City City….BANG BanG

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’ !!