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An unhappy mix in happy times

Posted by ABC Tuesday 26 March 2013 0 comments

The festival of colours, Holi, brings with it vibrancy and prosperity and the different colours blend together for an epochal reorientation of life. This festival is of great significance to the youth and the gujiya (an Indian sweet) lovers. And why not? After all, it is the time to throw all barriers to the winds, shun all the past grudges and embrace each other irrespective of one’s gender, caste or creed. This festival is undoubtedly an occasion to strengthen one’s bonds with others but the way this festival is being celebrated among the youth today has overshadowed the true message and spirits it brings with it.

Even after so much public outrage over the recent gangrape and subsequent murder of an innocent young girl in the Capital, it seems we have failed to learn any lesson. In fact, for most of the errant young people, Holi is an opportunity to attack the dignity of young females. In nearly every street, girls may be seen pleading before these perverted brains to let them go freely to their destination. But who cares? Throwing balloons, colours, rotten eggs and other filth on those passing by has become a morbid craze for them. Be it schools, colleges, market place or even outside the Metro stations, there is no security for females and young children. Consequently, those who are unwilling are harasses by the unknown and dragged into their ‘celebrations’.

No only this, the amount of fresh water that is wasted is enormous. Even after being enlightened deeply about the water crisis our country is facing, we fail to practice what we preach. One requires a lion’s heart to see gallons and gallons of fresh water running sown the drains before one’s own eyes. And the type of industrial chemicals that are being sold these days as pucca rang (dark colours) add to both air and water pollution, leave alone the harmful effects they have on one’s skin.

Of late, it has been observed that there is a spurt in crimes and anti-social activities like eve-teasing, molestation, road rage while drunken driving et cetera during the day of Holi. Why is the devil inside us trying to overpower the human in our soul?


The purpose of this article is not to dissuade anybody from celebrating this festival. We should celebrate Holi with great enthusiasm and splendour. But at the same time, we must exercise some caution. Avoid compelling those who are unwilling to be a part of your celebrations. Learn to respect the dignity of others. Minimise the use of dangerous colours and chemicals as far as possible and do not waste water unnecessarily by filling water balloons. Use a bucket of water and a pichkaari instead. Most importantly, don’t drink and drive. Instead of blaming the Police in the aftermath of any accident, try to take all necessary precautions at your end and abide by the law.

We as a nation have embarked on the road to development and are ahead of several ‘modern’ nations. But, let us not on our way forget our moral values or denigrate our culture.

I wish all my dear citizens a very happy and colourful Holi!

JAI HIND
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United by a shared sense of helplessness : Part II

Posted by ABC Thursday 21 March 2013 0 comments
United by a shared sense of helplessness : Part I

Blabbering may or may not be human nature but is certainly a prominent feature exhibited by them when confined in limited space. A war of words broke out in the bus with the philosophers, the humourists, the satirists and the critics among the passengers pouring out their words of wisdom, aggravating tension in the atmosphere inside the bus.


“The demon of corruption is slowly eating away our economy. For every petty task, those in authority demand money. Everyone seems to have been caught in this intricate web of lust and greed for money”, a philosopher in the bus observed. There was absolute unanimity on the subject of corruption.

“In the coming days it seems, you would have to part away with your pennies to even ask the way to your destination”, a humourist interrupted. The passengers laughed bitterly hearing this and many others joined with their tales of agony as everyone had been a victim of this malaise at some point of some in their life.

Jagdish stood quietly in a corner pondering over these wise thoughts and wished if such harmony prevailed in the Indian Parliament as well. The passenger standing next to him had his own way of relaxing by playing some old unheard songs at a high volume on his phone that looked like an exact replica of the expensive Apple iPhones.

The argument outside the bus had now descended to ugly physical expression with some beleaguered young men pelting stones at each other’s vehicles. As the situation turned violent, a PCR van was called to ‘restore’ law and order. After hours of hard work, the snarl finally broke as the traffic lights were made functional. The arduous journey resumed.


