An exemplary way of writing news...

(This has been written by Nasir Kamal a senior journalist associated with Hindustan Times for a long period... now with Free Press Journal, Bhopal...the way of expression of this news could change the perception that content is more precious...I urge every journalist go through it at least once...)

Nisar main teri galiyon pe...

Nasir Kamal

Bhopal

Poet Faiz Ahmed ‘Faiz’, in an entirely different context, had said:

Nisaar mein teri galiyon pe aiy watan, ke jahan;

Chali hai rasm ke koyee na sar utha ke chaley.

(I offer my life to your alleys my homeland, where nobody is allowed to walk with head held high).

The citizens of Bhopal – pedestrians and drivers alike -- are also being forced to walk with their heads bowed. No, it’s not because of some ‘state repression’ as was hinted by Faiz; it’s because of the deplorable condition of the City’s roads. You just cannot walk or drive looking 20 yards ahead; you have to keep your head down and keep eyes fixed just three-four yards ahead of you to avoid potholes. Probably, this is the administration’s idea of turning Bhopal into Paris – a bombed-out Paris.

Every locality, every street of the town tells the story of corruption and criminal negligence of the civic authorities who are obsessed with the beautification of the Upper Lake and setting up viewing points.

The condition of streets in Bhopal had never been so bad. The works of various projects, like laying sewer pipes and new water supply pipelines (often gleefully mixing with each other) have worsened the situation. The contractors who carried out the projects did such a shoddy work of repairs that instead of improving, the condition of roads has worsened after repairs.

The administration, in the past, used to blame rains for poor roads. This excuse cannot work this time round because there was hardly any rain this monsoon.

The administration also did not show the customary decency of repairing roads during the festival season, though the leaders concerned made a show of ‘inspecting’ the festival venues and ‘ordering’ repairs of potholes. Those who visited Paris to learn about development should have instead spent the amount on filling up the potholes and their purpose would have been better served.

The condition has slipped to such a deplorable state that some wag parodied a famous couplet like this:

Inhi pattharon pe chal kar agar asako to aao;

Mere ghar ke raaste main koyee RAASTA naheen hai.

(The original second line was ‘mere ghar ke raaste main koyee KAHKAKASHAN naheen hai).

Not only the streets in most parts of the town tell the tale of stark negligence and widespread corruption, the management of traffic, particularly in old town, points at a lackadaisical attitude bordering on bureaucratic arrogance and political lack of will. How many times the authorities hold traffic committee meetings and announce big plans to clear streets of encroachers and handcart-pushers etc? And how many times they implement their ‘resolves’? What happened to the plans to create parking lots (announced after much fanfare and photographs of the authorities concerned visiting the spot)?

One example in this regard would suffice: About 40 years ago (yes 40 years!), only one-way traffic was allowed on the street from Imami Gate to Moti Masjid (via Peer Gate and Tehsil Huzoor Road). Now, when the vehicular traffic has increased at least 20-fold during the past 40 years, all kinds of vehicle run madly on this stretch from both sides and the cops watch listlessly. In between these years, we have had officers and netas who keep announcing, flyovers, underpasses and subways etc to ease traffic.

One is also worried about the fate of the low-floor AC buses proposed to be run soon. With speed-breakers of varying sizes dotting the streets, one wonders how will the buses, their drives and the commuters cope with them.