What's wrong with us Malayalees? Why can't we look at the positive side of life? I'm gonna cite an incident that took place just the other day and hence, remains fresh in everyone's minds.
I've been talking about the pathetic condition of the roads all over Kerala. The appalling conditions, the crater-like potholes and the absence of the centre median, even on a substantial stretch of the highways have taken taken their toll - hundreds of lives have been lost, this year itself. There was this recent incident where two youth on a two wheeler, while trying to avoid a huge pothole hit a mount of stones kept nearby for roadwork and fell on the road, only to be run over by a speeding bus that charged in from behind - yes, speeding on such a road! Doesn't the driver need to be banned from taking the wheel ever again?
Anguished by the piece of news, Jayasurya, a popular actor of the Malayalam movies and a few of his friends had embarked upon filling up the potholes across a stretch of an arterial road of the city. Rather than appreciating his gesture, he's now portrayed as the villain.
And by whom? None other than the Hon Mayor of the city, the minister and his department, the public works department. Their argument - the potholes have been filled up unscientifically, making it more hazardous and dangerous for the driving motorists and that the actor had done so to gain cheap popularity....in other words, brownie points at their expense!
Indeed, the general public had welcomed the actor's noble thought. And to a layman like me, the question that automatically rises is that if he'd really wanted publicity, why did he and his men choose to take up the work at night when the traffic had dwindled and that too, sans elaborate media coverage?
O! We mallus!! Why are we like this?
Tailpiece.
As I punch in these thoughts, the old number 'Dhal gaya din' from the Hindi movie 'Humjoli' - picturised on Jeetender and Leena Chandavarkar playing badminton is emanating from the music system. The mallus' plight reminded me of that of the shuttle!
I've been talking about the pathetic condition of the roads all over Kerala. The appalling conditions, the crater-like potholes and the absence of the centre median, even on a substantial stretch of the highways have taken taken their toll - hundreds of lives have been lost, this year itself. There was this recent incident where two youth on a two wheeler, while trying to avoid a huge pothole hit a mount of stones kept nearby for roadwork and fell on the road, only to be run over by a speeding bus that charged in from behind - yes, speeding on such a road! Doesn't the driver need to be banned from taking the wheel ever again?
Anguished by the piece of news, Jayasurya, a popular actor of the Malayalam movies and a few of his friends had embarked upon filling up the potholes across a stretch of an arterial road of the city. Rather than appreciating his gesture, he's now portrayed as the villain.
And by whom? None other than the Hon Mayor of the city, the minister and his department, the public works department. Their argument - the potholes have been filled up unscientifically, making it more hazardous and dangerous for the driving motorists and that the actor had done so to gain cheap popularity....in other words, brownie points at their expense!
Indeed, the general public had welcomed the actor's noble thought. And to a layman like me, the question that automatically rises is that if he'd really wanted publicity, why did he and his men choose to take up the work at night when the traffic had dwindled and that too, sans elaborate media coverage?
O! We mallus!! Why are we like this?
Tailpiece.
As I punch in these thoughts, the old number 'Dhal gaya din' from the Hindi movie 'Humjoli' - picturised on Jeetender and Leena Chandavarkar playing badminton is emanating from the music system. The mallus' plight reminded me of that of the shuttle!
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