The word “punctuality” looses all its significance on this blog. So this is our Diwali Special….Hope u had safe and environment friendly Diwali……..
This Diwali was largely important on the backdrop of State Assembly Elections in 3 states but I will focus on Maharashtra Elections.
This Elections were very important for the ruling Coalition as they have a good opportunity to consolidate on their Lok Sabha triumph. Also the emergence of third front, independents- many rebels and talking point of state at the National level-MNS. But I’m not any political expert so I will try to look at all this from a common citizen’s totally biased vision...
Its funny that our memory is terribly short lived so when respected P.M. campaigns in Maharashtra, he says “to continue” progress elect Congress. Well, as someone who has in last five years become legal citizen, I feel funny when I visited neighbour state Gujarat.
Well, after all progress and development is improvement in Infrastructure, Law and Order, Education and Economic Prosperity. Now if these are the major criteria of progress so there is no space to debate Maharashtra’s Progress.
As a common citizen of Maharashtra it baffles me what has the Government has done in last 10 years….if these are the indices of development at least visually there is no progress to be seen and even if there is RTI access to Goverment files is still not that easy. I will try to put up my points on each of them…
1. Infrastructure : The major project Maharashtra has seen “recently” was Mumbai-Pune Express Highway and webs of Flyovers in Mumbai, but then it was all commenced in Shivsena-BJP reign. Even the much talked about Bandra-Worli Sea Link was envisaged in that period only. So as the population of Mumbai-Maharashtra is burgeoning where is the planning to start next big projects? It is all in tug of war between MMRDA and other many city planning corporations.
What MHADA has really done for common people to build residences? When private builders are busy building just about everywhere why our Government Agencies can’t match them in pace…..
And the major problem which now everyone’s aware is- “Electricity” Mumbai is suppose to be Economic Capital of our Country (!) and it is simple, plain stupidity that an order of the Court is supplying it electricity 24/7. Lets not get into the price of electricity; the main issue is of its supply. Its simple outrage that not long back Politicians and a respected Committee said that Maharashtra will have surplus power and we don’t require any power plants. But as my Kaka once said, it’s a simple math-Industrial output of power consuming articles can tell you about the power we would require. May be politicians should be taught simple arithmetic. The conditions of towns and villages just 50 Km away from Mumbai is left to God’s mercy.
And come every election we have “Common” minimal agenda of Roads, Water, Power, Education and new addition- the Reservation
2. Law and Order: The law and order had been satisfactory up until recently. I say so because “normal” terror attacks, security of women, robberies and thefts are now assumed everywhere. But all that was shattered last November when terrorists attacked Mumbai. There was general pandemonium in the whole system and it led to mockery of the entire system when our ATS chief among others was shot dead. That day made us aware about our vulnerability to attacks. But the sheer courage of our Policemen, Commandos and others rescued us all from even major disaster. The subsequent enquiry and judicial trial are still going on.
And when elections were near and Naxalites killed our policemen not a single politician came out scathing so-called Justice Seekers. The very people of this country who are at war with this country are being sympathized with often ridiculous logic.
3. Education: I have always thought that, as much as Government has failed in our Country to spread effective education, the willingness and sheer determination of people have always countered it. So the performance in education was never something to brag about-so in an attempt to prove you are doing something, you simply make a fool out of yourself. I was a full supporter of 90:10 Quota (http://nykhil.blogspot.com/2009/06/9010-quota-justice-finally.html), but then our able Government failed even to defend this novel idea. But worse was yet to come……Our Government suffered humiliating fiasco with online admissions of Class 11. With whole system in jeopardy it sank to all time to low with introduction of ATKT for Clas 11 admissions, and once again cure was found without addressing the root cause.
4. Economic Prosperity: May be the combination of all the above factors culminates in Economic Prosperity- perhaps most vital indicator in today’s times. But when we have miserably failed on all the fronts, what will be the final result? So when our neighbours Gujarat and Karnataka are making progress in all the departments and newly formed States are on full throttle, what is it making us stay behind in the race? Political will power? Well, Union Power Minister is from Maharashtra, Agriculture Minister is from Maharashtra, for good(!) length of time- no pun intended- Home Minister was from Maharashtra-may be that sums up all.
So with this backdrop it was funny to see hardly any anti-incumbency factor. May be all of us have resigned to our future or would have come out and at least voted would have voted. For a city of Mumbai and its suburbs less than 50% turn out is not sign of responsible citizens, is it?
Among all this turmoil may be we will finally learn that “voting” is not our privilege or right but it’s a first responsibility we have to towards our future………..
-N.D.K. NIKHIL
This was dedicated to our brave Fire Fighters who lost their lives in Thane -fighting to keep us safe……In festival of lights this was indeed the darkest chapter we have witnessed….May Ishwar give families of Martyrs all the strength to endure this great loss……
