I was home yesterday, so were my other family members who generally are at work on a Monday. As also my neighbors, friends, their friends…well…actually a greater part of my countrymen were.
Rickshaws and taxis were off roads, private vehicles too. To tell you, the only people on the roads yesterday were the ones who were asking everyone else to stay home. The opposition ‘partieses’(they are so many, the usual plural will definitely fall short) of my country united together(“on the very first thing in history”) and called for a nation wide strike.
The strike was to serve as a wake up call to the ruling party and to bring to their notice the immense trouble the “aam junta”-common man (I bet this will be the next hindi word to go into the oxford dictionary) is facing due to the increasing price rise.
You will find all about it on the internet or simply if you ask any Indian you meet (There won’t be any trouble in finding either) But, what strikes me the most about the ‘strike’ is that I don’t even know if I wanted to support it… Everyone else who stayed home is not very sure they liked the idea of the strike either. But stayed home we all did. So ultimately, support the strike- we all did.
And this is the latest…the forced herd mentality- the new meaning of our ‘democracy’. The government increased the price- everyone is paying the new rate, you do too. The opposition calls for a strike- you “better” stay off roads to make their mission for the “aam junta” a success.
Why does it feel that democracy is now slowly becoming the freedom of a few to make the rest go “moo” with the herd?!
nyc article…….budd i can see the ‘gaon-effect’ after ur trip to U.P.(herd and all)…..Wel even i dont really kno whom i was supportin tat day, budd really relate to the 4th para….and dese (so-called)leaders are really killing the democracy……
Thanks Vaibhav, the fact the this one got you to comment means something! 🙂
My writings may show the ‘gaon-effect’… but I got you to relate to it!
While most of us moo-ed comfortably in the coziness of our homes, those struggling to make ends meet each day were the worst affected.
As the strike continues in places like Bihar and the prices show no sign of plummeting, the political parties are sure having a party playing politics.
Sarcasm for the largest democracy. It’s a miracle we continue to wade through deep shit.