While
one may wonder what I have to say about a vendor of rings, it was not
any ring seller who became the center of attention, but a special one
whose picture goes along with. Not that he is unnamed, but I omitted
to get properly introduced to him, he chose to beat hasty retreat when
confronted and not to return!
Thereby
hangs a tale. If one goes to the Market road and its vicinity on Sundays,
a whole new world unfolds itself with vendors of every conceivable goods
finding a representation there. When that is the case can purveyors
of superstitions be left out? When Keo films filming feature called
Medicine Men wanted to film our activities in exposing quacks and educating
people about them, they wanted us to have a demonstration for their
cameras. In search of them, we found one in this Sunday bazaar. These
are quite famous rings sold all over and I have seen them in Bazaars
all over India. Called as the Bengali mantra rings they promise you
a cure for every possible disease and a solution for every conceivable
problem. With a taped announcement in the local langauage of their efficacy,
they have a product to fit all pockets. Starting from an ordinary one
of 10 rupees, the more expensive super deluxe varieties cost up to 51.
But of course these are the ready made ones. The more expensive ones
are available for prices quoted on demand. In an Orissa village, a couple
of years back I had observed one such seller. When I approached him,
he put off his recorded message and told me that he was not selling
anything, when I asked him what he had to say he replied nothing! When
pressed he told the person accompanying me in Bengali that he had already
heard my lecture demonstration and did not want to say anything.
When
I went in search of such on a Sunday, a week before the filming crew
was to arrive, I found this seller comfortably ensconced in front of
a shop at Market road. He had a selection of rings and the photos of
his Baba with a few incense sticks lit in front of them. When queried
he listed out the benefits of his rings and promised me effects in 7
to 91 days or my money back. I purchased the most expensive one for
Rs.51 and took his pamphlet and the warranty card.
On the
next Sunday, accompanied by the filming crew, the office bearers of
our Dakshina Kannada Rationalist association- the President Dr.Madhava
Rao, the Vice president Eric and volunteers of the DYFI Vasudev and
his comrades, we went to the place where the vendor plies his wares.
We had also one volunteer Rahul, a 11th standard student to pose as
a customer. When this boy and I approached the seller, he also saw the
TV crew which was following. Smelling a rat, he said he would not be
able to solve the problems that this boy was facing and directed him
to his elder brother who was sitting about 100 meters down the road.
When we went to meet him we saw that he was busy selling remedies for
skin ailments! Turning back we saw that the younger brother had disappeared.
However, he had left his wares unattended! We stood near them waiting
for the owner to appear. This gathered a crowd who were anxious to know
what had happened. When told, they joined in the denouncement of these
racketeers and started baying for the blood of the absconder. Since
he was not appearing, I had the idea of confiscating his property and
loudly announced my intentions. At that one of his comrades came up
and wanted to know what was happening. When the story was told and he
was asked to honor the guarantee card and return the money he readily
obliged.
That was
the end of the story of the quack who sold me the ring which could cure
anything from bed wetting to heart disease. But, how about the Rudraksha
malas which claimed to cure all these and more? What about the TV shows
in prayers can cure every disease? What about the bearded guy with saffron
robes who claims that his yoga and pranayama are the panaceas for every
disease? How about the squeaky voiced con man flaunting two Sris before
his name and claims that his fraud called art of living has the solution
for all the ills of the world? When these relevant questions were brought
up- the answer is that these too had started from the foot path and
if had been nipped in the bud would not have the levels where they are
today!
The exposure
of the cheat with the rings is much more relevant for today as his clientele
are lower middle class, the daily wagers and the lower socioeconomic
classes for whom a sum of 51 rupees is much more than couple of lakhs
for the affluent. The amounts taken from the rich may come from their
fat bank balances or unaccounted black money- but that of the poor comes
from their bread sorry rice money.
Many a time the
question confronts us- do these things work? In cases where the disorders are
self limiting or the placebo effect works, it may. But, if one places faith in
such and ignores serious disease the matter may aggravate and reach an incurable
stage. On the other hand the gullible may be made to spend money which they can
ill afford in search of these illusory cures. Besides, when there is a claim of
cure or efficacy it should be proved. But, as the police men who appeared on the
scene to control the crowd, they asked me “Sir, what action can we take on these
people as we do not know under which law is this is an offence? People like you
should enlighten us on that”. When that is the state of the law keepers what can
be expected of the common man?
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