May 2007 spare us...

After 26th July 2006 it was so easy for the Govt officials and some BMC workers to blame it on the Mumbaikars. The whole reason for the ugly and unfortunate mishap was easily put forth as the disposal of plastic bags by the public, which ultimately caused our 'legendary' drainage system to fail. Then there was this dramatic declaration of the plastic ban which was extensively covered by the media. (No one actually took the note of the places where the vegetable vendors hid those bags under their stack of vegetables). There were discussions, debates, interviews of the BMC workers, etc. And then the most unthinkable happened...The State panel mooted for a ‘partial’ ban. I ask where was the ban in the first place and who followed it? (Of course we all did, for two whole weeks! ) Then again, all those hidden bags started coming out in the open, until no one actually remembered that such ban ever existed. Which single Govt worker looked into the matter in detail and kept a daily check on the vendors and shopkeepers? And how ridiculous was this ‘partial ban’ argument. (Ban on bags below 100 micron thickness to be precise) The ban talked about imprisoning those who violateed it. Let’s have a hearty laugh on that first! There are serial killers and multi law breakers running free in this very land. (And yes, not everyone is fortunate enough to get a warm welcome in the prisons with a special menu by the prison staffers). And you plan of putting those behind the bars who use plastic bags? I say, just stop fooling us. Even though half of our population is illiterate, they are not stupid. If you don’t want to take up the accountability of undertaking one simple ban, then don’t even care to declare it in the first place. For heavens sake, stop blaming everything on the public! And stop taxing your brains and wasting your mental energy on these useless and unnecessary discussions. Instead you can put those brilliant ideas somewhere else (Needless to say our country needs thousands of those). If you are not capable of taking up a responsibility till the end, then please don’t fool us by even pretending to take it. Yeh public hain, sab janti hain!

It’s the eve of monsoon again and it won’t be long before the rain-gods pour their blessings (read curses) on this dream city. Soon the heavy showers will hit our metropolis bringing along with it not only the sewage from the nullahs, the drainage from the open manholes into the open roads making it impossible and disgusting for the pedestrians to walk, but also the dreadful memories from last year that haunted each and every Mumbaikar. It’s that time of the year again. And we are very well aware that the situation won’t be much different if the same tragedy slaps us hard one more time. It’s easy for the Govt to blame it on the ‘aam janta’…
Did you see how the Govt took the lives of hundreds of people and made life miserable for the rest? But the citizens didn’t complain then. Instead they took a much mature and sensible step- Screw the Government, and instead start lending a helping hand to each other. But the time has gone. Last year the citizens mutely suffered and survived. They gave the Govt one whole year to show that it cared. But the Govt missed it. The same drama will take place this year too. (Though we have millions of fingers crossed and even more hands joined in front of The Almighty). But don’t worry. God only knows how to keep people of their kind alive without a guilty conscience eating them all the time.
That the rains took away lives is one thing. That it took away our faith and conviction is what we will have to live with.
May 2007 spare us.