Mountain of light

Another year whizzed past me, like a Brett Lee bouncer, before I could say “2003” and here am I staring at 2004 and making plans for the coming year. The new year party seems like it happened yesterday and the next thing I know its time to plan for the next one. As the winter chills me to my bones and forces me to stay at home it is also time for me to look back at this year.

A year is a long time in history, yet as I look back at it and try to write about it I can barely think beyond a few lines at the most. Not for me to churn out one thousand words on 2003.Yet so much happened in this year, so much that books can be, and have been, written on each of those happenings. I see many changes on a few fronts and no or little change on most fronts and its difficult for me to put it all together in some sensible form. So much seems to be happening everywhere, most of it seemingly disconnected, yet it is all connected in some fashion and it is that connecting thread which contains all our answers. I have always groped for that thread and sometimes I think that I have it but then something happens which doesn’t seem to fall in place and make any sense and I am back to groping again. But then man has been groping for that elusive link since way back in time. Whether it is the punter playing in the stockmarket or whether it is the head of a state running the affairs of a country. All of us have at some point (if not all the time) wanted that extra bit knowledge and understanding.

India Shinning – in the last few months of this year we have seen a whole series of “India Shinning” ads run by the government in all the national dailies. Those very dailies that are peddled by street urchins on all traffic lights. The ad is based on everything from improvement in agriculture to women empowerment. The ad gives a commentary on the state of the Indian economy and rattles off figures of growth, foreign exchange and other assorted set of numbers all set to give you the feel good factor. As one columnist very aptly said that in the old times the rulers used to proclaim their achievements by building minars and palaces, while in modern times the rulers bring out full page ads in newspapers and that too at the tax payers expense. Government ads have become much more snazzier as compared to the old DAVP ones. Yes agreed there has been a little bit of progress on some fronts and that has affected a small minority that lives in the urban areas. However, the majority still has to fight every day to fill their stomachs and educate their children. So what if we don’t get to see them in the cities, they still exist. Progress isn’t about showing off new malls to the outside visitor but talking about how much money did those poor labourers get for building those malls and do they have proper houses. It is about asking where did they come from and where are they now?

It bothers me to no end when we live in a society of such glaring disparities and then on top of that the government decides to use the taxpayer’s money to publish huge ads talking about India Shinning. Are we blind? Do we need the government to tell us that our country is shinning? Can’t we make that out for ourselves? What has suddenly happened in the last one year for India to shine? One good monsoon! Is that it? Is that what the economy is all about? Before the monsoon there was no feel good factor and just because we have had this great monsoon things are suddenly looking great!

As much as I wanted to end this year on a cheerful note, its difficult for me to close my eyes to the reality. But I do look forward to the next year with hope and excitement of good ideas being translated into action.

In the meanwhile I shall save my cheers for the New Year do. Cheers to the New Year!