The eye sores
Do we need temples or more green zones?
In my last post I spoke about why I love the SSB chowk-Neugal cafe stretch of road for my morning walks. But, sorry to say, there are ugly eye sores too to greet you all along, right after the tea nursery at Differpat up to the ITI building. The first sight that assaults your senses is a pile of about a dozen cement pipes lying and rusting there for years. Next, you will see weed-invaded dumps of rubbish, worn-out and torn sacks with waste spilling out, kitchen leftovers, plastic, and construction debris on the road's Neugal-side flank that some unscrupulous fellow citizens think nothing of disfiguring it with. I once saw with horror and anger a 'suited-booted' person come in his car, alight and toss off a sizeable poly-bag stuffed with home/kitchen waste towards the side and driving off - apparently without any scruple or a thought about the ugly criminality of his action. And once when I politely requested a habitual rubbish-thrower with whom I had a nodding acquaintance to stop doing so, he got angry; and that brought to an unceremonious and abrupt end our mutual formal familiarity.And what would have been an idyllic spot to attract the passersby to have a little rest or just sit and enjoy the magic and wonder of a sunset with nothing but a few simple, comfortable benches facing south-west put in place, a Hanuman temple has sprung up attracting pesky simians instead! And it is - slowly and quite steadily - expanding its boundaries on this precious, virgin piece of government land. How warped are the ways we give expression to our religious sentiments! Though personally not religious in the conventional sense, religion is fine when observed and practised in private. Problems arise when religion is radicalised and used wholesale for mass consumption. Worse, religion turns offensive and insane when it is used by the wily politicians as a tool to garner votes; and by the fake babas and other self-appointed agents of god to exploit the religious feelings of gullible people and serve them superstition - instead of providing them any real enlightenment - and get rich in the process. Indian women are particularly vulnerable to the skewed ideas of religion thereby falling an easy prey to the lust of many such babas. Isn't it mostly superstition bordering on religion rather than religion bordering on superstition? Sadly, developing a scientific temper is still a far cry in my beloved Bhaarat.
Sorry for this digression, and now getting back to the point, a kiosk that has come up on this stretch has further marred the tranquillity of this favourite walkers' haunt. But happily, as a counterpoint, and what provides the saving grace, there is a small grove of young tree plantations along this very flank in a strip of about 600 m x 8 m bordering the road. The saplings were planted by the Palampur Welfare and Environment Protection Forum (PWEPF) a few years ago and as a result of dedicated follow-up and aftercare, these are coming up well. This Palampurwalla's thanks and salutations go to the PWEPF president Ajit Baghla and his team.
(Pics uploaded on top and below are self-explanatory)
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| The plantations provide hope |
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| The tea garden abutting the road provides a soothing touch |
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Post demonetisation
1.34 billion of my dear countrymen continue to be in grip of the demonetisation fever. Not being an economist, it is not for me to expound on the merits or demerits of this initiative by the Modi government. (But personally I do endorse the step.) Even among the top economists the opinion is divided. But my sense is that most of those who had stashed the now defunct 500 and 1000 rupee notes under their mattresses or in suitcases might well have managed to 'adjust' it here and there . Thus the small fish might after all get away with their cash and thus escape the net. As regards the bigger fish, let's keep our fingers crossed.
But while the big currency turned into scrap overnight, sending the cash-strapped common man into tizzy, the rich and powerful mining baron of Karnataka, Janardhana Reddy, brazenly splurged eye-popping amounts (500 crore) on his daughter's wedding, unashamed, unaffected and unconcerned about the demonetisation. And politicians of all hues without shame and qualms made their participation in the wedding a must-do.
Ours is of course a land of stark contrasts and great extremes.
But hats off to the aam aadmi for putting up with the hardship stoically all in the hope that this big and bold step will do the country a good turn.
Ours is of course a land of stark contrasts and great extremes.
But hats off to the aam aadmi for putting up with the hardship stoically all in the hope that this big and bold step will do the country a good turn.
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Quotes of the week
" My religion is nobody else's business."
-Mr Justice T S Thakur, CJI
" There's less space now for a moderate politician. It's sad." -Writer Jeffrey Archer after Trump's victory
" I know that better than any body else. I am the most romantic hero in the world."
-Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan
" Humans will not survive another 1000 years on Earth." -Renowned Astronomer Stephen Hawking
