Chowkidars – Chors contest

Armed with a dagger (khukri), natives of Nepal, Gurkhas monopolised the sector of Chowkidars in the country until not too long back. They were mostly incognito in city spaces, such as in Mysuru during major part of the day, taking charge of keeping vigil in their defined territories from dusk to dawn. Their current identity has witnessed a change from the earlier Gurkha or Chowkidar to the dull and drab watchman, ubiquitous all over the land, vested with the job of guarding property in its wide range of homes, offices, factories, shops, bank premises, heritage structures and so on. But for their uniform in shades of blue, people at large may not notice them in their assigned location. The nation’s Prime Minister apparently stirred the hornet’s nest as it were recently saying Main bhi chowkidar (I am also a watchman), a declaration that may not have amazed the fraternity watching as they are expected to do, nor amused anyone in their camp. But the lathi-wielding chowkidar evokes images of authoritarian vigilantism, though it may not be proper to stereotype the brigade, required to be on their feet every minute of their duty hours, earning a wage that mocks at the risk they are exposed to at the hands of chors (crooks). 

Loyalty to royalty on the part of citizens and unalloyed patriotism towards their respective territories seem to have been suspect from ancient times. If betrayal of these virtues as narrated in the land’s history was averted by vigil of plain-clothes informers, read chowkidars, notorious characters like Mir Sadak and his role in the downfall of Tipu would never have happened. 

While the Prime Minister, in his stylised rhetoric portrayed himself as the nation’s chowkidar, telling the fraternity of watchmen in all humility that like them he too worked day and night, guarding the nation, his detractors have disrespectfully likened him to chor (thief), a remark that has not gone down well even in the circles of citizens who mean well for the nation. To be watchful of Indians indulging in uncivil acts with impunity, according to the Prime Minister, is symbol of nationalism. Watchmen and their track record in watching the goings on in the country have both turned into jokes given the unabated siphoning off public funds by the elected representatives of people in the government, commonly identified as mafias, such as sand mafia. 

At the end of the day, the profession of watchmen (chowkidar) has got itself smeared in black given the rising number of incidents of thieves (chors) masquerading as watchmen (chowkidars), Mysuru too hosting them in alarming numbers. With law taking its own course, Courts not awarding sentences to the chors for years, the chowkidar-chor contest results in victory to everyone knows who.