Varun Grover Narrates How 'Urban Elites' Are Treating Vegetable Vendors, Fans Say 'Disgusting'
Varun Grover recently took to Twitter to share an incident that he witnessed while buying vegetables. He saw a couple who didnt even bargain but tried to flee by paying fifteen rupees less than what they owed to him. He criticised their behaviour and how they were oppressing the less privileged.
Isn't it wrong to bargain with poor people, especially when they are risking their lives while trying to earn bread and butter for their families?
Varun Grover recently took to Twitter to share an incident that he witnessed while buying vegetables.
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He saw a couple who didn't even bargain, but tried to flee by paying fifteen rupees less than what they owed to him. Quite nonchalantly, they paid less and walked away.
Y'day while waiting to buy vegetables at the nearby sabzi stall - a couple just ahead of me made me realize (yet again) one of the defining features of the urban elite.
¡ª ???? ?? (@varungrover) April 8, 2020
They bought stuff worth INR 315 & then started walking off after paying INR 300 with a casual wave of hand.
Varun Grover pointed out that the vegetable prices in the city haven't even increased.
Sabzi waala said tamaatar 20 rupaye kilo hai, kidhar mehenga hai? They looked at each other, deciding a number in their cold-gaze secret language, and the man took out a 10 rupees note and handed it over with a look of ehsaan.
¡ª ???? ?? (@varungrover) April 8, 2020
While the vegetable vendor ignored what happened, Varun Grover made sure he told them they should be ashamed of what they did.
The sabzi waala kept the 10, still short of INR 5. I said out aloud you should be ashamed. They stopped, looked at me, probably weighing me for the kind of confrontation they want while maintaining social distance.
¡ª ???? ?? (@varungrover) April 8, 2020
A second later, he matched my aggression with "And WHO are you?"
But the couple was keen on arguing. The man ended it with "f**k you" and left.
I told him you are trying to pinch this guy - an essential worker in these pre-apocalyptic times - of INR 5. FIVE! Don't you find that shameful? After repeating who are you a couple more times & probably not in the mood for longer sentences he ended it with "FUCK YOU" & left.
¡ª ???? ?? (@varungrover) April 8, 2020
While the vegetable seller didn¡¯t object, Varun criticised their behaviour and how they were oppressing the less privileged. He also pointed out double standards of the urban elite.
The sabzi waala said to me later koi baat nahin, 5 rupaye ki hi baat hai. And i understand - probably those five rupees mean nothing for both the parties in this case but decency, respect, and fairness is a social contract that should get stronger in times of distress.
¡ª ???? ?? (@varungrover) April 8, 2020
For urban elite - with all their privilege & money - the feeling of persecution complex STILL trumps all other states of being. In this imagination, everyone out there is planning to dupe them & they must choose distrust over decency, bad faith over good to save themselves.
¡ª ???? ?? (@varungrover) April 8, 2020
Everyone out there is an OTHER they don't want to interact with and still believe they know everything about.
¡ª ???? ?? (@varungrover) April 8, 2020
They can decide the right price of veggies, how much an underprivileged person should eat, what they should eat, and when they should stop asking for more.
/end rant
Soon after Varun Grover's tweets, a discussion on social media had kick-started. People not only called it "disgusting" but also were angry at what happened.
I feel angry when i hear people boasting about how they are making food and snacks for the building watchmen. Whats there to boast. Its their own need. These people are away from family and endangering their life and yet we want to feel loke the benevolent one. https://t.co/zhqQ00u7d5
¡ª Onir (@IamOnir) April 8, 2020
Thread.
¡ª Karthik (@beastoftraal) April 8, 2020
I'd love to see this couple try these antics while paying the bill at More, Spencer's or Namdhari's... or while paying for these vegetable CoD on Amazon, Big Basket or Flipkart. https://t.co/UwafuJFe7k
The sense of entitlement of the Indian upper middle class is extraordinary
¡ª Kiyomizu. Flatten The Damned Curve. (@1971Kiyomizu) April 8, 2020
These are the same urban elite who take pride in not giving the subzi waala his due earning but are super happy to pay for an over prices watch or a computer because they know they can bully the poor.. makes me so mad ..
¡ª Kanupriya Misra (@KayPee1703) April 8, 2020
I don't get it why the middle class negotiate with daily wage workers for meagre amount of money while happily pay highly raised amounts at restaurants and malls.
¡ª Heena Naz (@i_stan_mnm) April 8, 2020
Same people will happily pay extra for same vegetables sold from a fancy retail store.
¡ª Nitin Sinha (@NsNitinsinha) April 8, 2020
The same nut cases would live a tip at a fancy restaurant when dining out with friends just to show off.
¡ª Anthony Joseph (@anthonyjos) April 8, 2020
That would have been epic...but Elite Class a-hole would probably have stepped up for a fight since one dared to compare him to a poor man.
¡ª ???????? ??? (@shackmaster) April 8, 2020
Paying essential workers less in this time of distress is such a shameful act. And they are banging plates and lighting diyas for show off that they care about society too mch !! Whats this nonsense.#Hypocrisy
¡ª ¡ñ ¡É¡Ñ ¡Ñ¡É¦Å ¡ñ (@manishajain786) April 8, 2020
Disgusting. Why are people so callous? In these times when everyone is offering extra money why are some people like this? Urban elite... yes. Believe me people in villages are large hearted. Always experienced it.
¡ª mRiDuAL (@writingdoll) April 8, 2020
In fact if he's your regular veg n fruit vendor it makes sense to advance him some amount. It's win-win situation. He is funded in diff times and for the customers, u r his priority cust n there is no exchange of currencies. It also saves precious times n crowding. https://t.co/YhJ2vkYiqe
¡ª Abhijit Sengupta (@abhijitsgoap) April 8, 2020
This is simply despicable. Definitely isn¡¯t how you ¡°save money¡±. https://t.co/1nsIPaJD6m
¡ª Rahul Raj (@startupkesari) April 8, 2020
Money can't get you decency...can't get you character. https://t.co/L3UcjsRU8Q
¡ª Biswas Mishra (@Lakdoo) April 8, 2020
This is beyond disgusting.
¡ª Sudipta Purkayastha (@sudiptap30) April 8, 2020
It's funny how people confuse basic decency as acts of kindness.
One may be incapable of empathising, but is at least capable of behaving with a little dignity. https://t.co/u9QYTREITl
The urban elite is vicious, petty & insensitive AF. So many don't want to pay their maids, even in such horrible times are hoarding on necessities & the worst is bargaining with a daily wager
¡ª Srishti Rajiv Sharma (@SrishtiRajiv) April 8, 2020
These are the same who want taxes reduced&Ambani to spend less on his daughter's wedding https://t.co/AtEiCwhF6L
While shopkeepers and vegetable vendors all over the nation are ensuring that all of us including the urban elite class get their essentials, is this how were are going to treat them, especially during the time of crisis?
Garima Satija leads the Entertainment vertical of Indiatimes. A storyteller at heart who enjoys the thrill of writing, she is sometimes found daydreaming about living the lives of movie characters. Also, she hates talking about herself in the third person.
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