Dedications

The recent ‘Bharat bandh’ declared by whosoever makes no sense, achieves no result, and does everything contradictory and opposite to that of development of India. Then on the other hand has India really developed? Yes we may have better telephony, computers and cars, but that has only given better options for the ‘haves’ and the ‘have not’ have lesser of what they did have earlier, to the extent of even basic food becoming a luxury. To add to their woes we have the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who remarked that if the common man can buy coke cola, he can very well afford to buy basic food. Has this joker lost his marbles? Is he trying to be another Marie Antoinette who remarked to the peasants, “If you don’t have bread, eat cake”? Atleast Marie Antoinette was sympathetic and gave an option of cake, but what is our dear minister offering, choice of coke cola over food? His hunger for power can stoop so low, that he would care a less for the hungry.

Historically has ‘bandhs’ achieved anything? Maybe a paid holiday for few lucky like me to chill at home over lager, and the larger chunk of population goes without a wage for the day. For those with hand to mouth existence, there is nothing in hand for the day and no brainer to realize nothing in the mouth too. So what do we do next? We have a government which is run by an Italian, and with Italians known for their mafia brain, the Congress party is nothing short of being a mafia. Not that we have any better choice either, as from the all the crooks we just got allegedly a better crook. Imagine the Prime Minister stating that we cannot compromise development for ecology. Then the Prime Minister is just another Stephen Hawkings all brains and impotent.

Admire the courage of few youngsters in Bombay who came with the idea of ‘Meter Jam’. The plan was on a particular day to avoid all forms of Taxis and Autos to teach the goons a lesson from their own book. They can’t keep a city hostage when they want too to raise the grievance. Can the average citizen do that? He has no choice, never did and never will, but there are ways we can hit back. Let’s take small baby steps. Imagine the whole country not buying gold for a year. No one has died not using gold, but yes you can have the gold market bandh. Imagine a day, no one shops for anything which is non essential, we do a bandh. Why not target businesses where politicians have a stake and we don’t patronize it? If food prices are hitting us how about a day we don’t buy onions, something small we try and it will bloody work. How about a day or two without non-veg food? Just that it has to be done collectively like how they collective harass us with bandhs. We do it non-violent, without stooping services, but then yes we hit where it hurts.

Economic progress has only progressed us to compare how much progress we have done over our peers or neighbors or to help us flaunt our material possession. If this is progress then yes we have played into the economic progress of MNC’s and companies. Can economic progress where we contribute to ensure all basic necessities of the common man or lesser privileged. This does not mean charity, it means if you see them deprived because of a bandh, you hit back by not patronizing say one industry we can collectively hit.

The choice is ours, either we become victims of bandhs or make them victims or as always like me keep my deemag bandh, kyunki mera baap kya jaatha hai attitude (as some Indians say “My Father what goes”). Then the day is not far with the bandhs it could be my father who may have to be rushed to a hospital and there are no cabs, and no staff in hospitals as they could not make to work due to the bandh. Then tho baap hi na raha.