Saturday 22 February 2014

Notional Highway 58

Dear Satish Sharma ji,

This has reference to your “Open invitation to the CM” (GP dated 18/02/2014).

Let me first bring to your notice that you took an inordinately long time in congratulating Shri Harish Rawat ji, our new Chief Minister. You could easily have done so on 1st February itself at parade ground where hordes of people from across the length and breadth of our state had assembled for this specific purpose.

You were, perhaps, unaware.  Maybe caught in a traffic jam. Or did you have some sort of an understanding with the BJP that you greeted the CM on the day the opposition party tabled the no confidence motion against his government in Vidhan Sabha? Please come clean on the matter.

State of the road from Doon to Delhi? Well it is UK-UP-UK-UP-Delhi if you take the Mohand route and UK-UP-Delhi if you want to go via Haridwar. Even a X standard child knows that. You urgently need to upgrade your knowledge of local geography.

That you feel the road is in an appalling condition is quite surprising. It is possible that you are ignorant of the fact that each of the thousands of potholes have been carefully designed, carved and put in place purposefully by none other but the Rain God himself. The sole objective being to bring people approaching Doon face to face with the almighty every few metres so that even the most stubborn atheist enters Uttarakhand as a spiritual person! Our state, after all, is Dev Bhoomi.

The road in question ensures that the first lap of adventure tourism begins at Uttarakhand Martyrs memorial at Rampur Tiraha itself; Mussoorie and Rishikesh being the stopovers for the second. NHAI should, in fact, seriously consider setting up a few “Fool Plazas” to make users of this notional (or is it national?) highway to pay tax for the thrills that they are presently getting for free. Moreover, this road has also been providing more and more self-employment opportunities to local folks who have set up puncture repair and motor workshops en route; as well as supporting our auto ancillary industry amid the current economic downturn.

This being the situation, your demand for repairs is unreasonable on two counts. One, it would amount to interference in divine work which you yourself oppose when, for example, trees are cut for road widening; and two, you seem to have no knowledge of how the government works. Unlike your newspaper that you bring out a new edition of everyday, government work is serious and thus takes time.

Orders are issued at the top, transmitted down the entire political and then the bureaucratic hierarchy to the concerned babu in the secretariat, before the first alphabet on the first page of the file is written. The file then goes up and comes down similarly with notings, sightings and initials several times before it is complete and ready to be acted upon, assuming that clearance from the high command in New Delhi has been obtained somewhere in between.

Concern for road repair will duly be announced just before the enforcement of the model code of conduct for parliamentary elections, while the file will be completed and contracts awarded a month or two before the 2017 assembly polls, thereby gaining brownie points twice instead of just once if your suggestion is considered.

And now the real reason for writing this letter to you. You have either forgotten to or deliberately not mentioned the type of vehicle you are going to use on your intended ride to Muzaffarnagar with the CM.  Is it a bicycle, scooter, motorbike, auto-rickshaw, vikram, car, jeep, SUV, tractor, bus, truck, jugaad or one that I may be ignorant of? Is it bullet proof?

As per my information, for security reasons, Chief Minister is permitted to use only a bullet proof car along with his fleet consisting of many other vehicles when travelling by road, primarily for commuting locally in Doon; taking the aerial route for inter-city and long distance journeys. So choose an appropriate automobile prudently.

And while doing so, don’t forget that Shri Satpal Maharaj ji  carried out survey for Doon Saharanpur railway line in 1997 by helicopter!

With best regards,

Rajive Singh.


(Published in Garhwal Post on 21/02/2014 as Upgrade knowledge of Geography!)