Tuesday, October 7, 2008

ROAD REFLECTIONS


(Note: 1. My fellow citizens may find it novice. It's not for them. 2. My address to 'Sirs' include 'Madams' too. I can have that kind type definitions in C! The picture here is of a road in Japan. Thanks to Goutam. )

Though I'm not a jet-setter still, I had some opportunity to visit some other countries. When one visits a foreign country at the first instance the roads catch your imaginations. Particularly for me a good straight road is of a pleasure. And I believe that's so for my fellow citizens. Sometimes, I feel the road features and features around roads somehow reflects a country. I'm not a social scientist to prove my hypothesis. But, for Indian context being a novice in social science I can say my hypothesis is more or less true. Let me prove it. It will not be like my earlier theory on a social operator on my blog http://mokatha.blogspot.com/2008/09/side-kick-social-operator.html I can't make it mathematical though would like to be that way. Sir / madam, that's the way I'm told you can sell (make) papers (research) in my profession. And I should get into that art sooner rather. But, here somehow that trait does not get reflected. I'll surely try for it later, I have to sir, to live up to my new pay commission. Anyway, let me see how does our roads reflects my society. I'll put seven points only. We in India, like the number seven. In our epics they say 'sa't janam' (born seven times to cross human life cycle) , 'sat phera' (make seven rounds of sacred fire to get in and out of a bondage) , 'sa't bar' (utter seven times to make a promise) , 'sa't saamudra' (Vishnu sleeps on his snake-bed beyond seven seas) etc. So, I'll stick to seven only to be well taken.

1.Hardly, a road in India is straight

That is how we live in our society, Sir. Nobody talks to the point straight whatever way that much watched anchor corners our beloved future makers.
My ex-boss also had another theory for it. He said for this quality only we Indians do very good programming. Somehow, we can make a program work by putting many go-to, if-then-else constructs. Of course he added, that's why we don't make software products.

2. If geographically the road is blessed to be straight, we love to put speed breakers

Sirs, when you visit us must be wondering of speed breakers. You should not and I'm sure you will appreciate of knowing our noble cause for it. We in this country are are very friendly people and we live perfectly and even physically together (though occasionally your press tells you of our bickering. But sir, it's not always true. Believe me.). And now a days you are sending vehicles of varying speeds and we don't want our friend surpass us. At speed breakers we can meet each other again. That is not enough sir. We have made speed breakers in functioning of all kinds of places like institutes, offices.

3.Everything under Sun is on our road

You must have seen cows, buffaloes and play grounds on our roads. And all the types of transports are also found there. That may be puzzling to you. But sirs, you should not. Actually, we are very transparent people. You can see everything we have on our road. Even you will find people in plush colonies eagerly hang their under linens making visible to roads. Let's not talk of vendors and unsold gods http://mokatha.blogspot.com/2008/04/gods-sojourn.html etc.

4.Roads are toilets

Most of the male Indians pee on rads. You may feel shameless. I agree with you sir. But, that is natural to them sir. Probably, that way they can save few minutes or save a coin by peeing by the side of the road. Anyway, ours is a sunny country. We have hot Sun to take care of environmental problem. But, do they do so when do they visit your country? You must tell me on my blog ( put comments).

5.Crazy traffic

This point if you make on traffic of my country I'll agree to you the hundred percent, Sirs. We while on move, try to make use of every inch of unpopulated place on road. You don't know from where a vehicle emerges out and stands at the front. We Indians believe on magics. It's a magic how all of us come back in tact after a cruise on our roads. We all believe on so many Gods. And at least one of them come to our rescue when any of us on road. Sir, this time when you visit us you can see in all the vehicles you hire with a God picture. They are always positioned there ,to help you out. They could be of any religion but they don't discriminate sir, for sure. Please don't get worried, He/She is there always in our country to help. They say that's why still we thrive and an oldest civilization!

