We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves

~ Gautam Buddha

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Seeding the run down settlement


In the dark, dank stretch under the flyover, the monster of modern world, a slum has sprung up. In few months, it gobbles the adjoining lanes. Till date, it has already been crossed the few neatly built brick houses.

The mighty ugliness has nothing to do with pruned miniature garden house or the posh locality or beautification plan of the city. So what if it is just a stone throw from the Sadar Thana. Slums are the prices and facts of modern world, the urbanization. As a monster of urbanization, it is ready to engulf what may come its way!

Piles of sacks stuffed with rags lie strewn all around the boulevard few days after the hurricane. After math of hurricane Ailla has rushed the displaced hoards to the neighboring metro. The hunger stuck, fatally tired drifters have been collapsing at any accessible space.

Now the place under fly over has been turning home to a couple of families. Earlier, it has been used as a parking space for dumped vehicles by police Last week only, after the years of struggle the residents have acquired permission from court to clear the place. The rising congestion and pollution have been taking toll on the wellbeing of residents. Sky rocketing graph of asthma, bronchitis and cancer were making common realities in homes.

To have some respite from the hard realities of illnesses. The elderly and office goers were looking for an open space, in the locality. The place has already been ear marked as recreational place in the municipal plan of the city. The rising temperature of city and shooting graph of illnesses among residents has been pressing the need of park every day.

But in few weeks, to the dismay of residents another settlement came in view under the road flyover. The metros by its  nature has every resource to feed the monster, the slum- job opportunities for menial work, the free accessible space, support and hands over their shoulders of local goons and callous attitude of law enforcing agencies. Who had time and concern for the safety of human lives!

Especially when the apathetic law enforcing authorities are dealing with it! For them it is job of civil authorities. The civil authorities see it as a crisis of migrant. The problems of displaced, roofless, hungry hoards!

Thus the slums were impregnating the public spaces at their very sights. The inability and the apathy of law enforcers are acting as driving force to encroachment.

The conflicts of unparallel lives of migrant and settled residents have always been seeded the crime graphs of the city. The persistent ignorance of security factors are the real germ of slum. But who does care about the securities of residents even if it is a basic need?

The low and high end of strata is the easiest recipe of crimes! Now the ingredients are fuelling the locality into potential place of crime. But who and why anyone will look into it? It is land of apathy!

The concerned authority don’t heed to the problem. Then who can resist temptation of fast bucks with cramping hunger and roofless head! It concerns none! See, another monster is in its way! Who can dare to check it?

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