this concrete jungle houses a variety of creatures.. some ruthless, some down-to-earth, some downright vicious (usually clad in white dhotis and nehru caps), some the ultimate parasites, and most of the rest tend to be victims.
today, i'm on the bus on my way to work, and at a bus stop, i see this kid, barely 5 or 6, on his knees, washing the rear tyre of a rick.. dutifully soaking the rag in a bucket containing soap water and washing the tyre in circles, and then wiping his brow leaving suds all over his temples.. i felt a gut-churning ache.
in some ways, india is indeed shining, and we possess spirits of steel, proud of our abilities to absorb the most debilitating of events and attacks, and what not.. but the worst kind of infliction is the above.. at some level, we're all a part of a system, a heirarchy.. where the pyramid of well-being is inversely proportional to the strata of society... resource-wise atleast.
paan-chewing jackasses riding in tinted bulletproof vehicles can only hope to see the light of day, a day where there isnt any discrimination in this country and when the sun shines equally on the faces of all and does not depend on whether your hands hold a broom or a pen, whether they wash tyres or get greasy with wrongfully earned currency notes, whether they feed a mouth or deprive others, and whether one allows a mere kid to perform labour when they should be learning how to spell it..
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
singe
watching lightning repeatedly slice through the gloomy clouds, the same clouds that frictioned to produce them.. sending a chill across the baked city in the middle of september, monsoon territory.
at work.. and with 'all along the watchtower' on the pod treating my ears, i turn from my desk, to find a cohort peering at the glass window, watching the purple streaks of voltage illuminating the raindrops slapping the window.. forget the fears of being drenched, inviting cold, temperature and other unmentionables.
nothing interrupted the open mouths and minds of us mortals .. nothing stole the thunder (pun surely intended).. the sky was orchestrating a perfect symphony of piercing light and delayed bass... it was beautiful... surreal.
the only way to make a grand entrance.. lure us into a week of solar excess.. and then the deluge follows when we least expect it.. but this time round, it was welcome... everything stood still... the 9th floor view made me feel divine, looking down at the scurrying umbrellas, like black beetles.. jostling for space in the impossible concrete world.
at work.. and with 'all along the watchtower' on the pod treating my ears, i turn from my desk, to find a cohort peering at the glass window, watching the purple streaks of voltage illuminating the raindrops slapping the window.. forget the fears of being drenched, inviting cold, temperature and other unmentionables.
nothing interrupted the open mouths and minds of us mortals .. nothing stole the thunder (pun surely intended).. the sky was orchestrating a perfect symphony of piercing light and delayed bass... it was beautiful... surreal.
the only way to make a grand entrance.. lure us into a week of solar excess.. and then the deluge follows when we least expect it.. but this time round, it was welcome... everything stood still... the 9th floor view made me feel divine, looking down at the scurrying umbrellas, like black beetles.. jostling for space in the impossible concrete world.
the music is always on, but no one listens.. but tonight, everyone sat up and took notice.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
was it worth it?
the relentless government blinked. and now, all teachers have higher figures on their pay checks. A 45-day drama, and for what? Sure, its unjust for the government to underpay such valuable members of the society, members who are responsible for shaping the minds and thought processess of tomorrow's adults. But, these guys must now face the consequences of their protests. Reduced vacations, possible workdays on holidays and even the coveted weekends might be ruined. The syllabus was, as it is, burgeoning.
Now, with a 45-day vacation aside, its going to be even more uphill for the teachers, professors, and students. Unless the authorities mark an asterisk on this year and reduce the syllabus by 40% or so, its going to be hell for even the most studious of kids.
In an ugly street fight between the teachers and government, the poor kids cower at the street corners, hoping, praying for a solution to end this madness. It will be really hard to go with the regular flow of an academic year. Its going to be too fast for anyone involved, teachers and students alike. There has to be some provision made to ease the burden of this batch and measures be taken to avoid this debacle again.
Now I wonder, was it really worth all this hoopla? For a few thousand bucks more, what have these protests really achieved? Its a shame. When will the government (that has 350 crores to construct a friggin statue in the sea) realise the myriad other avenues it MUST invest its petty cash it?!
Now, with a 45-day vacation aside, its going to be even more uphill for the teachers, professors, and students. Unless the authorities mark an asterisk on this year and reduce the syllabus by 40% or so, its going to be hell for even the most studious of kids.
In an ugly street fight between the teachers and government, the poor kids cower at the street corners, hoping, praying for a solution to end this madness. It will be really hard to go with the regular flow of an academic year. Its going to be too fast for anyone involved, teachers and students alike. There has to be some provision made to ease the burden of this batch and measures be taken to avoid this debacle again.
Now I wonder, was it really worth all this hoopla? For a few thousand bucks more, what have these protests really achieved? Its a shame. When will the government (that has 350 crores to construct a friggin statue in the sea) realise the myriad other avenues it MUST invest its petty cash it?!
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