The Last Word

We are riddled with all kinds of problems today. In the big picture, we are faced with grave issues like terrorism, global warming and territorial conflicts. In our day to day lives, we struggle with power cuts, water shortage and increasing traffic woes. It is hardly within the common man’s control to solve any of these problems. All he can do is let out his anger on the first unsuspecting victim.

As any one who drives on the roads of Delhi would very well know, road rage is a very common phenomenon. People cruise through the roads hurling unspeakable abuses on whoever might intentionally or unintentionally cross their way. Tempers flare at the least provocation, sometimes leading to serious accidents. I myself confess to have fallen prey to this monster. So when this man on his two wheeler in front of my car suddenly braked in the middle of the road, I was barely able to control my anger. However not wanting to get into an argument, I just gave him a piece of mind and moved ahead. As luck would have it, the light turned red on the next crossing. And what was worse, I could see that motorist approaching the same crossing. Angry as I was, I braced myself for the verbal duel. But apparently, I hadn’t prepared enough. So when the motorist came and said “Sorry”, I was knocked back by the impact of that word. I have hardly been in such a situation before. I found myself completely helpless and could mutter nothing more than “Its ok”. My anger had vaporised in an instant and all I felt now was a sense of extreme foolishness.

I once read a quote, “An apology is the best way to have the last word”. Today’s incident served as ample evidence for this. What I wonder is, can’t the bigger problems facing us today also be solved by this magic solution? And should we not atleast give it a chance?

The Unflagging Indian Spirit

“Rain cripples normal life in Mumbai“. “Delhiites bear the brunt as as govt clamps down on Blue Line buses”. Reading the newspaper in the morning has become extremely depressing nowadays. One dreads what breaking news might make his life miserable yet again. And somehow bad news never disappoints.

It is indeed shocking that even after 60 years of independence, Mumbai (the erstwhile Bombay), the city of dreams for so many, doesnt have a proper drainage system. Year after year rains lash Mumbai, crippling all essential services and making life a living hell for Mumbaikars. And all the politicians can do is make shallow promises which they probably forget even before the rains stop beating down.

The national capital Delhi fares no better. I doubt if they ever ranked national capitals with the worst transportation systems. But what holds beyond doubt is that if there were such a poll, Delhi would surely run away with the honors. What with overcharging unscrupulous autowallas and marauding death messenger blue line buses, the last thing a Delhiite could have hoped for was the buses to be taken out of service (because of a few recent accidents they had caused) with no alternatives being provided. What resulted can only be described as chaos. And the conclusion that was drawn was even more astonishing. In the interest of the greater good these buses were allowed to run in the hope that the drivers would be kind enough to spare our lives. Surely a comforting thought.

But being an eternal optimist that I am, I can still manage to see the silver lining in the clouds. Instead of breaking down in the time of crisis, people still tried to resume with their normal lives as much as possible. Braving all odds, people tried to reach their offices, children their schools, pretending it was just another day in their eventful lives. That is the spirit that we need to take hope from, the enthusiasm that we need to spread. How much worse can it get from here? Don’t you think that if we can keep this spirit going just for a little longer, we may just see the light at the end of the tunnel?

The Great Indian Presidential Challenge

It doesn’t get worse than this. Indian politics has stooped to a new low by sullying even the hitherto relatively pure position of the first citizen of India. Right from petty regional politics to relentless mudslinging, no stone is being left unturned in what has truly become yet another political war of sorts.

Our chosen representatives have laid before us two options. One is a trusted faithful of the so called first family of India. Her sole claim to the title is perhaps that she would hence become the first woman President of India. In the meanwhile, we are expected to conveniently forget that she has been charged with serious financial irregularities and shielding her kin from the law, the very law we expect her to uphold as President. The other contender is no better off. His claims resting on the many friends he has across various political parties. Is this what we want out of our President?

But like always, the voice of the common man was silenced at the very beginning. President Kalam, the common man’s undoubted choice, was unceremoniously dumped from the race. In his tenure, President Kalam brought new meaning to his post. Apart from commanding the respect of one and all, he refused to be a silent spectator. He involved himself in numerous social causes and also did his best to keep a marauding government in check. But then, good things don’t last too long do they?

In the end, however, I think this whole presidential saga was best summarized by Jug Suraiya in an editorial column in the Times of India. He was flying once out of Delhi, when his flight was delayed by more than an hour because of the arrival of a VIP, Mr Shivraj Patil, who was unapologetic despite having delayed so many people. And when Mr Suraiya tried to cover this incident in a news article, his efforts were suppressed due to political pressure. Hence, Mr Suraiya dearly wanted Mr Patil to become the President, so that he gets his own chartered flight and doesn’t delay anybody else. This is about the only way politics affects the common man anymore. Isn’t it?