We are masters at this game, aren’t we, what with reports that the garbage in Delhi if piled vertically will equal the height of the Qutb Minar! Bengaluru won’t be less worse, I assure you, but I am not sure which is the tallest building in the city’s skyline to use as a measure: UB City or Utility Building. Well, let us not “chuck muck” at those, or a new saga will start because of their famous names. We have enough with our local lakes frothing and fuming in anguish at the muck chucked into them…
“Chuck muck” is an expression I have coined to describe what was on in full swing about the election that just got over! Consider the Rafale deal, for example! Did Rahul Gandhi meet French Prime Minister Francois Hollande on the sly to seal an international conspiracy instigated by his brother-in-law, Robert Vadra, or by Pakistan or whoever. Or did the Narendra Modi hug sway the HAL out of Hollande’s favour and enable him to place his partner into the arms of the Ambani clan. Hollande spills some beans and apparently, they are from a can full of worms.
Endless arguments
Then onward, the chain of “I did, you did” begins. “Aided and abetted by an assault from Dassault,” says one side. “What nonsense,” rebuts the other party. Oh! So complicated for a common citizen like me to comprehend, who is convinced through media reports that these jets are required post haste for the nation’s security. However, perennial dithering dampens my confidence, as this “chuck muck” persists between government and Opposition, leaving us in limbo without clarification or conclusion. Endless pettiness with the usual slanging matches about who is gaining, with no meaningful dialogue nor substantive evidence to back claims to be placed before the public, nor a shred of regard for us the 1.2 billion citizens whose security was purportedly to benefit when Rafale jets would be inducted by the IAF? Adding fuel to the fire are the Pulwama and Balakot bickering…
Isn’t it is also a “chuck muck” let-down, when a hundred crore (?) residents in India, charged as being of dubious distinction are branded as termites? What a thoughtless and hurtful comment coming off the cuff of a senior leader of the ruling party, again with no proven statistics! If I delve further since the Lok Sabha 2019 election campaigning began, I can unravel so many loose exchanges between our political parties that are undignified, insulting, demeaning and downright disturbing. They even attack the dead! They emphasise topics far removed from what ‘we the people’ require. What became of development and corruption elimination, bringing black money to book and perpetrators of scams to trial? To bettering the lives of the poor in education, health and better hygiene? To make women feel safer and embrace them in larger numbers into politics? To appreciating the freedom of expression of those in media and allied fields, instead of spreading fear of suppression and even elimination. It is time again to proudly recall how our then leaders, to achieve Independence from the British seven decades ago, decided to rise above differences when times were really tough and unsettled, and vowed to live peacefully as a united India irrespective of our ancestry, introducing a Constitution par excellence that guarantees us this right to remain so. With the election results out, let us not instigate disruption, tolerate corruption or foment trouble…
The economy shows how we have not received so much of what was promised to us by the winning party during these five years. I hope they’ve learned their lesson that ‘we the people’ expect better from them and may the losers work in tandem regarding policies that will better India’s “being”! Let us continue to enjoy the experience of sharing an inherited society mixed with all types of everyone emanating from our country’s historical background.
“The joy of giving” starts by participating in programmes that chuck out the muck from within our hearts, minds and souls and involve swacchh for which plenty of Yojanas are created.
The change we want will emerge if from top to bottom, leaders to citizens, really do want this country to enjoy acchhedin — and I do not mean “din” as in “noise”!
jacolaco7@gmail.com
