. The loss of Rupees Fifty had meant that Chettiar had a steady employment all through the year. Recently Balu had taken up an assignment at Kottarakkara. As Chettiar was not prepared to leave Trivandrum he had to be unemployed for a while. Chettiar told me that I found him at the tea shop as  his family would starve if he did not work. But he followed his own ethics in the selection of his employer.

After much pleading and an assurance that Balu would be kept unaware the employment of Chettiar by us Chettiar agreed to work for us for four days.

Chettiar was unhesitating in doing the clean up. He would start at 8.00 Am and leave at 5.00 PM. He would stop in between for tea, lunch and rest when the Siren went off. The municipality had installed the Siren to let the workers take their time off in accordance with labour laws that prevailed in the State.  We were pretty happy that our compound at last sported a habitable look.

Chettiar on the third day had told us that he had to visit the Post Office at 9.00 AM. He explained that he was getting a Pension from the Labour Welfare Fund through the Post office in the form of Money Order. The Postman had left word that he had to collect it at 9.00 AM that day.

When we enquired further we learned the following. I am quoting Chettiar.

“ I am getting Rs.1537.00 as pension. The monthly pension is Rs.90.00. The Postman would never give me the fraction that is Rupees Seven telling me that he had no change. I would pay him Rupees fifty out of the Rupees One thousand five hundred thirty handed over to me. I do that because everyone is doing it. This was what had happened during last onam. It would be a repeat this time as well.

 The money is sent to me in two instalments during the year. As Onam Festival is approaching I am receiving the first instalment. The second instalment would come towards the end of the financial year. I had been remiiting Rs.10.00 per month from my fortieth year of age to the Welfare Fund. The Fund had been constituted for masons and masonry labourers. I had joined it as a masonry labourer. My brother in law was remitting the amount for me at Venganoor which is my wife’s place. Later the contribution was raised to Rs.20.00. My brother in law after a while asked me to make the remittances myself.

Though I had paid a few instalments at Venganoor, I had found it difficult since I had to stay off work to make the remittance every month. When I had requested for permission to remit the amount at Pettah the authorities had initially asked me to do it at Ambalathara. Later I was permitted to do it at Pettah.

I became eligible for pension when I had turned Sixty years of age. I receive the pension twice  an year. I have to furnish a life certificate to the Post office once in an year. Usually the daughter in law of the retired teacher across the road was signing the life certificate for me. Once the girl told me that she could not do it that time as she was on leave and her seal (stamp) was at  the office. Since I had to submit the life certificate that day itself I went to an office nearby. The peon took the papers inside. I was called in after an hour. The official had asked me how much money I had with me. I said I had a Hundred Rupee with me. The official told me the days of Hundred Rupees are all past. The papers were given back without signature. They ask for money because they have to do some work in the process. I do agree to what you are saying that all they have to do is to write my name at the appointed place and affix their signature, name, place, date and stamp of the office.

I walked three Kms to the local Primary Health Centre. The Lady Doctor there told me the she was on looty (Duty) and asked to wait till she went off duty. She called me in at 1.30 PM and signed the papers. She did not take any money from me.

The postman had handed over the money I had stated once the life certificate was handed over to him.”