THE IGNORANT MINDS

When asked what anyone does on a Sunday, the answer expected is obvious. Late rise ups, entertainment shows, delicious meal to fill up the tummy and an afternoon siesta. Is it right on our part to call Sunday still the first day of the week when we cling to our beds, lock ourselves indoors and do nothing constructive?? The above question invokes the same answer from the questioner also!!

Last Sunday was different as it gave a chance to realize the lack of awareness among children and their parents alike who belonged to lower economic strata as I had been called to scrutinize applications for the uniform distribution to the deserving and needy by a social service organization in my locality. Columns in the application forms received printed in the regional language were all incomplete information. The applicants were unable to furnish even their personal details correctly. When kids of the same age could spell words never heard of here were a bunch of kids who spelled even their own names wrong. My heart sympathizes with these ignorant minds. Next time when somebody says “tomorrow’s India rests firmly on the hands of today’s children” you are supposed to be screwing your own ass. When a significant percentage of country’s young population are unaware of their own personal information, all these catchy liners are like hiding the nakedness with bare hands which serves no good purpose.

Action from the Governmental or philanthropists, NGOs should not stop just with provision of free education, nourished food or generous charities and funds. Opportunities to engage in the process of holistic development have to be created today to realize a stronger India tomorrow. As Albert Einstein puts it “All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual”.

CYCLE FOR A CAUSE

One of things which I really want to possess as soon as I start to work and earn is a motorcycle. As my workplace is only ten minutes away from my home I was really considering buying a bicycle against a bike. I was laughed at for being this much calculative in spending for necessities. The real reason behind me weighing odds heavily on buying a bicycle is that, it is in a way hitting three mangoes with a single stone. First, as I would be made to sit hours before the computer, cycling appears to me as a better way to exercise. Second, the thought of rise in fuel costs which analogously follows the famous Moore’s law nowadays has had a detrimental effect on my mind to go with a motorcycle. Last, cycling serves in energy conservation and is a means to bring down the pollution levels down, on an individualistic level. Even though hues and cries are raised about the recent hike in the fuel prices, the only positive effect it would bring is the increase in number of road users cycling to their destinations. Thus a latent impetus has been provided to the growth of the bicycle industry and the cause of energy conservation and clean air standards.

ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

The common site for a road user nowadays would be of buses and cars trying to squeeze through what people jovially say as “the bicycle gap”. With increase in the number of automobiles, the main roads particularly those in busy and commercial areas have become the place to park the vehicles virtually allowing only a crawling space for the moving machines. Added to this woe the pavements and foot paths are literally encroached by pavement dwellers and road side shop keepers letting an additional inflow of human traffic onto the roads. The chaotic picture is left to the imagination of the reader.

The state of this scenario projects a no good image on the traffic cops who have ignored their role to curtail this activity. A few roads where I myself have observed this menace happening are the Bells road in Chepauk where a number of second hand vehicles put up for sale occupy almost half of the motorway. Next in line falls Dr.Natesan road where the road side vendors have put up shops which extend till the middle of the road. And this is the case in every arterial road of Chennai.

Rules and regulations which are promugalated to avoid these menaces do only a little good when there is a little participation from the public as well as the police. Only a responsible act from the citizen’s side and a conscious part from the cops would only put an end to this driver’s nightmare