What is the truth?

 It is imperative to want to have an opinion on things happening around us and invariably we do end up having one. But it is a matter of intrigue to me and also a matter of constant concern as to how much of the truth do we know before reaching an opinion.

 We all know about the Adrash Scam. A 6 storey building meant to be for the widows of Kargil war heroes ended up being a 30 storey building in which most flats were owned by the people who hob-knobbed in the circles of power and politics. A Chief Minister had to resign in the context but what next? Who was truly to blame for it and what actually could be happening now?

 Some years back Vilasrao Deshmukh lost his job as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the 26/11 terror attacks. Last month we saw him going over as a Prime Ministers’ messenger to break Anna Hazzare’s iconic Anti Corruption fast! He also happens to be involved in the Adarsh scam and is now a Union Minister in the nation’s capital! Was there any truth in his rebuttal?

Similarly, the Gujarat riots, the most recent of massacres in our time have been forever clouded with dark shadows of perception and justifications. Presently, Sanjeev Bhatt, an officer of the rank of DIG revealed out loud that the Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi allowed the Hindu’s to kill the Muslim’s. He has now been arrested after a junior level constable filed a FIR against him. What is the truth here? It is a fact that Bhatt has had a tainted past but he was also a DIG meaning which his past was not a matter of concern to those in power whom he is accusing today. But there is also sensationalism to the possibility of him being used by the opposition to upstage the all power Modi! How and when will we ever know the truth?

For that matter the auto rickshaw strike- that’s been affecting us more directly then the two above mentioned cases of theft against us tax payers, voters and citizens- is also a matter clouded by curtains of smudgy facts and vested interests. 

I blogged yesterday about how it is unfair to hold the state to ransom and inconvenience the common man and I stand by that, but I wonder who is to blame for this. The Union leader who is a member of the Nationalist Congress Party who for all we know might have some larger gain at hand in all of this, the auto driver who does not mind the extra buck or the hooligans amongst all of them whose only joy is to get a kick out of showing their might over others? Again...Who is to know the truth?

One might suggest an RTI application as the answer and I’ll only point out the couple photo-op that happened of our nations Home Minister-Chidambaram and Finance Minister- Mukherjee, last week when an RTI application revealed Pranab Mukherjee’s ministry noting on some file that the then Finance Minister Chidambaram was in know how of the 2G spectrum scam that cost our country’s government some 7000 crores loss! They both however came together and said, “There is nothing wrong and it’s all settled.” Everyone moved on wondering.... What could have been the truth??

THIS IS UN-FARE!

The auto rickshaw drivers in Mumbai have gone on strike yet again in a span of three weeks.

The last time they went on strike was because their meters were found faulty and they found it absolutely unfair that they had to correct them. They were angry and offended when told that they could not tamper their meters and cheat the commuters! They genuinely believed that they had a right to do it considering they pay bribes to the Cops and other agencies. Their leader Sharad Rao definitely agrees!

This time around Mr. Rao has reached the office of the Transport Officer with a list of demands that include a fare hike, a ‘public servant’ status to be given to the auto drivers so that they can be entitled to government welfare schemes and pensions and he wants each auto driver to at least take home Rs. 25,000/- a month. If all his demands are not met then they will again go on an indefinite strike from the 9^th October’11.

Of course with all sincerity Mr. Rao claims that he has not called the strike. It’s just a co-incidence that he is supporting it!

Another co-incidence is the silence from all our public loving politicians on the said issue. No one amongst them is presently affected by the manner in which the common man is held ransom by the auto mafia. It goes in murmurs here that Sharad Rao is a member of Sharap Pawars Nationalist Congree Party!! Tsk-Tsk!

So the picture seems clear as of now- Our beloved auto drivers have understood in no uncertain terms that we cannot do without them. They have decided to take us for granted and abuse their privilege. They will be back- on and off. They will ply to areas only where they wish to go and when they wish to go. Meanwhile they will charge us more, become public servants but not pay tax because how can you account for their income?, take home atleast 25 grand a month, continue to create traffic jams and live happily ever after.

No wonder the phrase is “to hail an auto”, may be it comes from “Hail Hitler”!!!

P.S.: As for me, I have reduced my auto usage considerably, almost nil. There is the BEST Bus and the train. Walking in our weather is a sweaty affair but if done smartly it can work. Not to mention the excercise it offers. But thats for me. Feels sorry to be treated like this.