Losing out in the fast pace

I recently went to Dehradun and was appalled to see the mess it has become ever since it was declared the capital of Uttarakhand. The narrow lanes and roads built for pedestrian and cycle routes are choked with cars and two-wheelers that blow their horns angrily at each other as they all wait at jammed corners. Perhaps the only remnants of Doon’s gracious past are now the IMA and the glorious Forest Research Institute with their immaculately maintained grounds

Dehradun's narrow lanes and roads are choked with cars and two-wheelers. Tribune photo

Ira Pande

FINALLY, the air over Delhi seems to be clearing up but it has left all of us with a hacking cough that just won’t go away. Little children and elderly folk are the most vulnerable and virtually no one in either of these two groups seems to have escaped the curse of pollution. Soon, the dreaded fog of winter will enter our city and driving on the highways will become a lethal challenge for early-morning commuters.

However, we focus too much attention on the state of the capital without realising that every other city in the north is similarly afflicted. Cities such as Ludhiana and Kanpur have long been notorious for their dreadful pollution and traffic. Today, that list seems to have grown exponentially. I recently went to Dehradun and was appalled to see the mess it has become ever since it was declared the capital of Uttarakhand. My memories go back to the early Sixties when it was a peaceful cantonment town with sprawling bungalows, lush private orchards and hardly any traffic. The old bungalows have long vanished, as have their litchi and mango trees and what we have now is a concrete mess of apartment buildings over their remains. The narrow lanes and roads built for pedestrian and cycle routes are choked with cars and two-wheelers that blow their horns angrily at each other as they all wait at jammed corners. The situation reminds one of the old story about two rams locking horns over a narrow bridge and ultimately falling into the river below.

As for the malls and glittering stores that have taken over Chakrata Road and the old road leading to Ghantaghar, the less said the better. Perhaps the only remnants of Doon’s gracious past are now the Indian Military Academy and the glorious Forest Research Institute with their immaculately maintained grounds. Some bright person has decided to build an elevated road over the ghat area by blocking the seasonal streams that are such a vital part of the mountainous terrain leading to the city. Another similarly inclined is blasting the mountains to widen the road into a four-lane highway. Have we learnt nothing from what happened in Bengaluru just a few months ago? I can guarantee that we will soon see floods and landslides wash away all this effort as Dehradun’s monsoon is legendary.

No one applies their mind to adjusting infrastructure to the climate change that stares us in the face. Again, we have to educate our population to slow down instead of rushing mindlessly in every direction just to save a few minutes. Despite the colossal tragedies that have become a regular feature of this highly fragile sub-Himalayan ecosystem, Uttarakhand seems determined to become the glitzy smart city-crazy state that it was never meant to be. I have observed that states that were created after prolonged public agitations led by students and the young (remember the North-East?) are unfit to handle the kind of governance required to provide stability and sanity. In this respect, one recalls with gratitude the role that statesmen such as YS Parmar in Himachal Pradesh, Bansi Lal in Haryana and the early Congress and Akali leaders provided in Punjab when three states were carved out of one. The bureaucracy that advised these leaders was also a mature and wiser one than we see today. Just look at what is happening in Punjab or Telangana. I weep when I read about the complete breakdown of governance in other states where winning elections is now the only aim of political parties. Despite the poll promises they make and claims of their ability to deliver, there is little evidence to trust such charlatans.

India is a young country and the young are impatient and ambitious. Yet there is a great need to educate the people that lasting prosperity comes only after a long struggle to firmly set the rules that lead to such a state. Lying, cheating and scamming are now valorised and cultivated. Everyone wants to buy a house, a car, fancy clothes and household goods. The end justifies the means and those who work hard are considered donkeys or losers. The trick is to earn a quick buck, for visible wealth silences all critics. The time for asking uncomfortable questions of these hustlers is over: parents fear children and teachers shut their eyes to cheating and lying. Where this will lead us is not for me to predict but it makes me question where our generation went wrong and when our educational institutions stopped monitoring our children.

We love to boast about our democracy and our diversity but how long these will survive given the intense pressure to cut corners and speed ‘development’ is an equal concern. Becoming a good citizen is someone else’s concern as more and more of our young want all the benefits of a welfare state without making any sacrifices to make this possible. I may sound like a broken record but this country will only be considered worth being looked up to when each one of us thinks of our disadvantaged sections before seeking more advantages for ourselves. Perhaps this realisation comes only when one grows older. Our schools need to include civics and moral science once more to instil these basic human qualities in our young.