How sellability has become more important for success of the so called Conclaves organised by reputed organisations for “critically anlysising” country’s problem and suggesting solution, remarks of bollywood star Sharukh Khan holds lot of importance during recently held conclave to get some answers, where he was invited to talk on issue faced by India-pakistan.

“Frankly speaking, I do not know what these conclave mean and I heard about the world Anclave only where I stayed for sometime in Mumbai,” said Sharukh, addressing the audience present in conclave. His true admission has revealed about state of intellectual bankruptcy in the country. Whether film actors are left to think about serious problems of the country and providing vision for future generation?

As sellability is becoming catching phrase, ironically most of the conclaves are witnessing similar trend. These are organised just attract viwership or more performed as relationship building excercises. Most of invited guests have no background to be represented as public speakers and discussion here turned out be mere gossips. This raises question whether country is short of intellectuals or symbols (in this case brand of Sharukh) have taken over true intellect.

preetinderworld@yahoo.com

While we talk of getting modernised in last 62 years of country’s indepedence, comments of 85-year-old women, one of the first lady in Ludhiana city to get graduation degree during pre independence time are very significant.

“If you ask about whether people of the city have gone more intelligent, count the number of beauty parlours and libraries,” she said, during interaction with me at local Government College for Women, of which she was the first student in graudation dates back to 1943.

She said that while during last 62 year the number of beauty parlours increased over thousand, hardly any public library got opened during this time. Even, those in the education institutions are least used by anyone. Her reply was clear indication that most us care more about external apperance under influence of consumeristic culture promoted by media, than growing as an intelletuals.

She also pointed that under consumerism, we have lost independent and logical and analytic thinking, at least partly. And are behaving the way suits to their production cycle. Under the consumer driven culture, we have also lost compassion for follow country men and living very self centered life. In other words, material has taken over relations, values are no more important.

Her answers bothers me lot. It make feel that we lost more than gained. Though, now our markets are better filled with luring goods, but our hearts less weep for others. Most of us are in the circle of calculating and buying. I think in the modertime we need to again look for the role models like Mahatma Gandhi. Need to respect the people, who speaks great, think with compassion, but wear simple. Say no to consumerism. Feedback at preetinderworld@yahoo.com

Preetinder Singh

Covering news beat of Municipal Corporation of city like Ludhiana, which is biggest city after New Delhi in the north India, for English daily encountered me with fact that our policies have failed to recognize the presence of the poor in the cities. While rich and influential are sabotaging the system in connivance with bureaucrats, for poor even earning of bread and butter is illegal activity.

More than 30 percent of the cities population is living in poverty and they have no place to own. Most of them earn livelihood by selling products on Rehires (one having shop on Rickshaw) and footpaths, which include from vegetables to the selling of toys for children. Day and night they fear one thing-that is Tehbazari team of the municipal corporation, which takes their goods in possession on spotting them on roads and streets.

I know few of them, who actually are very genuine people and much honest as individual then our elite bureaucrats and politicians. Naresh (name changed) is one of them, who eke out his living by selling plate of Rajmah Chawal for Rs 15 in the local Feroze Gandhi market. In my presence, many a times he served free meal to the homeless children and did not charged anything. I wonder what he would be taking home end of the day.

But the kind hearted man had to pay bribe of Rs 150 to the parking contractor every day for allowing selling his product. However, even after bribing the contractor, a team of corporation could any time take away his belongings.

Recently, Ludhiana Corporation during the clean up operations in the city on first of January forced hundreds of like Naresh to abandon their business and sit at home. The operation was launched in pretext that they were doing business illegally on the government land. It was termed a New Year gift to the residents-More clean city (without poor in other way).

Many people might urge that what ever may be reason. Illegal is illegal. But, whether these people could ever buy land, prices of which are jacked by the land mafia in connivance with political top brass. While in the prominent areas of the city, land prices are as high as Rs 1.5 lakh per square, in no commercial area it comes down than Rs 50 per square yard. It means that even buying of five square yard would be costing Rs 7.5 lakh. How many Rehriwala could be able to buy it as most of them do not have cash for second days, if do not come for work? Not even one, even one who is doing the best business.

I know one Kulcha wala from my school time. He was selling Kulche-Chole like anything and even purchased by the elite of the city. He might be among few sellers on the footpath, in front of them one could find swanky Honda’s city and Skoda’s lined up. Interestingly, he also pay income tax. But, to my surprise when I came in the city after 15 years (after being appointed staff reporter with English daily) saw that he was still on the same footpath.

Popularly known as Panditji, he said, “How person could think of buying shop here and even my next generation could not think in as prices are so high.” Irony is that while these poor and greedless people are harassed, half of the Ludhiana’s elite population have encroached some or the other part of the government land and included in their building and houses. Not more than 20 percent have left parking space as per civic bodies laws, which also akin to the encroachments. No action is taken against them.

On the other hand, these harmless Rehriwals and footpath sellers are left to bear the wrath of so called law enforcement agencies. Need is that we must recognise existence of these ordinary Rehriwals and their struggle for bread and butter. As case is similar in the cities too, government should frame up policies to give them space to sell their goods and do not eliminate their basic right of survival. Need is to develop sensitivity towards the poor, which have forgotten long ago.