Disparity .....

The other day we were passing by a procession of Ganpati Visargan in CBD Belapur. I noticed some of the ladies displaying their jewellery in a fashion beyond my imagination !! There was this one young lady, in her early 30's, she had a gold necklace not less than two inches broad and coming all the way down from her neck to her navel and above the sari that she had worn. She must be the daughter or daughter-in-law of some bigwig, and she had some younger ladies around her, who barely had a chain round their neck and some teeny weeny earrings!!
This is what we call prosperity?? On the one hand the rich are getting richer and the poor just look upon their, so-called Annadataa, and remain satisfied with what they have.

Then there is the problem of the potholes, have we all become so deaf and dumb that we cannot approach the concerned authorities for their appalling state?? Yes, many have taken the step to try and get something done about them, but again, are the concerned authorities concerned at all ?? No one here is accountable for anything they do, whether it is repairing the roads, digging the roads for laying cables, or for that matter, even maintaining the hygiene of public washrooms !! So where does the common tax-paying citizen go? Whom does he turn to for his woes?? He is the one who does not have any respite till he pays all his taxes and fulfills all his duties on time. The influential have their own way.

While driving down the Palm Beach Road, we saw the full beam lights on of a vehicle somewhere behind us, and we were surprised, as it was not required yet. But that vehicle, an SUV, was in good speed. It soon overtook us, and what did we see... Two young boys, maybe in their late teens, were standing with a camera and a mobile in hand, and trying to click pictures I don't know of what or of whom. The car was, as I earlier said, in quite a good speed and they were immune to the fact that they were causing unnecessary hassle by their full lights on and trying to display the wealth which is not earned by them definitely, but by their elders and are flaunting it.

This is the state today here in Mumbai, and in all the metro cities I am sure. Display display and display. But then the other side of this very city, we see rag pickers, as young as 8 and 9 year old, digging into all the filth and dirt, to procure something and get some money by the end of the day. Then there are these young girls with little infants in their arms, (mostly drugged infants), begging at the signals. What kind of a life are they leading?? Is there nothing that we can do about this??

At the end of the day, I feel is this the price we pay for living in a metro city?? Seeing all this disparity, the unconcerned authorities, and the helplessness of the citizens, I feel maybe there will be a brighter side someday. Hoping to see that day dawn soon ......