A
city of a million dreams, a city of opportunities, Gurgaon is the place to be
in….or so you think! Reality for few and aspirational for a many. In fact with
the global economy taking a downturn, and showing bleak signs of recovery, there
has been a substantial influx of NRI population returning to the country to
make Gurgaon their new home. But how blissful is this new home, one wonders?
The
city for one, exposes a stark dearth of planning. There are pockets of colonies
created by a few of the Real Estate giants, with residential areas and office
interspersed together, one overlooking into another. The narrow lanes and
by-lanes somehow find creation in pockets of spaces amongst the high rises,
mistakenly left unutilised. To believe that a designated parking lot would be
created to accommodate the city’s ever increasing number of cars, is a
blitzkrieg of the naïve minds.
The
roads of the millennium city have been crying for attention, and so are the
travellers. The dilapidated roads strewn with potholes never miss a coquettish
assurance of a bumpy ride, that can pose competition to any of the joy rides at
the ‘Funcity’. The roads are laid down,
and then dug up on various pretexts, sometimes it’s cable wires, sometimes the
storm drains and a plethora of other reasons, and then they remain battered and
crumbling for ever, leaving a certain pregnant woman to pop it as she braves a
ride on these roads. Just a few hours of rain can get the city to a grinding
halt, with huge traffic snarls earning the ire of many a traveller. What’s
ironical is that the malls are getting kitshchier, the pubs glitzier, the
restaurants ostentatious, the people flashy, yet the minute you step onto the
roads, they are shrouded in darkness, throwing open avenues to demons of peril,
to tell sordid tales of debauchery and heinous crimes perpetrating the city!
And
while we talk about the crumbling infrastructure disdainful in it’s attempt to
keep pace with the development, the failing law and order, the sullied politicians
raking in moolah at the publics expense, the complete lack of public transport
et al, we are conveniently oblivious of, or feign to be so, of the many
responsibilities apportioned to us. The city’s traffic light, are to be adhered
to only when there is a cop visible at the intersection, else it is at the
mercy of free will. The drivers, with their libido shooting through the roof,
demonstrate a brazen disregard for those waiting patiently in a queue at a stop
signal and this act of pervasive disquietude is demonstrated by people across
different strata, class, race or sex. We are constantly unleashing a verbal
diarrhoea of profanities and offensive gestures, on a languorous co- traveller
on the roads, for their moronic acts, as our kids watch on the theatricals with
their intrigued looks seeking renditions for our piquant mannerisms. We honk at
the old man, as he scampers across, defying his age and ailments, to cross the
road. We honk at a nervous learner for his slackened pace. We exhibit amazing
alacrity and honk even louder to avoid the impetuous auto or cyclist making
headway from any surreptitious corner. But what makes many a heart bleed is
when a certain derelict driver, to accomplish his mean thrills of speed, does
mow down frugal lives, thus to ruin families and shatter many hopes and dreams,
and then stay remorseless in vindicating his act, as it is sacrilege to slow
down!
And
then is the turn to touch upon the ubiquitous topic garnering the highest GRP
(gossip rating point) in the urban milieu- the ‘Domestic Helps’. There sure is
an ever growing strain in the relationship between the employer and the helps, fraught
with distrust under the garb of class hostility, as there is also a
proliferating need to co-exist. We seat ourselves in the coveted chairs,
deciding remuneration for these helps, that which will dictate their living
conditions, turning a blind eye to the abysmal socio- economic conditions they
are constantly battling, with horrifying and gory realities, for fear of having
to relinquish luxuries of cheap labour. How often have we witnessed ( and been
apathetic to) a dusky teenager, cradling
an infant/ toddler, in the dim precincts of a posh eatery, as the family feasts
on a hearty meal? Does the news of a help held hostage in a home with depleting
resources for survival, flashed all over newspaper and visual media, touch a
certain chord?
And while we are at it, we also need to take
responsibility for water and electricity conservation. A good lot of us reside
in condominiums with 24-hr power backup and therefore do not get exposed to the
reality staring into our eyes, of the lowering water table. The fact is if it
does not impact us in our daily lives, we really do not spare a thought towards
conservation. Just a day as Earth Day might not be enough to salvage the
situation- it is imperative to make ‘conservation’ and ‘recycling’ an inherent
part of our lifestyle.
But all is not a miss as the intonation of this
despondent banter suggests, as the banality of the adage hints at a silver
lining in the darkest cloud. There are sects of civilians forming cohorts to
exchange and endorse ideas and experiences to give vent to their amateur
indulgence for eg the cyclist group, walking group, laughing group, coffee
friends, wine tasters group, bakers haven, mountaineers club etc etc. There is
a repertoire of progressive, erudites who are inspiring in their demeanour to
stir the people out of their slumber and cosy nests, and cause awakening to be
a part of civil strife, for the betterment of society at large. There is no
point grudging, chastising and playing the blame game to preposterous claims,
if we are incapable of taking charge of our lives’ interests. A string of
bonhomie anchors the populace together, to project a unified force, to vanquish
all odds, to wage mutinies for one’s subdued rights, to express solidarity to a
certain cause, and placate it’s way to a discerning resolution.
That’s the many shades of my city- Gurgaon.
Afterall, the good, bad and ugly will exist in equal measure, lending an
experience-‘bittersweet’ !!
