I wait for inauguration ceremonies the way BMC officials wait for people with grievances, or lawyers for divorce cases. I think of them as opportunities to better myself and learn a little more about the honourable men and women tasked with making sure things are running smoothly in our country. I know politicians look forward to them too, possibly for reasons markedly different from my own, but there must be some excitement on their part too. After all, it’s not as if they get enough attention.

It’s why I think we need to spend more time looking at these ceremonies and announcements because it doesn’t seem as if our media houses cover enough of them. Newspapers often seem to spend more time on things like tragedies or Miss Universe pageants than on play-by-play coverage of what is being inaugurated by whom and where. If there’s a public toilet being announced in Dharavi and a minister is at hand to cut a ribbon, I think we need to know. If there’s a minor road being repaved to replace one that was paved a year ago, we should be informed. If a highway built by a previous government is being renamed and inaugurated by a new government, it should be on our television screens.