Tuesday, October 9, 2007

When Blue turns Red

Its amazing how forgivingly short our memories are, how apathetic our Government is and how indifferent and unconcerned the wrong-doers and watchers are.
Before I start here's a slight digression.
As per the Hindu religion (or culture?) blue is the color of Vishnu, the protector - an apostle of wisdom, a God whose calmness and "no haste" policy has been well written about by many. And red is the color one associates with more fiery deities like Goddess Durga, Kali and the like. The very impersonation of anger. They(esp. Kali) are usually depicted with a "blood-dripping-severed-head" of a demon in their hand and in a dance pose that incites fear more than devotion. The very opposite of Vishnu except for the fact that both are divine.
Now, to the present. It was something that Delhi-ites probably couldnt have done without. It was the was one the major public transport services - the "BlueLine". And I use was, intentionally. Till 4 years ago, as far as I know, it was doing good, if not great, service to the "too-busy-to-care-for-their-neighbors" Delhi-ites (I feel that's how people are throughout the world now).
But before the earth could go round the sun once, the "BlueLine" has begun to leave "Red" trails.
In a country where blue and red are represented as above, just look at the irony. It has killed 93 people in e ;at one year, that is roughly 1 in every 4 days. ( just Google for the data). As my friend asks has the Lord of Death sent them as his agents?
And yet people make a demonstration only when a lives are lost, and the Government, like the true Democracy that India is, makes a noise (read asks for a detailed on "dont-know-and-dont-care-for-what" report to be submitted in 2 days) and then along with the public keeps quiet and the whole cycle repeats - it has been since the last one year at least. (Just imagine the permit of the Bluline buses have been revoked 15 times in a year)
And then comes the icing - the mob beats up the driver and destroys the bus, without even pausing to think that it has given the money for the bus through tickets and taxes. The Government is not be let behind, it announces a compensation of 1 lakh to the family of the deceased, what is it aiming to do by this, washing its hands off? Will the 1 lakh suffice? In a country like India where last rites are as important as any other occasion of life you could well end up spending more than that amount in the "13 days" .
But then all said and done, who cares? For the people its the Government that should work. and for the Government its the people that it employed. Its a cycle where everybody blames everybody and nobody does anything.

1 comment:

Anil Sharma said...

I have never liked a blue-line and had expected such accidents the very first time I boarded one. People who run the buses should be responsible. I cant bother the driver to go slow and cautiously everytime I get into a bus, can I?