This Dussehra, along with the 10 heads of the slain demon king Ravan, we would also like to see the end of these 10 evils. Who will step up and shoot them down, asks Vidya Heble
Women in danger
When buzzy, cosmopolitan Mumbai is no longer safe for women to move around freely, it’s time to take drastic action. Fie on those who seek to restrict the movements of women! The answeris to catch the evildoers.
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falling Buildings
As the famous song goes, “Kahiin building, kahiin tramein, kahiin motor, kahiin mill…” The trams are no more and the mills are following suit, but Mumbai’s buildings must be saved from deteriorating. And if their life is close to ending, then their occupants have to be moved to safety. Not left to dread a falling ceiling.
Civic non-sense
It’s all too easy to blame the authorities. The government should do this, the municipality should do that. But sometimes one does feel sorry for them, fighting against the constant wave of spitting, littering, garbage-splattering public. Us. We badly need an infusion of civic sense!
Transport woes
We thought that the nightmare of travelling in the city would be eased a little with the monorail that would take us around a little more conveniently. But alas, the projects are going sluggish, and all we can do is dodge around the half-built pillars.
Jobs going, going
A lot of people lost their jobs, and many have been unable to find new ones; meanwhile, the education system is pouring fresh graduates and post-graduates into the job market… meagre as it is. The aam aadmi needs roti, kapda and makaan -- and income to pay for it all!
Skyrocketing veggies
If you thought the price of gold was high, the numbers on the vegetable stalls sent the blood pressure up for us this year. Onions led the exorbitant brigade, and even buying plebeian items such as ladies’ fingers felt like bargaining for out-of-season broccoli.
Shaky Sensex
It was a period of chills, thrills and spills -- not due to an earthquake or tsunami but when the stock market went haywire. The plunge seemed nonstop, but eventually the market recovered. Whether it was the charisma of new RBI chief ‘RR’, we’re still not sure.
Gold prices
Buying jewellery got pushed up a notch higher than luxury, with the price of gold going up along with everything else. This Dhanteras or Dhan Trayodashi, we may not be able to afford more than a teeny tiny drop of the precious metal. Or we may have to graduate to buying virtual gold. But we can’t wear a piece of paper!
Bad roads
Potholes have not just led to vehicle breakdowns and chiropractic problems -- accidents that they have caused are now leading to actual deaths. Whether inside our homes, in the trains, or even out on the roads, we are not safe, it seems. “Every step you take…” that song seems to be written for Mumbai’s potholes!
Rising crime
People are not safe in their homes, going to work, or going to school. Everyone is a target -- of thugs, thieves, criminals of every description. A crusading cop is badly needed to crack the whip and crack down on the elements who make Mumbai life an unsafe one.
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