I read the news about some NRI buying a flat for Rs.34 crores in NCPA building, Marine Drive in Mumbai, supposedly the costliest real estate deal ever in the country. And it somewhat makes me proud that I belong to a city that is so much in demand for its real estate. However, my feelings are also sometimes mixed that make me wonder if these prices are realistic and would I be able to take part in this race (not 34 crores ofcourse)? Will I get a share in a piece of land anywhere? And I hear the prices shouting back at me loudly, NO, NEVER! I console myself wandering on the busy streets of huge highways, jam packed S. V. Roads, air-conditioned malls, at times silent pathways of Aarey Colony, and so on.
All this while I wasn’t complaining and was kind of ‘OK’ with the feeling that I had some space to roam about, where tranquility and solace still exists. However, all this seems to be very short-lived, with politician’s latest decision to hand over open spaces of Mumbai to private clubs. I fail to understand a rational reason for this in terms of betterment of the surroundings or environment. Of course, it is quite understood that politicians would have vested interests in these dealings.
The clubhouses will ruin the open and sparingly green spaces by converting them into concrete air-conditioned blocks with ultra modern facilities that can be only used by the elite. No concern for the general public, who also are least bothered with the steps that politicians take and allow the exploitation of silence and the ‘chalta hai’ or ‘chodd na yaar’ or ‘jaane de re’ attitude. I don’t know why we (including me too) tend to ignore so much when we know that things happening are wrong, not justified, and totally selfish. We deserve equal rights to utilize open spaces where we can choose to relax or find some peace at end of the day. They can’t be snatched from us so easily.
We all probably studied a subject, ‘Civics’ in school that taught me about fundamental rights of a citizen, governance, politics, and so on. However, we have forgotten it, as it carried weightage of only 20 and we prestigiously tend to boast our BE, MBA, MBBS, MS, and so on.
All this while I wasn’t complaining and was kind of ‘OK’ with the feeling that I had some space to roam about, where tranquility and solace still exists. However, all this seems to be very short-lived, with politician’s latest decision to hand over open spaces of Mumbai to private clubs. I fail to understand a rational reason for this in terms of betterment of the surroundings or environment. Of course, it is quite understood that politicians would have vested interests in these dealings.
The clubhouses will ruin the open and sparingly green spaces by converting them into concrete air-conditioned blocks with ultra modern facilities that can be only used by the elite. No concern for the general public, who also are least bothered with the steps that politicians take and allow the exploitation of silence and the ‘chalta hai’ or ‘chodd na yaar’ or ‘jaane de re’ attitude. I don’t know why we (including me too) tend to ignore so much when we know that things happening are wrong, not justified, and totally selfish. We deserve equal rights to utilize open spaces where we can choose to relax or find some peace at end of the day. They can’t be snatched from us so easily.
We all probably studied a subject, ‘Civics’ in school that taught me about fundamental rights of a citizen, governance, politics, and so on. However, we have forgotten it, as it carried weightage of only 20 and we prestigiously tend to boast our BE, MBA, MBBS, MS, and so on.
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