At the time of writing this article, the spectacle that was Dusshera, Diwali, and other festivals has been expunged from the average resident’s staying in societies calendar. Considering the scale, tempo and fervour that accompanied the cultural extravaganza in its glory years, the fading out of these theatrical retellings of the Puja Pandals, lights, Diwali sound, and colour seems almost anticlimactic.
As is probably justified with an event of this mass level being consigned to the pages of history, there have been mixed reactions and strong opinions from all quarters. Throughout its lifetime, Durga Puja pandals have been an epitome of teamwork, a testament to what a group of residents working nights on end can achieve.
To have it ripped away from society, whatever the reasons, leaves a bad taste. Perhaps we should take this opportunity to look back and reflect on the events that led us to this juncture. The sequence of events is vague, and if we dig deep and analyse, it seems hard to determine where and why exactly it all began.
Irrespective of that, the question we need to ask ourselves at this point is “Why Now?”Why are the shouts against festivals louder and more cohesive than ever? In Delhi-Noida-Gururgram markets, it clearly shows that every time something is wrong with Diwali vibes. So many shops are not even lit. It doesn’t feel like a festival. “Har baar kisi bhi festival ki feel nai aati.”
It is because we have finally realised that unless we stand up and shout, no one will hear us. The mindset of societies is not against festivals as much as it is a protest against the curbs on our freedom. Something that we residents took for granted has been taken away from us, and we dont like it. Trust and transparency in the residents-administration relationship were something we all wished for. The open session with the local representatives was a first step.
We need many more, if there is to be any hope of rescuing ourselves from the state we are in. Thousands and thousands of potholes, extremely unhygienic, leaky public toilets, non-existent traffic civic sense, an archaic bureaucracy, and local goons barging into RWAs' affairs; as an outsider like many, I have to contend with all of this. Coupled with an administration that, so far, was seemingly blissfully unaware of the part it had to play in creating and maintaining relationships with residents, we seemingly had reached the nadir. Post the elections, do we see light at the end of the tunnel?
Given experience, it would be all too easy to put all that was said at the rally aside as empty promises, but we hope otherwise, both for the residents' sake and the representatives. We deserve a reactive administration, one that is more sensitive to the needs of the citizens, and one that realises that the actions of a minority do not dictate the mentality of the majority. If society has to change for the better. We need action, and we need it now.
Could all this have been avoided? Seemingly a rhetorical question, but the citizens' unrest that we see now, the discontent at all the things which are not right in society, was bound to surface sometime or the other. There are only so many potholes and garbage in roads that some of us can stomach, and only so many wrong prescriptions that we are willing to risk our lives over. The 24*7 wine shops around every 100 mts away keep residents out of the loop, was the flash that was needed.
Make no mistake, this is a turning point in our city’s chequered history. We are in a period of transition. Or so we are told. Change is afoot in society. We are told to bear with it and watch as 50 years of tradition and spirit crumble around us. Are these ruins of our own making? As is common with occurrences of this magnitude, neither the administration nor the residents can claim to be without fault. Whatever the outcome, one thing is for sure. These are no longer the best days of our lives.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication. |
