How to capture Pappu Tea Shop (PTS) : An uphill Task for Arvind Kejriwal
Pappu chai ki Dukan ( Varanasi), April 17. Impossible fighter Arvind Kejriwal has an uphill task at hand- how to capture Pappu Tea Shop at the Assi crossing , a few hundred yards away from holy Ganga and his temporary camp in the guest house of Sankat Mochan Temple's Mahant.
Pappu Tea Shop is not an ordinary shop, it is as historic as the tea shop near Mehsana Railway station, where Bal Narendra served tea to customers. Famous Hindi novelist Kashi Nath Singh in his " Kashi Ka Assi" immotalised Pappu Tea Shop where wide range of Banarasis , from professors to commoners, from enlightened ones to sheer lunatics spend hours and hours over a cup of tea, sometimes using civilized language.
In fact I have never been member of Assi nonsense club though occasionally I visit the place to know something of vital importance.This evening I happen to be there when I noticed a crowd of about hundred people jostling to move ahead where three gentlemen were sitting on a bench. Arvind Kejriwal flanked by Manish Sisodia and Sanjai Singh were answering queries of the curious people hailing from different classes , from doctors to professors of Banaras Hindu Univerity, IITians and regular Bhangedis.
Curious to witness first hand interaction between Banarasis and Delhi heroes I somehow managed to move ahead, negotiating the crowd and sat near the trimurti of AAP, Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjai Singh.
Then, many by many Banarasis are hurling questions on Kejriwal , mostly about his Delhi misadventure, fight against corruption and his tirade against Modi. Kejriwal was trying to explain the circumstances leading to his departure from Delhi government and his future plans including his Varanasi campaign. Suddenly a Banarasi moved ahead and started verbal pathrav( stone pelting ) - Your decision to quit the government was wrong and mindless act . Before the leader could say something Banarasi said,-" aapke salahkar moorkha hain" ( your advisers are fools). Flanked by two advisers Kejriwal was taken aback and before he could manage his composure the Banarasi shouted- "aapke salahkar maha moorkha hain ( your advisers are idiots). Kejriwal murmured few words,apparently saying -you may be right, it is your opinion, what can I say.
And soon it became clear that Banarasis are more trained in plain speaking than Kejriwal himself. Banarasi said, " aapko Middle School ka principal banaya gaya aur bajay iske ki aap yeh jimmedari nibhate aap bole mujhe university ka vice chancellor bana do " (you were appointed as a principal of a middle school and instead of performing your job you insisted that you should be appointed as Vice Chancellor of a university). A stumped Kejriwal was relieved when next person came forward. A student of BHU IT asked about his rational behind taking on formidable Narendra Modi in Varanasi and putting Kumar Vishwas against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. Kejriwal has a ready made answer. Rahul and Modi are glue which keeps Congress and BJP remain cohesive. " Rahul haar gaya to Congress das tukade men bant jayegi, Congress khatm ho jayegi, ( If Rahul was defeated the Congress party will be torn into ten pieces, party will be finished.). He continued, " agar Modi haar gaya to BJP ka bhi yahi Haal hoga. Modi ke baad kaun sanmbhal payega BJP ko- Rajnath? Sushma? Jaitley? ( A Modi defeat in the same way will be fatal for BJP. Who would be able to manage the party- Rajnath? Sushma? Jaitley?)
On corruption, he said that there must be systemic changes to ensure that corrupt people be booked immediately . If we have a pro people and efficient system then , " jo bharishtachar karega voh jail jayega salaa," It was comforting to hear word salaa from former Chief Minister of National capital state. And this Banarasi flavour offers some hope that he might be able to establish a rapport with native people. Kejriwal told young IITians that his brother was an alumni of BHU IT.
Amid dhakkamukki, the dialogue ended followed by cheers and slogan shouting by enthusiastic supporters, many of them from outside Varanasi; " Jo do seaton se ladata hai , voh kejriwal se darta hai", ( he who contests from two seats, is afraid of Kejriwal- an apprant reference to Modi's election bid from Vadodara and Varanasi) " Bhrishtachar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal" (Kejriwal is a death messenger for corruption)
Then there is a deafening roar of Har Har Mahadev, with every one, including Kejriwal joining with raising their hands up in the sky - " Haraa Haraa mahaadeeeeeeeeeeeeeva", "Haraa Haraa Mahaadeeeeeeeeeeva" ( peculiar Banrasi style of rendering the national slogan of the holy land.
Kejriwal then entered the tea shop and was introduced to Pappu chaiwala. Perhaps chaiwala conveyed his good wishes.
When I return to my own Adda at Lanka's Keshav Paan Shop, I met one of the original Addewajs of Pappu Tea Shop, Dr Kaushal Kishre Mishra, Professor of Political Science at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He along with some other professors, teachers, students, bhangedis and lunatics spends his evening at PTS discussing metaphysical and materiel issues and , of course , latest rumour in the the town or manufacturing a new rumour for the next day.
Professor Mishra was my junior in the BHU and during my long journalistic stint in Varanasi he was a useful news source. Actually he proved to be the real nemesis for film producer Deepa Mehta, when her ambitious film Water was buried deep into the holy water of Ganga by Dr Mishra and his Vanar Sena. Water fiasco was a rare incident when local protest forced a resourceful celebrity to abandon her controversial project. And for detractors of Modi a precursor of coming events in Varanasi.
Mishra said, " Kejriwal is trying to capture PTS as he was told that to win Varanasi, it is of strategic importance to capture this outpost. His chamachas ware hovering around PTS and trying to provoke us. Kejriwal was actually disappointed that despite of his being in the holy city for more than 72 hours nobody slapped him or threw inks on him." " This time we would simply ignore him lest he get sanjivini of publicity, we deliberately left the shop for the guests ", he said.
