25. Neyaz
25. COMPLEXITIES AROUND NEYAZ
This was the time when Neyaz came over to Patna and wished me
to visit Ranch with them. I thought about Sayyada Aapa who did not have a
daughter of her own but loved Shama just like her own. So we both sisters went
together to Ranchi. Neyaz was working there as Drug Inspector and test checking
of medicines was in his duty. When he visited a local factory, it came to the
light that the antibiotic capsules were filled with turmeric powder and the
spurious syrups were made from tap water. The shop and the godown was sealed
even as the owner managed to escape. One helper was arrested and the news
flashed in the local newspapers. This portfolio of Neyaz was fraught
with corruption all around. Whole lot of people in this business
were too willing to offer any kind of favor asked for. Neyaz admitted that
monthly amount is fixed for each drug Inspector in the state. Neyaz wasn’t
basically of that kind but there was no dearth of offerings to him. I heard
once that that the plane ticket to Patna was sent by someone who had a medicine
shop.
I shifted to Jamshedpur. By this time Reyaz was allotted another house in
main Sakchi area in the heart of the town. The best part of its location was
that the house had a common wall with the Sakchi mosque which was a grand
structure. The visible benefit was that Reyaz started going to the mosque for
the Friday prayers. During another of my visit there it was the month of Ramzan
and then I used to fast all through the month and used to send “aftar” to the
mosque regularly. Once I went to a shop for buying some clothes and the
shopkeeper kept looking at me and after some time he asked if I am the mother
of Dr.Reyaz Hassan. Such is the resemblance. I enjoyed my stay at Jamshedpur
and came back to Patna.
Neyaz once came there and I found him a worried man. He shared with me
that his job is fraught with all kinds of risks and I am afraid of the
surroundings with rampant corruption which makes me feel disgusted.
If I don’t accept obligations they may fabricate me in some with false
allegations. I advised him to desist from all temptations, as such corrupt
practices are forbidden in our religion. He gave me a large bottle of Surbex T
(multi-vitamin) capsules, which was quite expensive and I was buying them from
the market, which I did not then refuse but later on gave it to Asma
Bua. As Neyaz looked quite perturbed, I decided to go to Ranchi again along
with him.
There is a tooth powder called “Gul” which when rubbed over the gums gives
a strong tipsy feeling. The owner of this gul Factory was a Muslim and at times
Neyaz used to borrow car from him. When his factory was inspected, nothing
objectionable was found in the raw material except for tobacco leaves and alum
which are both natural products. Neyaz eventually gave up and asked the owner
the secret of the intoxicating tooth powder. The owner had an enchanting story
to narrate.
He said that his grandfather was a poor man but was very pious. He could
somehow able to manage his large family and the two ends meet. One night after
the Namaaz he prayed to God with utmost fervor that the children tonight have
gone off to sleep without the meal. He prayed to God to provide him the bare
minimum so that his dependents could be fed at least. He then slept over the
place of Namaaz itself. An octogenarian saint appeared in his dream and advised
him to filter the ash from the coal oven with the help of a thin piece of cloth
and mix it with the powder of dried up tobacco leaves found in abundance at
places near Purnea, and add a few more things such as alum etc. He was advised
to sell this toothpowder for a halal profit in the business. Next day morning,
he did as he was told and soon his brand became popular and it started minting
money for the entire family. Whole lot of other manufacturers have tried to
emulate his produce but the loyal users of his product all over the world swear
that nothing else can even closer to the famous brand Gul. The owner assured
Neyaz that he was not using any material which was illegal and eventually Neyaz
had to give him a clean chit.
Neyaz gradually became so cynical towards the drug industry that every
medicine bought from a shop appeared spurious to him. Since medicines are
linked often to life saving, rampant corruption within and
around the industry and related trade made the situation unbearable
for him. Those days when someone joined a govt. job, the red tape was so much
prevalent that the due salary was not paid to the employee for years together.
There has to be some way for sustenance. In a way, adopting unfair means is
taught to the new recruits this way. It was then Neyaz made up his mind to
quit.
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Chapter
INDEX.------------------------------------
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