Matters When Less Is More

Our mantra, education = academics = career success. Possibly because we were raised in the times of want so evaluations are made on scale of success. Everything else fell by the wayside. So I wasn't prepared for the guts or gumption of lesser folks without the decorative formal education. Sometimes, little vignettes from life can prove heartwarming on looking back.

Other day with great difficulty, I managed to hail an auto rickshaw to drop me to my place from the main road. The driver agreed grudgingly because the approach to my place from the main street was in bad shape. Actually, there is no approach at all, just ground levelled with some mud and rubble. Every monsoon the water washes away the mud and we're left with nothing but bumpy rides, so drivers don't venture our way. After the rains the municipal authorities throw some mud into the pot holes and lo! We have a road again. Now, why don't we do anything since last 25 years? Frankly, nobody gives a damn, once we're into our homes. We are cocooned in our world.

Now as we reached the approach, I was afraid of the driver's tantrums, if, in a nasty mood I'm likely to be dropped at the end of main street, with no alternative, but, trudge my way through the stretch in darkness, without any street lights, which could get risky at times with unsavoury characters lurking in the dark.

Once outside this stretch, lies a brightly lit township with spiralling towers, temples, schools and market, but why the approach is so woefully neglected is something we never know.

The driver appeared charitable enough to drive on saying, “Why don't you society people do something about this dreadful stretch, instead of living with it, solving the ordeal once and for all? At this point, I didn't know what I was getting into and casually said that nobody has the time for it. Reply from this simple man was profound. He said, “ Madam if you are ill don't you make time to see the doctor? Why? Because, it's important for you. You attend to things urgent and important enough for you. So, either this not important or you don't consider it so, like many others. Therefore, you people despite shelling a fortune buying a house, did not bother for a simple road in last two decades. If twenty women from your locality decided to gherao the local MLA or municipal office until you get an assurance and work done, you would have a pucca street by now. Sarkar auraton ki sunte hai,aap log hi kuch nahi karte, yahi problem hai ( women's voice is heard by those in power, you people don't do anything about it, that's the problem)”, he added. This left me red faced. True, in the slums close by any water supply cut, electricity failure or slum demolition drive, the people are quick to hit the streets, march off to the municipal office, gherao their local MLA, and all actions swift, till normalcy restored. We women meet for kitties, parties and club socials, but never ever felt strongly enough to take this issue head on other than grumble about the builder's, local MLA and municipality’s neglect. All our snobbery and snoot are a disservice when it comes to brass tacks. We don't have the nerve to do anything constructive to correct the situation. Apathetic, till someone somewhere does something, we hope.