Few things remain unchanged..

I'm taking a bit too long vacation after 7 and half years. Enjoying an unwanted vacation. So looking at life in modern India from close quarters.

Many things changed! Cell phones, proliferation of internet into small towns, umpteen news channels, mineral water in every household, American brands and restaurants etc. Finally cars are affordable to middle class (or is that the increased purchasing power), fancy European cars every where..

Few things became worse. Roads, traffic, pollution, ground water levels, corruption, bribery. Actually corruption and Bribery are socially accepted. I mean to say, it's not bothering people any more. The red tape in India adds fuel to this.

Even though you live in Guntur city, you've to go to a neighboring village to get a marriage certificate. You'd only know about once you go to a registrar office in your vicinity. And if you don't hire an agent, forget about getting the certificate in time. It's getting hard for me to defend the anti bribery stance.

And few things remain the same. To name one, stupidity of people. Before you call me elitist, condescending or some thing else here's an example. AP state is experiencing a major public agitation now. Telangana people asking for separate state and others opposing it. Yesterday I got stuck up in traffic cause of a students doing a rastha roko and today restricted to my home 'cause of voluntary strike.

Now going back to my earlier point of stupidity, the first target for all these people are APSRTC buses. Passionate people (read that as affirmative action students who stay in universities too long for
stipends) put these buses on fire and break their windows to demonstrate the anger.

RTC buses are public properties and are purchased using the tax money paid by the same person destroying it. (along with bus fare, of course). In addition to the lost revenue, RTC has to spend millions of rupess fix these buses . I don't know when did this started, but I can recall this from the days I started reading newspaper.

How to fix this? This might be a radical approach, but this destroying of property needs to be stopped. How about killing the goons who destroys public property intentionally. This need not be done for too long. Just the implementation of this policy once or twice will send a chill down the spine of these students and goons. In my view, public infrastructure costing millions of rupees is worth more than lives of few antisocial elements.

Ahh feels good writing this.. but I neither have a degree in govt. policy nor a policy making job. Will write more about life in India. (my fav subject, Indian weddings ..not)

Peace.