One Nation and Two Identities

We have the general elections behind us, a stable government with possibly the best mandate possible in our times and a budget that is 24 hours away and is expected to be a path breaking one. We all have our own wishlists spanning ourselves, our neighbourhod /society and our nation at large (in that order of priority). As I decided to ponder on what I expected from this budget, I found it difficult to fix a reference point. This is because I have been doing something in the last 4 months that I have not done before and it has set me thinking.
I have in some sense migrated out of India and am now residing in Bharat (not very difficult since I grew up in the time when there was just one Bharat). I decided to not just roll down the car windows but to completely leave the car behind and understand in a small way the contradictions that thrive in this country which is stretched between the same latitudes and longitudes but has 2 distinct personalities.
I wanted to begin from my immediate neighbourhood and then reachout to neighbouring towns followed by rural India. The purpose was not to chronicle observations as a research student but to act as and when I could by drawing on all the resources and energies that I have. It has been a shade over 100 days and I have not been able to move beyond the neighbourhood domain itself.

The reason for this is that like the character Horton of the movie 'Horton hears a Hu' I am finding an amazing and exhaustive world existing in this miniature block of land (my immediate neighbourhood) which does not span an area of even 2 sq km.

The sheer diversity of experiences, the plethora of complex challenges and the coexistence of hope and despair, of truimph and struggles, of meaning and madness that I have witnessed has left me exasperated and energised. Exasperated because I did not realise for so many years (37 to be precise) that so much is changing and at such a rapid pace. I would like to bet that if you have been rolling your car windows up or closing them for the AC to be effective in the strong summer heat and have lived your life the past few years either travelling by non public transport mode or your interactions and experiences are primarily created at offices,malls,multiplexes and airports then if you were to 'Roll down the car windows' and step out in the other world which is also existing at an arms length , you will feel exactly as 'Rip Van Winkle' did after he woke from his slumber of 20 years and looked at the world around him.

I am also feeling energised because I am realising that it is possible to actually do something about everything that is happening. Also in a small way when I have reached out and sought support, the number of people and the positivity with which they have responded has been extremely encouraging.

What I intend doing over the next few posts is to share those experiences which stand out in my journey so far. I am not going to be judgemental but I will seek to create a dialogue, to trigger some thoughts and if possible initiate some action that can make a difference. I invite you to be a co traveller on this journey and to express yourselves and suggest solutions where you can. Incase you know of someone who can be interested in anything that you read or is capable of changing something, do let me know and I will establish contact with the person / institution.

Watch this space for connecting with ' The Autodriver who wants a decent education for his son'
and whose struggle to achieve the same is still on.