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!)
