Dear Agony Akka,
It has been a rather miserable week, what with Diwali all wet and washed out and now the continuing rains in Chennai. Water has come into the ground floor of my house in Anna Nagar and we have moved ourselves and many of our precious goods to the first floor. We also moved our gas stove and food items so that we can cook and stay here itself till rain stops. I cannot understand why it should be like this. After 2015, why could our government not do something about drainage and flooding menace? We are well on our way to becoming trilling dollar economy, but we are still not able to tackle flooding. Please give one of your clever solutions.
— With Extreme Testiness
Dear WET,
I am sorry to hear about your water problems but also secretly amused that you are feeling so entitled. The governments from Indus Valley to Indira Gandhi to Narendra Modi have told you repeatedly that they will give you roti, kapda and makaan. Since you are anti-Hindi Tamil person, that translates into food, clothing and housing. You have got house, even if it is little wet now. You have got clothes and food. What do you mean by now demanding dry housing like infant wanting dry nappy? It is too much.
You are like the camel that finally took over the whole tent and sent the Arab into the desert. Oh sorry, I told politically incorrect story. You are like the elephant that took over the tent and sent the mahout into the jungle.
You can’t keep asking and asking for more and more things. It is government or akshayapatra? Even real life akshayapatras are not giving eggs to children and children are keeping quiet. Why don’t you learn from them?
Our prime minister has announced only the other day that one cannot keep demanding fundamental rights. One must first do duties, then ask. If you want dry house and drainage, first ask yourself what you have done for government? Did you send 5-6 WhatsApp history lessons to your friend circle? Did you watch latest Akshay Kumar thriller movie Bell Bottom? Did you erect life-size cutout of Chief Minister outside your home? See? You won’t do anything, but you expect fundamental rights all the time.
On the other hand, Tamil Nadu’s government officials have been busy and useful. In T. Nagar apparently there is flooding because drains were blocked by corporation people studiously dumping building debris into them. Now, after the floods, they can raise fresh tenders and start work again to unblock the drains. This is known as doing one’s duty.
The National Human Rights Commission held its annual debate yesterday and chose as its topic “Are human rights a stumbling block in fighting evils like terrorism & naxalism?” Like that I am asking, is citizen greed for development works a stumbling block when government officials only want to lead simple lives with Mercedes and foreign vacays? Think about it.
— AA
agony.akka@gmail.com
