Tags:
Journalism of Courage
What, 350 words! One can8217;t do justice to the problems Mumbai8217;s facing in one full page! How can one talk about congestion, lack of open spaces, garbage, pollution, traffic, the horrors of commuting, noise pollution, breakdown of infrastructure, disaster management in just 350 words? Anyway, I thought about it, tried to prioritise all the problems, and came to the conclusion that perhaps the biggest problem is none of those mentioned above, but the apathy of Mumbaiites.
The reason behind this conclusion is simple 8212; all these problems are known to us and all these problems have solutions. Yet, day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, the Mumbaikar struggles on, cursing all and sundry, but oblivious to the fact that the solutions lie within his grasp.
The point is, besides cursing the railways, the cops, the municipal workers the bureaucrats and the ministers, what else do we do? The answer, sadly, is NOTHING. And this is why, day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, Mumbai continues to crumble and decay, despite the hundreds of crores of rupees that are poured down the drain, and, of course, into the right pockets.
Mumbai has produced great crusaders and reformers. Yet, why is it that the average Mumbaikar feels so helpless? Time and again, history has proved that a handful of people can make a difference. Then why is it that 12 million Mumbaikars take it for granted that they can do nothing to help themselves, their families, their friends, their environment? If 12 million people decide that they want clean air, clean water, a clean and green environment, then no government, politician or bureaucrat can fight down this demand. The Mumbaikar must realise this fact, and MUST act. Only he can save himself.
