Monday, 27th July 2009- When it rained in Delhi
Finally monsoon had appeared on the horizons of Delhi on Monday 27thJuly 2009, when it rained literally like Cats and dogs last Monday, 27th July 2009. And it reminded me of a quotation “Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear.”
We Delhiites had been praying for rains over the past few weeks to get relief from the heat, and god answered with a heavy downpour that lashed the national capital through Monday. But as with every good comes something bad the rains wrecked havoc across the city. I was also one of the witness and victim of the heavy downpour. My office is in Gurgaon and it took me 5 hours reach my home in Delhi that day. All my friends and relatives across the country were inquiring about my well being as soon as they tuned in to the news.
All the while I was struck in the jam, I was just observing the mayhem on the road. And the day after I read numerous articles on the heavy rain and our media glorifying the news as they always do, brandishing blames on government and MCD for the mis – management and “ Kho-khale Vaade Sheila Dixit ke“ as one correspondent enthusiastically said . But no one really ever thought of whether we as citizen were responsible or not for the mayhem on the roads of Delhi that day.
In all the jam, mis- management, and total chaos, the utter disregard and disrespect of the law by the people was visible. It’s very easy to be judgmental and blame the government for what they didn’t do and what they should have done. But we as peopleas the citizen of this country didn’t introspect and see whether we were also to be blamed for the chaos or not.
And to be honest and frank we as the citizen are also to be held responsible. Speaking we all were. People were seen driving down the wrong lane, blocking the on-coming traffic leading to more chaos and leading to dangerous situation on the road. And then fighting, quarreling on the road, just to show that what they were doing right.
No traffic policeman was there, but that doesn’t mean that we are the kings of the road. When it’s not raining, how many of us care about the policeman, I guess 99% don’t. As no matter it rains or snows or even its Hurricane we all behave in the same way.
I drive down to my office every day, and the story is the same cars jumping lanes red lights, even jumping the toll plaza lane just to get through quickly. People talking on the mobile phones while driving, spitting out of the car on the road. And it’s not raining at that time and no water logging too. Was the government to blame for the utter lack of driving sense by the citizens of the city? I guess NO. It was we the citizens who were also to be blamed for the mayhem.
Automotive companies are bringing new and rich and expensive cars in India. But what we should ask do we have the civic and road sense to even drive one. It’s very easy to own car but the driving in a civilized way comes from within. So in the end I just want to say, the government will do what it will. But we need to support them in what they do by being a civilized citizen of the Nation and sometimes doing introspection of ourselves.