He said that his group was there when he was introduced to Kejriwal, as Professor of Political Science in BHU. " I said no no, not a professor I am a chaparasi in the department."
Will Kejriwal capture PTS outpost? " NO chance, No chance" Dr Mishra was confident. " Actually PTS's Pappu will be one of proposers when Modi files his nomination papers. Another potential proposers Keshav or Rajendra were busy in applying kattha and chuna on paans at their shop Keshav Paan Bhandaar , a few meters away from road, when one of the them cast a glance on us and shouted, Guru aawaa paan kha la. ( Guru have a Paan).
Curious to witness first hand interaction between Banarasis and Delhi heroes I somehow managed to move ahead, negotiating the crowd and sat near the trimurti of AAP, Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjai Singh.
Then, many by many Banarasis are hurling questions on Kejriwal , mostly about his Delhi misadventure, fight against corruption and his tirade against Modi. Kejriwal was trying to explain the circumstances leading to his departure from Delhi government and his future plans including his Varanasi campaign. Suddenly a Banarasi moved ahead and started verbal pathrav( stone pelting ) - Your decision to quit the government was wrong and mindless act . Before the leader could say something Banarasi said,-" aapke salahkar moorkha hain" ( your advisers are fools). Flanked by two advisers Kejriwal was taken aback and before he could manage his composure the Banarasi shouted- "aapke salahkar maha moorkha hain ( your advisers are idiots). Kejriwal murmured few words,apparently saying -you may be right, it is your opinion, what can I say.
And soon it became clear that Banarasis are more trained in plain speaking than Kejriwal himself. Banarasi said, " aapko Middle School ka principal banaya gaya aur bajay iske ki aap yeh jimmedari nibhate aap bole mujhe university ka vice chancellor bana do " (you were appointed as a principal of a middle school and instead of performing your job you insisted that you should be appointed as Vice Chancellor of a university). A stumped Kejriwal was relieved when next person came forward. A student of BHU IT asked about his rational behind taking on formidable Narendra Modi in Varanasi and putting Kumar Vishwas against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. Kejriwal has a ready made answer. Rahul and Modi are glue which keeps Congress and BJP remain cohesive. " Rahul haar gaya to Congress das tukade men bant jayegi, Congress khatm ho jayegi, ( If Rahul was defeated the Congress party will be torn into ten pieces, party will be finished.). He continued, " agar Modi haar gaya to BJP ka bhi yahi Haal hoga. Modi ke baad kaun sanmbhal payega BJP ko- Rajnath? Sushma? Jaitley? ( A Modi defeat in the same way will be fatal for BJP. Who would be able to manage the party- Rajnath? Sushma? Jaitley?)
On corruption, he said that there must be systemic changes to ensure that corrupt people be booked immediately . If we have a pro people and efficient system then , " jo bharishtachar karega voh jail jayega salaa," It was comforting to hear word salaa from former Chief Minister of National capital state. And this Banarasi flavour offers some hope that he might be able to establish a rapport with native people. Kejriwal told young IITians that his brother was an alumni of BHU IT.
Amid dhakkamukki, the dialogue ended followed by cheers and slogan shouting by enthusiastic supporters, many of them from outside Varanasi; " Jo do seaton se ladata hai , voh kejriwal se darta hai", ( he who contests from two seats, is afraid of Kejriwal- an apprant reference to Modi's election bid from Vadodara and Varanasi) " Bhrishtachar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal" (Kejriwal is a death messenger for corruption)
Then there is a deafening roar of Har Har Mahadev, with every one, including Kejriwal joining with raising their hands up in the sky - " Haraa Haraa mahaadeeeeeeeeeeeeeva", "Haraa Haraa Mahaadeeeeeeeeeeva" ( peculiar Banrasi style of rendering the national slogan of the holy land.
Kejriwal then entered the tea shop and was introduced to Pappu chaiwala. Perhaps chaiwala conveyed his good wishes.
When I return to my own Adda at Lanka's Keshav Paan Shop, I met one of the original Addewajs of Pappu Tea Shop, Dr Kaushal Kishre Mishra, Professor of Political Science at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He along with some other professors, teachers, students, bhangedis and lunatics spends his evening at PTS discussing metaphysical and materiel issues and , of course , latest rumour in the the town or manufacturing a new rumour for the next day.
Professor Mishra was my junior in the BHU and during my long journalistic stint in Varanasi he was a useful news source. Actually he proved to be the real nemesis for film producer Deepa Mehta, when her ambitious film Water was buried deep into the holy water of Ganga by Dr Mishra and his Vanar Sena. Water fiasco was a rare incident when local protest forced a resourceful celebrity to abandon her controversial project. And for detractors of Modi a precursor of coming events in Varanasi.
Mishra said, " Kejriwal is trying to capture PTS as he was told that to win Varanasi, it is of strategic importance to capture this outpost. His chamachas ware hovering around PTS and trying to provoke us. Kejriwal was actually disappointed that despite of his being in the holy city for more than 72 hours nobody slapped him or threw inks on him." " This time we would simply ignore him lest he get sanjivini of publicity, we deliberately left the shop for the guests ", he said.
He said that his group was there when he was introduced to Kejriwal, as Professor of Political Science in BHU. " I said no no, not a professor I am a chaparasi in the department."
Will Kejriwal capture PTS outpost? " NO chance, No chance" Dr Mishra was confident. " Actually PTS's Pappu will be one of proposers when Modi files his nomination papers. Another potential proposers Keshav or Rajendra were busy in applying kattha and chuna on paans at their shop Keshav Paan Bhandaar , a few meters away from road, when one of the them cast a glance on us and shouted, Guru aawaa paan kha la. ( Guru have a Paan).
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