Riches and the Poor

So how many of you know about Salman Khan's comment on Mumbai attack on 26/11 2008? What is your opinion on the entire crisis? And the aftermath!

The moment I held newspaper in the morning today, I could relate his statement to something which is highly terrorising and has been instigated by the state. Guess what? 

Lemme guess what would cross your mind, Maoists? Naxalites? Attrocities? State turning into Mafia? Land Acquisitions? Upset Tribal society?

No, none of the above, perhaps some of the above can be related to it.. True, when Salman Khan talks about the hype created as the rich were targeted. Attacks on poor is rarely of interest to anyone. Influential people make the world dance to their tunes. Its the poor who are subverted. 

Usmanpur flooded! Otherwise the city of Delhi would have been flushed. I can recall, every year such stories grab the headlines during monsoon. The State of Haryana releases water, which leads to flood threat in the capital. But in the meantime some other poor village is flooded to save who? Moreover we have a better argument to support the flooding of small villages. You see Delhi is holding CWG 2010, a big international sports event. Delhi cannot afford to project such a miserable situation, especially after thousands of athletes have backed of due to threat on Security, Health (read Dengue) etc. 

So much so drill runs have started on the dedicated lanes in the city roads are being reserved for the tourists. You see to save them from the harrowing traffic that we Delhites encounter everyday. 

How many of us? read females come across instances of inappropriate gestures, harrasment from random men. I dont think any of us would be an exception to this. These men belong to each of the segment of society, be it the affluent or the others. They seem to have been thinking that they have all the rights  in the world to insult a woman. Behave guys, otherwise soon we will get to learn that a dedicated transporation system has come in place to ferry the tourists.

My point is to begin with the floods, why the city has never considered saving and using this water? Why is it that water shortage news hogs the headlines and why do we always flood the areas where the poor reside. Furthermore, does the government ever compensate the flood victims? I am clueless about it. Save water, makea mechanism to do that, we have this opprotunity now, rather than doing it when we are head on with the crisis.

Second issue is the comment by Salman Khan, I feel he has said the truth. Why did he apologise then? Probably because this byte was given to a Pakistani channel. And BJP did not help but tap this opportunity to strengthen its hindutatva agenda.

CWG 2010, I am really happy that these games are happening in India. It will bring in prosperity and beautification of the city is already visible. But my point is why is it being done to receive the foreigners? Why did the government never think about the capital before? Why is the civil society being taught to behave now? I, as a citizen of the nation, of the city, have to be treated with if not equal, but more respect. Because I am again amongst those who, in the near future would be voting under section 49 (o).  

Author's Note: People here criticise, probably that is what I am doing through this post. No one seem to be convinced that CWG could happen in Delhi, around three weeks to go for that. No one could take a democratic remark by an actor, ultimately he had to say sorry. No one heard the villagers, who had their houses flooded! Isn't it cruel and violent?

P.S.: Islands of prosperity cannot sustain with the sea of deprivation