Sonia Gandhi and the Hyd invasion!!

My farewell, a friend’s due birthday treat, a bucket of chicken wings at KFC and the last of the good times and people that I will miss about Hyd. [Here’s to the entire populace that keeps track of my blog (a number you can count on two fingers!) news that I am shifting to Bombay…sniff sniff.]
Anyway, so all goes well until guess who spoils the day…Sonia Gandhi! The Congress supremo is in town and everyone on the busy Begumpet crossing on a weekday is suddenly hauled to the side of the road and traffic is cleared with amazing efficacy. It’s pindrop silence (without any exaggeration) and Sonia Gandhi zips past in her bulletproof car and Z-category convoy. She waves as she goes, of course. And that one supposes should make me and everyone else who’s been rudely shoved to the side of the road vote for the Congress. ‘Oh, ma’am, you waved…you actually waved at …it’s deliverance!’ Worth me and the rest of earning India pay for her swank bullet-proof car and the Porsche Cayenne S that zips behind it? I have my reservations (no double-meaning intended).
As it goes, the big Congress extravaganza takes place in the heart of Hyderabad, at the Secunderabad Parade Grounds, and that means hell for all traffic in the city. Add to that the misfortune of being on the same stretch when the rally gets over.
A multitude pours out of the grounds and makes its way towards Secunderabad station, effectively throwing traffic out of gear at peak office-time. By the look of it, this invasion has been gathered from all over rural Andhra, perhaps at the promise of a biryani or electricity. Are these congress devotees or political hardliners who wouldn’t miss a word of Mrs Gandhi’s Italianised Hindi? Nay, I doubt, but huge vote banks, that they are.
So, here’s the proposed paradox. The Congress plays up 'Soniaji’s' visit, and professes it as the star-event in their pre-election campaign. She comes, brings the city to a grinding halt getting everyone to curse the traffic and whatever caused it…and they expect it to translate into votes in return. But wait, that’s isn’t the paradox I’m talking about…that’s in the fact that the translation probably does come true!
Iconic leadership, anyone? Oi, everyone start humming ‘Jai Ho!’

5 comments:

Jayeeta Mazumder said...

Captures our trauma well! And the Super swanky car rider's significance too!

Fully grown fuzzy Hipposaur said...

But being from the shitty of Joy, "grinding halt" is strangely familiar terrain to all of us, no?

optimization said...

Oops! So you came to know the political heat mixed with hyd heat, 'the day before', which u celebrated with buckets of chicken and music, but the political rally in which you got stuck is the ground zero. We 'Indians', (incl me), talk about so many things, but no one want to be the beginner to change the system or who tries he'll be treated as `mad'... There's a say, if want to clean ur area you start from ur home..., how many people does it? where we work we r not trying to be united atleast there or we are not protesting against the atrocities of our so called `boss' does on us... we talk about US and UK, China & Japan. The bottom line: A couple of people make us fool and rule on us like `the king'??? its time to ask WHY?? Thinking just for self will not change anything... as well we cant afford to wait for someone to come & take the lead...
good efforts should be appreciated and please continue doing so..

Tridib Roy said...

A Calcuttan never bother for a day'd ordeal. Paralysing the city life , muscle flexing on city strrets are way of life here. What is exception to Hyderabad, is normal for Calcuttan

Anonymous said...

Nice blog. Only the willingness to debate and respect each other’s views keeps the spirit of democracy and freedom alive. Keep up the good work. Hey, by the way, do you mind taking a look at this new website www.indianewsupdates.com . It has various interesting sections. You can also participate in the OPINION POLL in this website.

Kindly note: The comments section is having problems so you may not be able to comment right now but it will available in a few days. We are also planning to get Live Cricket in our website within this week.

Dear friend, if you have any suggestions or information or news which you think has been ignored by the mainstream media, kindly let us know. We will try to implement that in our website. At present, the standard of our website might not be as high as that of other big websites but we promise you that you will witness improvement with each passing day.

Kindly go through the entire website. Who knows, it might just have the right kind of stuff that you are looking for. If you like this website, can you please recommend it to at least 5 of your friends. Your little help would help us in a big way.

Thank you,

The Future Mantra