A Nation born at Midnight

August 15, 2012 | Filed under: In India,Your Opinion | Posted by: Sajal

I start on a positive note

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Heard of the CVC slamming by the SC? Or the continuous slamming of the government for 2G+CWG scams?

If not, I’d give you a brief review: In a landmark judgement, the SC slammed the government for appointing a certain minister as the Vigilance Commissioner, as he had a pending trial against him for possible corruption charges. This revokes the feeling that yes, law still exists in this nation. The Government, IS, answerable to the public. A Few Good Men are still left. Better, the nation perhaps is in a mood to wake up!! Maybe, this time around the guilt will not saunter free. There was a lifting piece in The Times, regarding this issue which highlighted quite a few facts which pointed in this direction; and well this decision perhaps added more weight to the balance.

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It’s the bus route, I’d say; the basic problem lies in the fact that I, at times, am agitated to use the Delhi Transport Corporation’s services instead of the DMRC’s; and this, in turn, exposes me to the Wazirabad area. It’s not the whole area, it’s this particular stretch: stretch turned into a virtual ‘sewer tributary’; that pisses me off! I don’t even reside here for God’s sake, but still, the effect is tremendous, perhaps magnified a bit by the long jams. The nation is sleeping, the people are sleeping!

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Wait!What was that?

A second, prolonged look confirmed what I was seeing. God! What is with this day!!

A man, deprived of even perhaps the most basic necessity: clothing walks along. He must be around the late 40s or 50s (judging by his streaked hair), more of a skeletal figure, had polythenes wrapped around his feet and was using ‘boris’ stringed together to barely be able to cover up his body. Incidently, I got reminded of an IF discussion regarding the new budget. When one India is so deep into poverty and debt, how could you possibly roll up your car windows and pretend that nothing of this sort happens!!! There was this man: Gandhi, who used to roam the planet once, he said: for India to develop, it’s poor must be uplifted, villages must be developed. After all, the strength of a team is not determined by the strongest member, it’s determined by the weakest!!

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Child Labor: Must’ve heard the term somewhere, no…?!!? Must’ve witnessed it amass I can guaranty that!! ?

Now a simple question: How many times have you raised your voice?? I speak for myself and I did it once, though it was a hugely unsuccessfull attempt.

Now, I’ve got another question: Don’t we know it’s a crime or rather, don’t we understand it’s magnitude? A child who can’t even hold a fucking plate, is washing it!!! But why would you care? You’d rather have your ‘Kulcha-Roll’!!

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Mukherji Nagar thronges with people who seek coaching for IAS, IES, IPS and so on. When a lady, currently a top notch exec. in Railways was asked why she wanted to became an IAS?

She replied firmly: “When I retire, I want to be an inspiration for people like Raja, and give the nation another 2000 crore scam!”

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The country needs you! Please Wake Up!!

Regards!

Sajal

P.S. ‘Bori’ is the bag in which rice is delivered usually and in many cases, vegetables too are transported packed in ‘boris’. It is usually brown in color and I’m not sure about the fabric which is used!

14 Responses to A Nation born at Midnight

aaah, writing article will never force people to wake up, rise and do something good. I am not sure how many of us would be willing to move out of our comfy office/lab/homes and do something meaningful for a change ? and india’s poverty is being sold in academic circle, with all this talk and papers about ICTD i.e Information and Communication Technology for Development and HCI4D, or even slumdog millionaire . Its depressing, I find people, who appear to be < 18 years old working near college,in market everywhere, can we really force them to give up their only livelihood and go to school ? there are many uncomfortable question we need to address before we begin to think about many of these problems.
( I understand some of the above points in this comment may be bit vague, I feel strongly about some of these things! )

Ambuj Varshney
March 7, 2011 at 1:08 pm
- there are problems everywhere in india, there is whole array of problems and very few who are willing to get their hands dirty and do something to solve them. Most of us in colleges only think about going for MS/Phd abroad, working for MNC etc
  when we should be actually ( as engineers ) thinking about putting our technical skills to make a change and make life better.
  
  Ambuj Varshney
  March 7, 2011 at 1:12 pm
- Writing articles will never force people to wake up????
  When a small SMS can create such huge upheavals (Egypt); then why give up on my fellow men…..
  
  Before Independence people were sleeping, to get Independence they had to be woken up, coz Independence was something they really wanted; Now, proper functioning of Government is what we want!! When we desire it desperately, guess we’ll get it!!!
  
  This article was something waiting to come up, but never quite able to; till this particular day, which galvanised me to pick up my laptop and type this one down at 3 in the morning
  
  See, this article also in a way, depicts the state I’m in; how to put our skills to work! The day I find that out, you’ll have a next article…!
  
  Sajal
  March 7, 2011 at 6:19 pm
  - Tunisia, Egypt, and other countries, it was so cool. having government that has been in power for like eternity and then protesting for its ouster, is very different from fighting corruption. Corruption is deep rooted in Indian society, so is apathy towards poor, tolerance towards child labor. If we talk about apathy,Look at the stark contrast here in India, Mukesh Ambani builds a billion dollar mansion while close to 400 million people live in pathetic condition. I am not sure how much Indians who are so complacent with their mediocre life would be willing to protest. I wish this happens, things change, I am hoping against hope, but if I had to bet, I wouldn’t put my money on it. Yeah, Night is the best time to think and do creative things, I am a night creature O_O. Still, I think article is well written
    
    Ambuj Varshney
    March 7, 2011 at 6:34 pm
    - We too have been having corruption for close to 60 years now. And perhaps, more, if we consider the British Raaj. It has been correctly pointed out by you: things are different, here we don’t have rulers who can be ousted; but still: ‘kabhi na kabhi to kuch karna hi padega, warna humara paisa ye saale khate rahenge….. aur development hogi hi nai….’
      
      Sajal
      March 7, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Very well written Sajal..one of your best write up’s that I have read

Angana Das
March 7, 2011 at 3:05 pm
- Thank you!
  
  Sajal
  March 7, 2011 at 6:05 pm
  - The fabric used is jute
    
    Siddharth Garg
    March 7, 2011 at 6:47 pm
    - Again, a useful piece of info!!! Thanks bud!!
      
      Sajal
      March 7, 2011 at 7:01 pm