– Satyakam Ray
The time is 11 pm. Popcorn, snacks & coke are all set for a blithesome weekend of binge-watching. You start the Netflix show on TV, being comfortably placed on the couch, and titillate yourself with vicarious exploits. Suddenly, you realize the remote is not nearby, and you must increase the volume. By a cursory glance, you discover that the hiccup to your bliss lies in front of you but beyond the reach of your hands. At first, you stretch your hands to grab it, fail in the process, and topple over!
Then an ingenious “jugaad” comes to your mind, and you start throwing popcorn, a nearby lying pen, and pencils towards the remote, aiming the volume control, hopeful of getting a hit. But who can persuade a procrastinating lyadhkhor?! Instead, you can get up from your couch and grab the remote instead of being busy with these frivolities.
Further digging Into Lyadh:
Lyadhkhor is a person who knows the art of doing nothing. In simple words, the term refers to laziness. But the word’s literal meaning does not justify the nuance of this levity. It connotes a certain laid-back temperament that has defined the average lazy Bengali/Calcutta. If you ask a lyadhkhor friend to go to CCD, movies, or simply for a walk in the park, you will probably get the response, “na, Kal Chalte hai na.” I think the song Jaane bhi do yaaro should be the anthem of the lyadhkhor people.
The calm composure and carefree attitude amid the chaos of this fast-paced society make the life of a lyadhkhor–a tad less exciting. But who cares if a person sleeps the entire day on Sunday out of lyadh – in pure natural bliss? They are too easygoing or simply complacent with worldly pleasures.
Psychological Angle of Lyadh:
The lyadhkhor people are more relaxed than physically active persons. Researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada studied brain connections to understand this “exercise paradox.” They suggested that our brains would be more attracted to sedentary behavior than an active lifestyle.
The lyadhkhor are not kaamchors- as portrayed by norms. They do not care about others’ opinions and do as their heart say. They can do anything under the sun –but as mood permits or forcibly just for an obligation. The zeal to outperform everyone in the race and shine in the limelight – does not conjure up in lyadhkhor thinking. Backbenchers in the class, office meeting, or auditorium may be lyadhkhors; one cannot question their work efficiency; it may be greater than the “chaturs” of the rat race.
Just because a person chooses to live a solitary lazy life, society should not level them as a kaamchor. They do not want to spoil their present-day by toiling hard to ensure a happy life in the unknown future.
Lyadh As Inspiration:
Lyadh has inspired humans to make many inventions that reduced manual labor. For example, wheels- don’t feel like dragging the legs through the woods; printing press- don’t feel like copying the text longhand again; telegraph- don’t feel like riding a horse across the country to take few messages; bomb- don’t feel like killing enemies individually and the list goes on.
Being lazy, one finds many new ways to solve a problem with less effort, which is more valuable than being a copycat trying to impress superiors or society. Lazy people always find ways to do a job more easily using shortcuts. Even Bill Gates said: “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”
From the History Books-Lyadh chronicles:
Not only is today’s generation but has the past also had its fair share of lyadhkhor? In 1854, Lord Dalhousie stormed the city of Lucknow; an unconcerned Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was playing chess. All his servants fled. By the time he understood the consequences of his action, it was still not too late to escape, but he did not, as no one was left to put on his slippers lying beneath his bed. He was captured and imprisoned.
English writer Charlie Brooker watched a daytime TV show while sleeping in bed. But he needed to sit up to see the screen orientation correctly. As any super lazy person would find the easiest way to solve the issue, he turned the TV 90 degrees and kept it on its sides!
Lyadh-From an Indian Perspective:
As an Indian, I would say we all have our lyadhkhor sides. It is visible; sometimes, it is hidden in the garb of civility. We have our brainstorming when confronted with complex, challenging problems; we come up with new enterprising means to solve those – called “jugaads.”
Jugaads are uncanny lawful or sometimes unlawful means to get things done. The idea of successfully executing a plan sometimes forces us to conjure up new jugaads.
One person has summed up the Indian mentality by narrating a hypothetical scenario. Once there was a competition for the laziest person globally, and many participants worldwide participated in the competition. After several rounds, the jury decided that a guy from china stood first and 2nd was an Indian. At the award ceremony, when they called the winner and runner-up to receive the award, the Chinese guy started walking to take the prize, and the Indian asked him to get his award while coming.
The Conclusion:
As one Bengali girl surmised: “I am born lyadhkhor, kichu Khai na Khai Lyadh khete ami chari na.” Being a lyadhkhor is not as bad as conceived by social perspectives; instead, it is a perk of the privileged life. But sometimes too much lyadh makes a person’s lifestyle sedentary and unhealthy. To tackle the negative consequences of lyadh, you should follow some basic healthy, active routine once in a while. It would be best to balance Lyadh and their busy life. You should learn to remain lyadhkhor in heart and rarely become physically active for society and family’s sake. After all, what is the meaning of life if you cannot sleep over 10 hours on the weekends? It is all about lyadh!
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