"Terror", a word that now sounds painstakingly familiar to our ears.
The increasing number of unusual deaths is nothing but a result of our own 'man-made' disasters. From the unfortunate Mangalore plane crash to the unrestrained Naxal attacks, India has now entered a new generation where it's inhabitants have grown numb to violence.
We have seen so much of violence around us that now we have accepted it as a part of our life, unwelcomed and yet inevitable. Watching the news of Gyaneshwari train collision (probably another Maoist doing) on our T.V. screen makes us issue a deep sigh and lament, "Desh ki kya haalat ho rahi hai?". But even after those sympathizing moments, we casually, very nonchalantly flick through other channels. The most one can do is discuss the country's plight for a short period, but of course normal life resumes almost immediately after that.
But what else can a common man be expected to do?
Terrorism, corruption, death and politics have become the only 'news' scoop we get to hear around. India now, not only faces terror threats from it's neighboring nations, but in fact faces a more terrible fate of internal violence at the hands of the Maoist. A child grows in an atmosphere of violence and abuse, inevitably imbibing it and becoming a part of it.
Terror has unequivocally become a part of our Indian lifestyle... And such painful news of hundreds being killed at one single blow, their relatives weeping painstakingly over their bodies and politicians using this as an opportunity to shoot accusations at one another, brings only a shocked silence from a commoner like us, wondering yet again, "Ye terrorism kab khatam hoga???"
Yes, we have indeed turned numb towards violence.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Stranger clad in Uniform ...
He stood engulfed in the thick whirlpool of smoke, his eyes watered and itched as he strained to look ahead, his once smooth face was creased with lines of age, making his skin fall loose with multiple folds.
"Only one year more, and then I'll be happily retired", he thought as he raised his right hand straight with practiced ease and indicated the vehicles to move ahead. Various engines spurred enthusiastically and the 'air-conditioned' cars leapt forward, flying past him to cross the signal.
He sighed again. The life of a 'Traffic Policeman' was never easy.
And to add to his pains, the automatic signal had just broken down, which meant that it would take at least half a day for the mechanic to repair it. And which forced the policeman to leave the comfortable shed of nearby tea-shop and stand here in the scorching heat. "Huh", he swept a bead of fresh sweat from his forehead and lamented ending up with this job. People always regarded the job of a traffic policeman to be careless, lethargic and easy-going, thinking they were paid for drinking tea all day near the tea stall. Though he did not deny this fact utterly, but he also believed that he put in a great deal to control the traffic which was easily thwarted by some mischievious pranksters bent on breaking the traffic rules.
His thoughts were broken when out of the blue an Apache 160 zoomed past him, "Another rule breaker", he murmured and was about to note the bike number when the biker knocked off a bicycle on its way and sped off with ferocious speed, he surely had no mood of stopping.
A big crowd gathered around the injured boy who lay unconscious on the road. The policeman quickly strode forward, speaking into his walkie-talkie at the same time. His heart beat fast, this was the second accident in the same month. He squatted to get a closer look at the boy when someone amongst the crowd commented, " What are these traffic officials paid for? Drinking tea by the tea-shop all day..??"
He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. Such comments were not at all new to him, it was literally part of job description of any new policeman.
But there was no time for such thoughts. He had a task at hand. He was to administer this boy in the nearby government hospital. A couple of young robust policeman came to aid, and together they lifted the boy. The crowd started evaporating, no one had any intention to be of any help.
At the end of the day, he sighed with exhaustion. It was a day full of hard work, pain and efforts; in return of which he only received jests and rude comments.
And when he proceeded back to his home, he only wished that he was anything but a traffic policeman...
"Only one year more, and then I'll be happily retired", he thought as he raised his right hand straight with practiced ease and indicated the vehicles to move ahead. Various engines spurred enthusiastically and the 'air-conditioned' cars leapt forward, flying past him to cross the signal.
He sighed again. The life of a 'Traffic Policeman' was never easy.
And to add to his pains, the automatic signal had just broken down, which meant that it would take at least half a day for the mechanic to repair it. And which forced the policeman to leave the comfortable shed of nearby tea-shop and stand here in the scorching heat. "Huh", he swept a bead of fresh sweat from his forehead and lamented ending up with this job. People always regarded the job of a traffic policeman to be careless, lethargic and easy-going, thinking they were paid for drinking tea all day near the tea stall. Though he did not deny this fact utterly, but he also believed that he put in a great deal to control the traffic which was easily thwarted by some mischievious pranksters bent on breaking the traffic rules.
His thoughts were broken when out of the blue an Apache 160 zoomed past him, "Another rule breaker", he murmured and was about to note the bike number when the biker knocked off a bicycle on its way and sped off with ferocious speed, he surely had no mood of stopping.
A big crowd gathered around the injured boy who lay unconscious on the road. The policeman quickly strode forward, speaking into his walkie-talkie at the same time. His heart beat fast, this was the second accident in the same month. He squatted to get a closer look at the boy when someone amongst the crowd commented, " What are these traffic officials paid for? Drinking tea by the tea-shop all day..??"
He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. Such comments were not at all new to him, it was literally part of job description of any new policeman.
But there was no time for such thoughts. He had a task at hand. He was to administer this boy in the nearby government hospital. A couple of young robust policeman came to aid, and together they lifted the boy. The crowd started evaporating, no one had any intention to be of any help.
At the end of the day, he sighed with exhaustion. It was a day full of hard work, pain and efforts; in return of which he only received jests and rude comments.
And when he proceeded back to his home, he only wished that he was anything but a traffic policeman...
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