Gift? To Whom? And for what?

Sakal had a news item, with a picture – an idyllic road and some motorists and two-wheelers wheeling fast as the speed would allow. This was the flyover opposite to the E-Square multiplex on Ganeshkhind Road. The title of the news items said – People start using the road without ribbon cutting (or something like that, I have actually paraphrased the title). Excuse me? Ribbon cutting? Did I hear a dissenting voice that asked why the project was delayed by almost two years? Did I hear anyone ask about the quality of the material used? Did I hear anyone ask about the longevity and quality assurance certificate for the project? Did I hear anyone ask about the traffic woes everyone faced in last two years? Well, too many questions. While your brain is busy processing these questions, here’s some more – information this time. Someone had a brilliant idea; why not do the ribbon cutting on 12-Dec, which happens to be the birthday of the Duke of Baramati and the Great Maratha, Sharad Pawar. This will be a unique gift to the duke. S.Y.C.O.P.H.A.N.C.Y!

M-W defines Sycophancy as:

Function: noun

: obsequious flattery; also : the character or behavior of a sycophant

And sycophant as:

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin sycophanta slanderer, swindler, from Greek sykophantEs slanderer, from sykon fig + phainein to show -- more at FANCY

: a servile self-seeking flatterer

What has the Duke’s birthday got anything to do with this? But in Indian politics, you are not loyal if you do not wish the great leader on hiser birthday. Those kickbacks, large contracts, chairmanship of some cooperative organization, appointment as minister – no things come on merit and every aspiring politician – even the galli-ka-goonda knows it. So, the flyover was dedicated to the Duke! Now, if the Pune Municipal Corporation wants to reimburse my tax money, I will be more than happy to not use that road.

Up till here, it was written yesterday, on the Duke’s birthday, but never published. Whatever happened between then and now, makes me shiver with disgust. I started for home, unmindful of the fact that it was jaNata rajaa’s birthday. I covered a distance of good 3 kilometers, until I came to an intersection where a police stopped the traffic on my road and let people from another road turn to their right. Then, for 8 long minutes, none of the three police men bothered about the building traffic on my road. They alternately allowed the other two roads to clear. And the reason for the traffic jam? Well, sahebancha vaaDhdivas. A bunch of party-workers was dancing to the tune of Himesh Reshamiya blaring at several decibels that made even the rear-view mirror in my car vibrate. Perhaps Himesh’s teraa teraa teraa kasoor…couldn’t have been more apt. Only yesterday afternoon, R and I had had a long talk. Career, family, life in India, life in the US…kashalaa parat alaas tu (why did you return?) he had asked (he also did the same thing, for almost similar reasons). Now that question reverberated in my ears louder than Himesh.

There is a Marathi word – aagpaKhad – I am not sure how to translate it. It is more like the weird feeling you get out of immense anger, but you are unable to do anything about it, not even vent it in a logical or illogical manner. That’s what happened last night. And all because the Duke was born on this day!

Now, if you wish, refer to the definition of anarchy here. And while you are at it, also look at the definition of oligarchy.

The funniest thing happened today morning though. There was a news item in Sakal that said the Agriculture College Flyover was hastily inaugurated even when the construction is not complete. Good gift for you Sharad Pawar!

p.s. Can someone also explain me why Suresh Kalmadi is not being tried for voluntary manslaughter for the deaths caused because of his hasty-decisions on the BRT project?