When you are asked to vacate your room all because you called Bengaluru Police!

A photo taken from distant...

"Sir! You don't know with whom you are playing with. You will find yourself in serious problem if you continue what you are doing," said or threatened a construction worker when I went overboard and climbed the vehicle carrying too-loud-and-noisy generator and, turned it off! 

 Now someone who always argues about non-violence and respecting the law of the land (I consider myself one among them) would term my actions as 'taking law in hand'. I don't disagree. In fact my friend who was witness to all this mayhem expressed the same. What caused me to go overboard around 12 O' clock midnight was no extraordinary cause but mere an occurrence of incident which goes on every other day in India but few of us bother to take note (or notice!).

 So let me take you to what happened or was happening all these days in a densely populated residential area. There was this construction which was going on around our place at the IT capital of India (read Bangalore) from where daily till late night loud noises of machines, of workers shouting, of hammers and of don't-know-what will disturb your peace of mind. But all these days were like suffering from Stockholm syndrome, we ignored the noises, thinking not to fall into mess which everyone has learnt to ignore, always. Or so are we told to behave outside our homes. The yesterday on the other hand was a lot different from everyday - the okay-they-are-manageable voices had reached fever pitch and become enough-is-enough-not-anymore. 

 Around 9 O' clock they started (I don't know if it began before 9!) when I was returning from work. Nobody needs to be told how stressful work in IT is! But let's keep that aside as it's a personal territory and shouldn't be reason enough for any actions that may affect other' lives. It's important to reveal here that me and my roommate are working in a IT behemoth under a setup which facilitates our work to go hand in hand with studies (classes, exams and all the student' stuff) during weekends. So tomorrow was Saturday when we had classes and on top of it, important ones. So obviously we were not in a position to ignore the noises which were affecting our sleep which in turn will mar our performance tomorrow. 

So like any typical human being, we were cursing the owner of construction site for floating the rules of land (which almost everywhere is done in India) and spoiling our sleep. We were in a delirium of ours that it will end now, in some minutes, in an hour or so, and these false assurances took us till midnight. Then the other guy from next floor told us it won't end any sooner but will continue rest of the  night. And believe me, that almost froze all the veins carrying patience in them. Enough was enough. I'm not stern follower of rules myself and believe it's okay if you cross 10 and extend half an hour or so but 12 was the draconian limit which was totally uncalled for. I asked my friend if he's coming down and made myself downstairs to the epicenter of all this mess.

Laws in India forbid the noises to go above 45 dB after 9 PM in residential space. And here in the middle of the residential space someone was crossing it till 12 but nobody was concerned enough to inform him he can't do this. I was determined to not make my sleep a scapegoat for someone else's blunder. 

Like any individual who is concerned but not so courageous to take on strangers who look 'scary', I went to every man who was standing there in clean attires (not construction workers but may be in-charge of the work or contractors) and asked them to stop what they are doing citing late night rule which prohibits making noises so late. How? By shouting into their ears as loud decibels of machines forbid me from speaking normally. Most of them took no note of what I was doing, few managed to giggle but no one bothered to respond,  spare the abuse or denial of any sort. What would someone do in such a case? I don't know what others would have done but I went straight to the vehicle which was carrying generator, climbed and pulled the handle which stopped all which was making the noises, and then spoke what I had already shouted in their ears one by one. Now someone may call it going overboard but I thought it was need of the hour then to let them know why I'm out at this hour of night when I have to attend important classes in the morning. A man walked up to me to tell me how impossible it was to stop the work now while a man in yellow was all in his own as if he can never be questioned. The man in yellow was asking the other guy to ignore this li'l boy and that he knows my rented-house owner. "Start the machine and push him aside", he told the guy standing atop the generator vehicle. My senses told me to step aside. I walked up to a nearby corner and dialed the police control room (100). They responded rather quickly and promised to send officials in next few minutes. You know how bad reputation police have when it comes to arriving at right time. In next few minutes I went again and pulled the handle of generator twice and stood there without going back or fourth when man-in-yellow approached me but was stopped in middle by other guy. I stood not because I had any supernatural guts but because it was necessary or else it would have turned worse. If I approached him in return, I would have raised his temper and if I stepped backwards he would have dared li'l more than what was he already doing. In between a construction worker pulled my hands whom I told not to be stupid enough to go physical. The other guy again came to tell me how impossible it is now and almost threatened me of consequences if yellow guy gets angry albeit politely! In between all  this madness my phone started to ring with 'unknown number calling'. I picked up only to know it was from police who were patrolling nearby and where informed of my complaint. They had called to know the exact location. I told them about the nearby IT company and a by-lane nearby. After a while they called me back to ask if it's 'okay' now? Huh!? They had not came here for I was standing in the middle of the mess as silent spectator now. And then I came to know from them that they had reached near entrance of IT company and have stopped another construction work going on there! I told them to wait there and walked where they were, and brought them to the real place where I wanted them to be. 