Shoddy accident investigation and rampant corruption coupled with periodic cosmetic recommendations made by the government regarding road safety have made Indian roads deadlier than ever. The need of the hour is to develop an organised system of traffic management and safety. Overloading, drunken driving and driving beyond speed limits should invite strict action in terms of challans and even imprisonment. The cops found taking bribe on duty must be severely punished. There should be compulsory training before issuance of permanent driving license for vehicles. State Road Safety Councils may be set up to strictly enforce traffic rules.

Every year, a large number of innocent lives are lost in road accidents. Let us pledge to adhere to the laws and ensure a safe travel experience for fellow citizens.

JAI HIND
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United by a shared sense of helplessness : Part I

Posted by ABC 0 comments
Traffic jam is arguably the most unpleasant situation an individual might be familiar with. With increasing number of vehicles plying on roads and a poor road infrastructure, traffic jams have become a menace at all traffic junctions. The scanty investment undertaken by the government in licensing, enforcement tools, personnel and road engineering have contributed alike in exacerbating the driving conditions on roads. This unprecedented bumper to bumper piling up of vehicles has been a major cause of road rage and several fatal accidents. 


The following story is a narrative of the bitter sweet experience of a young man named Jagdish who was caught in one such traffic jam. It brings out the fact that nothing unites people more effectively than a shared sense of helplessness.

13 May, 2012: it was a bright sunny morning. The sky was lit up with the vibrant rays of the rising sun. The weather was humid as expected, with the birds punctuating the monotonous atmosphere with their chirps. On the contrary, a massive traffic had piled up on the road following the failure of traffic lights at a major junction. Even snails would have crept faster! A traffic inspector arrived in a short while on his motorcycle and immediately started gesticulating wildly at the traffic and barking orders in his microphone, showing a great sense of responsibility to regulate the traffic. In such a trying situation, menfolk on all sides of the traffic junction could be seen each other’s mothers and sisters and the incessant honking of horns further heated up the surroundings.

Unfortunately, we feel obliged to violate the laws blatantly unless there is a fear of being caught and penalised. Some pea brains display such impatience and intolerance that they overtake each and every vehicle they encounter, only to end up a few metres ahead of others and start the race afresh! Neither do the potholes flatten for them nor does the traffic divert to accommodate their vehicles. But, who cares? Similarly, some motorists feel that they have a divine right to ride roughshod over the pedestrians and bully anyone who tries to challenge their supremacy.
The rickety bus that Jagdish had boarded stood still in the traffic as it echoed expressions of annoyance. The ‘NO SMOKING’ warning didn’t deter the conductor and some errant passengers from lighting cigarettes and beedis inside the bus. The female passengers who complained were admonished for their audacity. The conductor made some intricate entries in his trip-sheet consulting the bunch of tickets he held in his hand and behaved as if he had been compelled to solve some complex problems of calculus.


Continue reading : United by a shared sense of helplessness : Part II
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Substance abuse and the tale of a vagabond : Part II

Posted by ABC Monday 18 March 2013 0 comments
Substance abuse and the tale of a vagabond : Part I

13 July, 2010: It was a hot, humid afternoon. Except for the vehicles plying on the road, a deafening silence prevailed all around. There was hardly any trace of and individual who could be stripped off his possessions by Magan to purchase the drugs his body craved for. Magan started writhing with pain and trembling with anxiety as he failed to acquire his daily quota of booze and drugs. He started scrounging for old syringes, shoe polish cans, whitener enamel, adhesive solutions and rotten fruits in his bag. Most of them had either dried up or had already been used so many times that they could hardly provide him solace upon sniffing them. At last, he noticed a pedestrian approaching the subway he was dwelling upon, a tall, well-built man. The very glimpse of this man lit his eyes with brightness. After all he had a reason to cheer about, he had found his victim. 


Magan knew the fact that he could not harm the man physically so he tried a different trick. In haste, he descended to the feet of the man and started begging for money. On being offered resistance by his victim, he started screaming and pelting stones at himself and even threatened to cut his own veins with an old, rusted razor blade. The pedestrian had no alternative than to succumb to the desire of Magan. Perhaps, he did not wish any harm to betide him and parted with the money he had.

In a trice, the juvenile drug addict rushed towards a drug peddler who had been catering to the needs of such vagabonds from the lower strata of the society. Magan became ecstatic upon receiving his pudia (pack of narcotics) and started looking for an isolated corner where he could experience a euphoria moment.
 
