The General body meeting.

Today was the General body meeting of our residential area. An annual affair, it's now been reduced to a ritual attended by a few and I seriously wonder as to whether many of the residents really care. I mean I wonder whether they're aware as to why such a conglomeration is a must and by giving it the miss, they're in effect missing out on the following:-

      (a) the aim that the residential area's governing committee has set itself to attain.
      (b) the services that are being provided and what the residents are entitled to.
      (c) the existing rules concerning the security of the walled 'township' and the connected rules in place.
      (d) the details of the income and expenditure of the fund being maintained by the committee.
      (e) the identities of the committee's members and election of the new office bearers in rotation.
      (f)  the details of activities, trends and things to watch for to ensure safety and the well being of the  
           residents.
      (g) the reporting of lapses, aspects of maintenance that have been overlooked and those that need the
           urgent attention for being set right.
      (h) the progress/completion of the agenda points of the previous meeting and reasons for not achieving
           targets that have been laid down.
      (j) the targets that are to be set for the forthcoming year.

I can go on to underscore the importance of the meeting and the necessity of all the residents' robust participation to have a vibrant and happy population. But alas, all efforts to bring in everybody have proved to be in vain. The statistics of the attendance gives credence to the sorry tale - out of the total strength of 132 families, give or take about 20 being held up for various reasons like availing leave, stuck with an unavoidable commitment that had just cropped up etc, only 62 members were present. A dismal show indeed!

Wonder why the recalcitrance? Is it because of our 'couldn't care' attitude? Or is it because of the feeling that there's nothing much to be attained at a personal level? Or is it because of the thought that if the services were to be found wanting, the committee members were always there to take the flak or can be hauled upon coal?


Tailpiece.

1. I'd told the gathering which summed up my feelings, "Less participation and no serious points mean only either of the two situations. One where everyone's happy with the state of affairs and the other, where none is happy about what's on offer. I'd like to earnestly believe that it's the former".

2. The crowd has agreed on the conduct of a social evening involving the talent available within the premises as a farewell gesture for your's truly as I ride out into the sunset by November, this year!

3. And after the meet, there were quite a few who'd called me up to apologise and give me reasons for their absence!!