Thanks to the petroleum-truckers strikes the whole nation was almost came to a screechy halt. Fuel pumps were low on inventory waiting for government to cut costs further so that they will buy cheaper fuels to sell on cheaper prices.
Alas! There were no cuts and fewer fuels when it all happened.
Well... for the first time since the local Indore city transport, which is considered as a model for many cities including Delhi, launched, I got a chance for a ride! (My bike went dry!)
It was a small ride and a funny one too. It has only been over two years since the Atal City Transport, named after the great leader of our times, Atalji, has started in the city. But looking at the buses one cannot decide if it is two years old or twenty!
It had big windows, without glasses, wet seats, due to overnight rains, broken holders for standing crowd.
You say... this is India... everything is broken here... They cannot give us the European facilities... They this... They that... Government is all crap... blah blah blah!
I resist.
When the buses first ran in the city, they were beautiful and up to the international standards.
Narrow streets and the residents were not used to these beautiful monsters running right between them.
If by chance there was an accident, people not just beat up the driver... BUT hurled stones at the bus and broke all the glasses.
IF there is some tension in the city, the first thing came under fire were these buses.
People tore off all the advertisements or the radium showing route on the buses to see if it comes out clean.
People also enjoyed calligraphy all over the bus inside out.
It is a matter of pride to have some part of the public property as a privet possession and showing it off.
My friends... do you really think government is responsible for this mess?
No.
It’s us. The proud people of India who say India is great and developing and we do not have international facilities.
How you expect the government to take care of each glass of the bus that you broke for personal pleasure. They gave us a system which is almost became a lifeline to the city over the 'Nagar-Seva-killing-bus' horrors.
We do not break the windows of our house in protest if the food is burned in the kitchen.
If this is our city, we must preserve what we have.
If this is our country, we must do the same for it in the same way.
And if not... call it A Nation Without People.
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