To my surprise the policemen arrived and started speaking in alien tongue with the man-in-yellow and other people who were standing there in clean attires. It was alien because it wasn't Hindi not English not the local language Kannada (may be Telugu or Tamil). They talked, giggled and at last told me, now onward, they won't make any noise, you may go and sleep peacefully now (time was almost 1 O'clock now).

I must mention here, by now all work was done, concrete was put, all construction materials cleaned and labors were ready to leave for home. What I'm trying to convey is, the work was all over; why will they make sounds now when there was no more work to do!? Am not saying police were late but may be I phoned them late. I should have called them around 10 and not have cajoled myself with they will stop in next hour, next minute... "What's this sir? I wasted all my sleep to call, wait and bring you here to show you how blatantly laws were flouted in a residential space and, you're coming and going after conversing in a language alien to me by giving a hollow assurance that they won't do it again!? Why would they do it again when all they have to do stands completed now? What about fine for flouting rules?", I insisted to the officers who were about to leave without doing what was supposed to be done. 

 You want them fined? You'll then have to come with us!" 

And he asked the other officer to call hoysala (police zeep in Bangalore). Meanwhile I told him I have exams tomorrow and can't afford wasting my sleep anymore. And that because he had flouted rules and threatened, he had to be fined at least. Sometimes later a police zeep arrived. The man from inside gave some papers to policemen outside. Officer asked the in-charge (the one spoke and threatened albeit politely) of the site his name. And that's when this guy came to me requesting me to come somewhere aside, "Sir, let's talk and settle it. Why are you putting yourself and me into this mess involving police. I know very well the owner of your house!" The yellow guy was still in his world without a trace of remorse or apology. I told him, if the guy is ready to apologize to all who have been disturbed by this mess and that this won't be repeated anywhere else I'll back off else I'll do what is necessary. The yellow guy disappeared by now and police started writing the papers. They collected 300 rupees as fine and asked them to appear in court on Monday. And they left; so did we all to our respective rooms. 

Me and my roommate were not even have spent ten minutes in room and there came a surprise. A knock on door and there was an army of people from owner to others to the man-in-yellow! It took me less than a second to understand what was coming. 

"Dheeraj, what is this police complaint and all? vacate the room tomorrow!", said the owner. 

 "I won't. Why should I vacate? There was unbearable noise coming into our room making it impossible to ignore and sleep... "

The conversation went for a while and later the sleep only to wake up late and to run in hurry to college. My friend later called and told me, owner came and told that I can stay but on a promise that I won't complain police again! Why would I complain again..! 

That was part of the story which unfolded on a Friday night. But what is important in all this and which I strongly believe in is very simple: we all are capable of doing simple things to keep our conscience alive. I agree not everyone is Arvind Kejriwal or Anna or Gandhi to take on the mighty but these everyday people who flout rules and display goondaism, require no special power but little voice of ours. They do it because we keep our voices shut. Why should we adjust, tolerate and ignore what is concerning us, what is corroding us from inside in our own country after 67 years of independence? Don't blame the police force! I have had few encounters with them and tell you not all policemen are same. They do do their duty today with all respect although I mustn't deny that few exists still tucked in British era who remembers  their duty only after a tussle with you and me. But let's not fall prey to this and, ignore and settle to what is seen as weakness. 

So rise up. Voice your concern. Stay safe. Stay alert. Do what your conscience demands. BE YOU.