Kuppamma cribs

The family meets these days around the dining table. Surprised? I am sure you are. No we are not the ‘old fashioned’ family where dinner is served at 8.30 PM and every member assembles five minutes before time to receive the patriarch and be served by the ‘bahus’.  We are a ‘modern’ nuclear family with progressive ideas who dine buffet style with plate in hand and sitting wherever we can. The dining table is for work and recreation. I have arranged for a moveable multi rack for plugging in the five laptops (one couple, one resident girl and one girl and/or SIL whenever visiting). The house is on wifi. So it was that last Sunday, back from Golf at about 11.30 AM, I was at the dining table checking mail from. Kuppamma (the maid who belongs to Tamil Nadu but resides in Karnataka to make a living) was in conversation with the wife in the kitchen adjoining the dining area and within earshot of even whispers from there.

Kuppamma’s husband, Jaipal, is a tailor and a good one too. He specializes in ladies dresses and has even stitched the uniforms of lady employees of my company. He earns somewhere between ` 400 to 500 a day from his tailoring activities. He spends most of his earnings entertaining friends and generally having a good time. All that he gives to the household is the monthly rent of their house which is ` 1500 per month. Needless to say he has many friends and hence spends very little time with his family. Now Kuppamma is in possession of a BPL ration card. Jaipal is too proud to visit the ration shop with a BPL card. The ration shop tender shoos away Kuppamma whenever she goes to the shop to collect her rations. Kuppamma was asking my wife to tell me to intervene through the local Corporator and ensure she gets her entitlement of ration through PDS.

Grandma was having her pre noon nap.

The Wife (W):  I will tell him to speak to the corporator…but I can not assure you he will do so and instead he may speak to the PDC shopkeeper directly.

Kuppamma (K):  No amma. Then the fellow at the shop will harass me to no end and even complain to my husband who will beat me.

W:  Do not worry Kuppamma; in about a week’s time the Government will pass the food security bill championed by Sonia Gandhi and drafted by NAC.

K :   What is that again? ..…I do not understand a word you speak.

W:    You know our Government in the centre in Delhi…no?

K:    Yes amma where Raja and Kanimozhi became champions of the DMK and the people of TN by staying in jail unnecessarily put there by Chidambaram.

W:  (conceding) yes! Yes! The same government; they will bring in a law by which every person BPL will get 7Kg of rice at Rs 3 per kg per month. It is a big national news especially in UP.

K:   But amma, our Amma (Jayalalitha) is already giving 30 Kgs of rice at Re 1 per kg in Tamil Nadu. She also gave TVs, washing machines, cycles and mixie grinders free without passing any law. What is the big deal now? In Andhra and Kerala also the BPL families get rice at Re 1 a kg. With this bill the BPL families will be paying more for rice in these states.

I knew the Wife was in a fix and so I wandered into the kitchen and intervened. The Bill actually doesn’t deserve any discussion at any level. The Wife was just trying to humour poor Kuppamma and obviously was surprised by her simple logic!!!!

I:    The bill is still being debated. They will wait for Raja to come out of jail and consult him about how it is done in Tamil Nadu before passing it. Meanwhile I will talk to the corporator and see to it you get your rations.

K:   Thank you Anna.

A relieved Kuppamma then proceeded to do her chores.