Everyday Magan has been visiting bustling areas where activities like shoplifting and petty thefts go unnoticed or has been shunting around religious places where he could beg for alms. Even if he is caught by the Police and locked up in prison, his burglary cum arson gang wreak vengeance either by molesting innocent pedestrians or by threatening to commit suicide in the jail premises. This has exposed the Police to public scorn and have been severely criticised by the media for their lackadaisical approach in curbing this menace. Further, paucity of treatment and rehabilitation centres has resulted in the relapse of detoxified persons. Most of the juvenile drug addicts have either been abandoned by their families or have fled from different states in search of a livelihood. As a consequence, even if they are released from prison, they revert to substance abuse and crime. Their erratic behaviour and hostile circumstances compel them to enter this dark world all over again.

The need of the hour is to take cognisance of the magnanimity of this issue and respond with necessary remedial steps. Primarily, we need to develop more number of rehabilitation centres where drug addicts, especially the juveniles can be detoxified. These centres may be run by the government or by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Secondly, the Police must crack the whip on drug peddlers and suppliers who are responsible for providing an easy access to the ‘substance’ and injecting this poison among the youth. It is necessary to strengthen security within the subways, on footpaths et cetera for the pedestrians and any complaint regarding the same must be taken seriously. Isolated areas of the city must be prevented from becoming a haven for drug addicts.


The menace of drug addiction must be stemmed at the grassroots level before it assumes such proportions as to leave us at a loss for a way to counter it.

JAI HIND
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Substance abuse and the tale of a vagabond : Part I

Posted by ABC 1 comments
There is a cordial relationship between substance abuse and crime, but unfortunately the seriousness of the issue has failed to elicit a proportionate response from all the stakeholders. In order to earn quick money to fulfil their compelling urge to purchase drugs, the drug addicts end up committing crimes and indulge in petty thefts like sawing away the window bars of public transport buses, hacking metal pieces off the road dividers, stealing car batteries, utensils from homes, picking pockets and even assaulting the pedestrians on deserted streets. This issue is assuming alarming proportions and pose a major threat to the law and order in the society.
This is the story of a juvenile drug addict who has been in conflict with the law for several years and has been victimising innocent pedestrians to extort money for his daily dose.

13 July, 2008: “Get up you sack of s**t and disappear from here before I turn into a devil and ferry you to hell”, said a Police constable in a furious voice while rapping on the knuckles of a juvenile drug addict with lathi (a wooden cane).

“Get up you monster or else be prepared to face my wrath”, the constable summoned him again, this time hitting him even harder with his lathi.

The seizure of narcotics had slipped Magan, the juvenile drug addict into a deep slumber and made his torso resistant to external blows. The constable clutched him with his dirty hair, dragged him out of the subway and threw this morose creature in a pool of muddy water. Magan did not show any sign of consciousness. The constable thrashed him again, gave him a tight slap and showered invectives upon him. Hearing his bitter words some pedestrians rushed to the child’s rescue but dispersed within a few minutes realising that this was an everyday affair.
After a while, Magan gained consciousness and turned to look at him dead in the eye, abused him and walked away towards a traffic junction with his rags. He was about 15 years of age but had overgrown features and had developed a beard and a manly voice. The day had just broken out for him and his primary objective at that moment was to satiate his hunger. He begged for alms at the traffic junction for hours but could hardly garner a few coins. Nevertheless, he felt happy as the money was sufficient for him to buy him a pack of beedis (sub-standard cigarettes) and a matchbox. 

Unlike normal children of his age for whom food is synonymous with bread and vegetables, drug addicts like Magan associate food with drugs, tobacco and liquor. He can survive on these products for days and can resort to any means to make his both ends meet. He is joined by some of his friends who pool their ‘resources’ and play cards all day long before they flee to their respective dwellings at dusk.

Continue reading : Substance abuse and the tale of a vagabond : Part II
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My blog is an innovative amalgamation of my thoughts, how i perceive and react to different events in the ordinary business of life and at the same time entertain the readers and sensitize them.
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