THEY FIGHT WHILE PEOPLE SUFFER (18/09/2015)

The spread of dengue has crossed the severity of 2010 and the whole city is in its grip. Through huge advertisements inserted in national newspapers, the Delhi Government has been appealing people not to panic, yet the ground realities and newspaper reports alongside has left people in panic and who are forced to live in constant fear. It is difficult to confront a person in Delhi who can claim that no one in his know is not suffering from this disease. Such is the all invasive penetration of this deadly disease in Delhi this year. In a couple of days from now we shall be celebrating one year of “Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan” and to think of it that the incidence of Dengue has increased this year, when leaders and citizens had together pledged to make India a cleaner place, brings forth the hollowness of such mission. I do not blame the Government, solely. People are to be held equally responsible. The Government does not have a magic wand to all our problems, especially those like cleanliness, which call for people’s participation. Every day on my way to office, I find sweepers cleaning the areas religiously and sincerely. But by evening the areas are back in the same condition- full of garbage of all types- vegetable waste, plastics, dog’s poop, solid and liquid waste and what not. We, the citizens, lack in civic sense and are more adept in pointing an accusing finger at the Government. The Government, which constitutes of people like us, is also adept in playing this blame game. While the city is held hostage to the menace of dengue- its leaders are busy in playing the blame game alike its citizens. God help this city.