PAINTAINGS
AND COLOURS IN THE RICKSHAWS
The word ‘Rickshaw’ derives from
Japanese language. But now this vehicle is the only resort of livelihood for the poverty-stricken people of our country. They are the integral part of our rural and urban
society. As such like other human beings their taste, culture, joys and
sorrows, imaginations, dreams and struggles are reflected through their daily activities and ways of
life
 |
When a man becomes destitute and has
no means of earning livelihood he chooses rickshaw to earn his living. As he
thinks of his personality he cannot be a beggar. As he has no capital to run a
business, he use his strength as a capital. Sometimes they become the victim of
the vicious cycle of poverty. As a
result, he decides to sell his physical strength by driving a rickshaw. But his
hopes and aspirations are as high as the sky. His immaterialised dreams lead
him to the world of imaginations. Then
he builds a new castle in the air. The educational level of a rickshawalla is
very meagre. Most of them are illiterate but a few of them have the knowledge
of 3R’s (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic) so with this poor knowledge he cannot
come out of the poverty chain.
As rickshaw is the only way of his
living, everything of his life revolves centring this vehicle. As a result he
tries to adorn this after his mind. The multicoloured hood symbolises the
dreams of his mind. In spite of poverty he has a mind where hundreds of dreamy
flowers bloom and wither away everyday. His mind is like a multicoloured
butter-fly that flies from flower to flower. But it does not settle down
anywhere. Hence he gets peace and tranquillity
and soothes his mind with this colourful hood. In the rural area when he
carries brides with his rickshaw, his mind leaps in joy. Sometimes he loses
himself in his past life. Though unfortunately he has become like a day labourer, he prides of himself. He
thinks him important.
In literature deep and multicolour represent vulgarism and rustic life or rural
culture. His original abode rural life and low culture are reflected through
it. At the back there are various kinds of paintings which are also related to his mind and
thoughts. The pictures that are generally6 seen there are –“ snake charmers,
fighting heroes of Bangla and Hindi
films ( Razzaq, Manna, Shahrukh etc) heroines, love scenes, obscene scenes,
gypsies (Bede) etc. these are the expressions of his suppressed mind. Like
snake charmers he is taking risks of his life. He struggles to break the chain
of poverty and the chain of the society like a fighting hero. Love has its
eternal appeal to all. He is not exception but his expression of love is open and indecent like his slang language. He belongs
to the lower class and so physical demonstration is very much admired by him.
His subconscious and unconscious mind (as in Psychology) get pleasure and
satisfaction through these rustic scenes and colours. These are nothing but his
taste, hopes and aspirations of his
conscious and subconscious mind.