The
political leaders in Delhi are driving the cars of their citizens
underground. Civic Centre on Minto Road is
an imposing tower complex that overlooks both Old and New Delhi. It houses the Municipal Corporations of
Delhi, both Old and New. If you are an
ordinary citizen, even if you are driving the costliest car you can afford, you
will be asked to park your precious vehicle underground. All overground parking space is meant for the
politicians and their cronies. Even SUVs
bearing an inscription somewhere on or near its number plate claiming
allegiance to some politician will get access to the overground parking
space. All the rest will go snaking down
to the pit below.
In
1895, H G Wells wrote a novel titled The
Time Machine in which the author imagined the future of the capitalist
world as divided between the Eloi and the Morlocks, people overground and
underground. The Eloi were the
capitalists whose vision was grant enough to send all industries and their
working class underground. Let labour
and its polluting waste stay away underground.
The earth is meant for the lords.
The
earth was always meant for the lords.
Look back into history of any country, if you don’t believe me. Leave out a few exceptions where some kind of
socialism (oh, that obnoxious word) was practised.
History
can only be repeated because the human species has reached the end of its
imagination for putting an end to nauseating repetitions. History can only be repeated because the
human species is driven by the gene of greed primarily. When history failed to repeat itself, it was
when the gene of adventure dominated in some adventurer who wished to see or
experience something new. So Africa was
discovered, for example. And then
followed the normal human gene labelling the continent “Dark”. In the name of the light of progress and
development, the continent was subjected to all kinds of plundering. History repeated itself.
History
will continue to repeat itself. More and
more people will be driven underground even without their realising it. They think they are lucky to get parking
space in a crowded city like Delhi, even if it is underground. All normal
human beings consider themselves “lucky” or “fortunate” or “blessed” (by Gods
or godmen/godwomen or some spiritual entity) and accept their underworld
existence as part of the fortune. And
the rulers continue to conquer the open spaces on the planet. Conquer the outer spaces. Conquer the heavens. And gods are born.
At least they are able to create levels,else the not so privileged would have to abandon owning cars (like in few countries of Europe) and the unfortunate ones will have to evacuate the city for those who are blessed.
ReplyDeleteThat's precisely what I said: it's a blessing!
DeleteNow, look at it another way. In a real democracy, first come first served should have been the policy instead of the hierarchy...
Everything is about status in India. And you have explained it with excellent yet simple example Tomichan. Good one!
ReplyDeleteThe quest for climbing the ladder of status has become a disease. Our leaders are only adding fuel to the fire.
Delete