Discerning Mosquitoes and Tanks!

Dilliwalahs do not have to go far to tickle their funny bone. There is enough and more happening within the city that is funny.  

Every year, at the onset of monsoons, every elected member in the city cries hoarse on how we need to keep our city free from dirt and filth. Each of them wants us to clean up our act. It seems that having got elected entitles these representatives to lecture Dilliwalahs on city life while these privileged ones continue to mess up their bit. How else does one explain the acts of  the municipalities who have littered the city with these fancy dust bins for the residents to dispose their waste while the smut from the rainwater drains has been piled up on the streets? It seems the authorities believe that mosquitoes are discerning, ethical, governmental morons who will not feed on government waste but thrive only on private slime. So much for keeping Delhi clean and the irony is that the man who started this brouhaha on SwachBharat also resides in this city – albeit temporarily.  

Then there is this proposal to install a tank on the premises of JNU to inculcate a spirit of patriotism among the students. And defending this proposal, a Delhi MP went further to suggest that students must take an oath to protect the country’s pride. Great thinking. But will someone ask this city MP about the oath that the elected representatives have been taking ever since we got our independence and how many of them have done the country proud? And tanks and patriotism on campus – what kind of symbolism is this? Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon will have to spend a life time at JNU to figure this one out! While on symbolism one is amazed at how this city didn’t shed a tear when a powerful ideologue of the ruling dispensation suggested that Mirza Ghalib be dropped from school course books. For a city that seemingly doesn’t give a damn to its heritage and legacy anymore – how much will a tank do to ignite patriotism among students? Think about it. 

This blogger has been tracking the change of names of Delhi’s roads ever since. The fact that this Government takes change of names as top priority (and you thought you have a Government that will focus on infrastructure, security of its citizens etc) was obvious last fortnight when it constituted a body – the State Naming Authority to do the honours. And this Authority will not have just 3 or 4 members but 34 of them! So 34 guys will vigourously debate from now on if the Under Hill Road should be called Aam Admi Road or Maurice Nagar be called Dinanath Batra Nagar! Dilliwalahs, your city is changing.