A lot has been said recently about the kanwariya "menace" on Facebook. At the expense of supporting a religious practice (which is bad for my carefully curated public image ;) ), I ramble thusly...
यह सड़कें क्या तुम्हारे पप्पा की हैं?
In a city that started the Raahgiri revolution to reclaim the streets for pedestrians and cyclists, we can't seem to cede a few feet of roadside to people who literally just walked up hundreds of kilometres. Hundreds of kilometers, dude. You and your car and your daily commute can't wait to let these tired people through?
They've been doing this for centuries. New Gurgaon showed up a generation ago. Heck, even New Delhi is only a hundred years old. In a few short years, we've created an urban sprawl (NCR) a hundred kilometers wide, bang in the middle of their annual pilgrimage route. They didn't complain about having to trudge through the most polluted place on earth. So can we rightfully complain about them adding more chaos to the morass that is our city in the rains.
These people are drawing attention to the loot of the most precious common resource we have - public land. We pave more and more public land for private cars. Not just for them to run recklessly on, but also to be parked on the sides. But where are the footpaths and pedestrian bridges? This is not a train hurtling down our streets guys. Its people walking. People can no longer walk through NCR without seriously jeopardising traffic. How did that come about? Instead of being concerned about traffic, shouldn't we first be concerned about the lives of pedestrians.
Roads aren't just for commute in India. Step outside your city for a bit, and you'll see roads being used for religious processions, barats and janaazas. People don't always squeeze past from the sides. They also stop and participate. Vehicles dominating roads and demanding right of passage by blaring horns is a recent phenomenon.
Daak kanwads are a serious menace. Agreed. So are trucks blaring music. Then there are some who are allegedly drunk and dancing. Well, when have we not seen characters like these in any Indian procession? How about we make more space for the pedestrians and impose heavier penalties on these four wheeled miscreants.
I know, the whole spectacle hurts your sensibilities. People running themselves into the ground for "faith". Sweaty vests, torn slippers, bleeding feet, muddy shorts. Inter religious harmony. Stalls offering food, water and rest, creating garbage (Yeah, even people helping other people is a sight that makes us uncomfortable now). Well, turn your gaze away. Ignore them, like they ignore your filthy display of wealth and your over-dependence on air-conditioning, fast food, motorised transport, servants, the Interne
यह सड़कें क्या तुम्हारे पप्पा की हैं?
In a city that started the Raahgiri revolution to reclaim the streets for pedestrians and cyclists, we can't seem to cede a few feet of roadside to people who literally just walked up hundreds of kilometres. Hundreds of kilometers, dude. You and your car and your daily commute can't wait to let these tired people through?
They've been doing this for centuries. New Gurgaon showed up a generation ago. Heck, even New Delhi is only a hundred years old. In a few short years, we've created an urban sprawl (NCR) a hundred kilometers wide, bang in the middle of their annual pilgrimage route. They didn't complain about having to trudge through the most polluted place on earth. So can we rightfully complain about them adding more chaos to the morass that is our city in the rains.
These people are drawing attention to the loot of the most precious common resource we have - public land. We pave more and more public land for private cars. Not just for them to run recklessly on, but also to be parked on the sides. But where are the footpaths and pedestrian bridges? This is not a train hurtling down our streets guys. Its people walking. People can no longer walk through NCR without seriously jeopardising traffic. How did that come about? Instead of being concerned about traffic, shouldn't we first be concerned about the lives of pedestrians.
Roads aren't just for commute in India. Step outside your city for a bit, and you'll see roads being used for religious processions, barats and janaazas. People don't always squeeze past from the sides. They also stop and participate. Vehicles dominating roads and demanding right of passage by blaring horns is a recent phenomenon.
Daak kanwads are a serious menace. Agreed. So are trucks blaring music. Then there are some who are allegedly drunk and dancing. Well, when have we not seen characters like these in any Indian procession? How about we make more space for the pedestrians and impose heavier penalties on these four wheeled miscreants.
I know, the whole spectacle hurts your sensibilities. People running themselves into the ground for "faith". Sweaty vests, torn slippers, bleeding feet, muddy shorts. Inter religious harmony. Stalls offering food, water and rest, creating garbage (Yeah, even people helping other people is a sight that makes us uncomfortable now). Well, turn your gaze away. Ignore them, like they ignore your filthy display of wealth and your over-dependence on air-conditioning, fast food, motorised transport, servants, the Interne