Let there be a 10-day countrywide bandh

10 March, 2013

The aam admi is going to be affected by these strikes. Commuting will be difficult, what is new about it. Essential services will be hit, so what? Banks and Sarkari offices will be closed, at least some people will go on a forced holiday and they look forward to such paid holidays. Vandalism may happen, poor taxiwalas, chai walas, bhajia walas and industries etc. will be the sufferers, happens every time, nothing novel about it.

You may not get the requisite sabzi, but from backdoor; you can get them at double the price with free home delivery. Opposition will be on the streets, as usual, nothing original about this too. They may court arrest, a matter of pride for them. Everyone will curse the government, this is routine, irrespective of who is in power. Police will declare a red alert, as a matter of procedure, but police will be missing from where it matters the most. Many leaves will be cancelled, doesn’t make a difference to the man in uniform, or does it?

VVIPs will be over protected during this time; aam admi can go and hop. One can race from Andheri to Colaba in 20 minutes flat without going on the sea link and keep wondering why can’t this happen every day. Daily wager will sit and wait; that may be by the evening I shall be picked up for an odd job as he has five mouths more to feed. May not be possible, so certain people go hungry, it’s a matter of habit of such poor and they can still survive. Gully cricket and other games will be on their peak, in parks in the near vicinity of our homes, as parents won’t allow many children to go to school as such school buses are threatening to strike. Lonesome streets, even the dogs and cats will wonder, what is the matter with folks today, many of them also might have to go hungry. So be it.

Who is bothered? Who is responsible? Who will set the system right? I don’t know. Now the question is, do we need such bandhs? Is it so essential to bring the country to a grinding halt? People may be travelling for joyous occasions, business, solemn occasions, interviews, hospitals, and various other reasons, just to be stuck for no fault of theirs. Is it correct and allowable? Should it be tolerated? Where is the law to ban it? No one gives me the answers.

Netaji needs perks and privileges; he can do bhashan baazi, demand apologies from all and sundry, will roam around in choppers but will do nothing. He will blame everybody else and everything else but himself, be it in opposition or in the ruling party. Neta ji is neta ji. Period. Somehow, the political class appears to me as a disgusting lot of “Time Passers”.

Tragedy has struck again in Hyderabad, I feel sad and bad, but cannot do anything. All those who had to go have gone, all those who will have to battle and live a life maimed and mutilated for no fault of theirs will live on. Compensations have been announced; Home minister has visited the blast site along with the Chief minister, here after what?

I would say that now let us declare an all India bandh. Let nothing move for ten days till each and every individual is checked for his credentials, identified and cleared by a team of experts that he is not a terrorist or part of a terrorist organization. Let us suffer the loss of those thousands of crores for this. If we are true Indians then everyone should cooperate and come out in the open to be able to prove his or her credentials. No, this is a farfetched and silly idea. It is absurd, ridiculous and totally illogical to even think of doing such a thing. All those who are caught hiding during this time should be shot point blank, irrespective of the reasons for their hiding. No one should listen to their explanations. If you are a true citizen, then come out in the open and prove that you are indeed a genuine person.

We actually need this system. Today, neighbours don’t know who is living next to them, the landlord doesn’t know his tenants (the broker might know), people don’t know their colleagues, so let us do this exercise and I can assure you half the problem will be solved. The other half can be solved by just keeping an eye on the suspected families and doing due diligence and vigilance. The rest of the problem can be solved by alert citizens. Matter ends. It needs a bandh for ten days only. In fact, India may find a new figure for its census. The 120 billion could turn out to be 150 for all we know, thereafter, sleep peacefully and live happily. Is someone in power willing to go for a bandh for a “YEDA” thought like this, I wonder?