At Hinjewadi Chowk

Today morning, as I was coming to office today, I saw an old man standing at my left side of the road. He wore thick glasses and was held by his arm by a young man. I guess he must be too old to be left alone. He must be too weak to be left without support. I figured that he wanted to cross the road. It was tough though. There was, as usual, a heavy traffic at the Hinjewadi chowk. Everyone seemed to me in a desperate haste. In a fear of being outmaneuvred by someone else I criss-crossed my way through the crowd of cars, buses and uncountable two-wheelers and rode off.

I sped ahead, but the sight of old man, however, continued to disturb me. It must have been difficult for him to stand there waiting for the road to clear up. In this sun! In this dust! And roads dont get cleared up soon enough nowadays. He would have to wait for long. And yes, By the way, I remember that Tata has promised to sell cars in Rs 100 K from next year perhaps. Bringing socialism in consumerism! Wow! Everyone will have a car of his own. Everyone will realize his dream of driving a car on the roads they show in the ads; the roads that are seen *only* in motor ads and nowhere else.

Public transport system? What is that? What an obsolete concept! How pathetically socialistic thought! Hush!! India is shining, especially near the red light. This part of red shine is brought to you by Tata Co. Relax and see the shine.

Phase II is ready. Hinjewadi Chowk is grudgingly ready to let pass few hundred vehicles more. After all this small sacrifice is nothing for the development of Pune. Pune also wants to be prosperous like Bangalore. Bangalore wanted to be like something else. After sometime every town will look like one another. You see one, you see all. I visited Gudgaon. Sometime later I visited Bangalore. I had almost a deja vu there. Same malls, same multiplexes. Similar men, similar women. Anyways, now I hear that phase III and phase IV are going to be developed soon in Hinjewadi. I shudder from the very thought of what will be the scenario on the road then? What will happen to the people who are not in IT industry? How long the old man would have to wait in sun and dust?

I will leave Pune by then. I love Pune as long as it is beautiful. I wouldnt like to live in a screwed up city. I will go somewhere else. May be abroad if get a chance. But I dont think that the old man would do the same. He will stay here. He will continue to live in the screwed-up city. Perhaps he loves Pune more than I do. But no one asks him anything. The destiny of the city is designed by those who seldom visit this place. By those who are here only because they didnt get a call from their heaven.

I hear some bad news. The villagers have decided to oppose this deveopment. Led by anger and frustration, they are said to having resorted to violent protests. They perhaps want the restoration of erstwhile days when crossing the road was less challenging. The government, their government has decided to give them a police treatment. At the top floor, in that air-conditioned room, someone is smiling, or faking a smile.