6.Bigger the vehicle the mightier on the road

Oh, yes sir. This is true in our desi society too. In our roads, the bigger vehicles really bully the smaller one and so not to tell of the pedestrians. We are hierarchically a disciplined lot, sir. We are just like that, once we are destined to land on this land – so pious this land sir you will n't believe. Ganga Maa chose to land here on our land, even all the prophets too. All of them landed here. If you know some of them landed else where, that will be wrong soon sir when we become the most powerful nation after Bush uncle signs nuclear agreement on 8th Oct. '08.
I'm distracting your attention. Sorry sir. Actually, If you are on foot never hesitant to walk off the road. It's actually the place for you hierarchically disposed off.

7.Deafening Horns

That must be surprising for you if you are visiting us for the first time our swarnaprasu desa. I'm sorry for talking no sense word for you. I also don't understand it standing at cross roads with red traffic light. You will find spider like kids come forward to your cars. I'm going off-course again. Excuse me, sir. But standing at red traffic light you will hear the vehicles around you just blowing horns. It puzzles. It's a habit sir. We like noise. See, all our vehicles are fitted with music systems. That's must. Mine is an exception only. Though I wanted it very much but succumbed to my wife's opposition. I'm sure you also listen to madam.
We desis' overdo and make mess of anything we do. See, our public places, prayer places – everywhere you will see loudspeakers – a lot of sound. Without sound we really don't get kick of anything; even while driving.


Have a fun with our road reflections! In this we all are together – whatever you say of our conflicts based on caste, religion etc. all trashes!

Hrushikesha Mohanty
7th October 2008

15 comments:

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

Your road-reflections truly represent the road-culture of our society.
Our society is a jungle and so are our roads. Our roads are raods to the
inner darkness of the mind.
R.C.Pradhan

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

Good read. Thanks and regards

--Arindam
---------------------------------------------------
Dr. Arindama Singh
Professor, Department of Mathematics
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Chennai - 600036 (India)

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

Hrushi Babu,

Namaskar. I enjoyed your "road reflections".

Kamal.

Dr. Kamal K. Misra
Professor of Anthropology
University of Hyderabad

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

Hi, Hrushikesha,

Thanks for the funny story.


Cheers,

Hung
--------------
Prof.Hung
Vietanam

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

Dear Hrushi,

I am attaching a picture of the road just beside my house.
During Fall all leaves change color to red, orange, yellow and
many variations of them. It was Sunday, around 11:30 am.

goutam
Japan

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

Interesting one :)! All our angst at the state of our roads converted into
humour!

thanks,
Anupama
Univ. of Hyderabad

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

Dear Professor Mohanty,
Had a good laugh reading your 'road reflections'. You should certainly
write on the lamenting pedestrian trying to cross these roads. I am one of
those.

regards,
durga
UH

Anonymous said...

Respected Sir Dr.H.Mohanty

your article is well written to bring a smile to everyone that reads it, and its very informative and an honest approach to things.

Below i have added a small humour to bring the same smile.. ofcourse, it is out of context, but i am sure it will bring a smile!!

*******************************
Interview

Interviewer: Tell me the opposite of good.
Santa Singh: Bad.

Interviewer: Come.
Santa Singh: Go.

Interviewer: Ugly.
Santa Singh: Pichlli.

Interviewer: U G L Y?
Santa Singh: PICHLLY !!!!!!!

Interviewer: Shut Up.
Santa Singh: Keep Talking.

Interviewer: Get Out.
Santa Singh: Come In.

Interviewer: Oh my God.
Santa Singh: Oh your Devil.

Interviewer: You are Rejected.
Santa Singh: I am Selected.

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

your article is well written to bring a smile to everyone that reads it, and its very informative and an honest approach to things.

Sagar
Ph.D Student

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

The story about road reflections! is very good.

Satya Reddy
IBM

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

It is a well documented and humorously written, and took me right on the roads on a ride (As everything that it explained is experienced by me in the same fashion).


The magic SEVEN includes sapta swaras.



In many places the speed breakers are without stripes. (In gachibowli a road dug is filled and repaired to form a 4feet wide curve above the road, an unsolicited speed breaker.)



Also it is a slogan to say "Suitable to Indian Road Conditions" by our advertisers. Example the Tyres ard Vehicles are made to Indian Road Conditions.



Roads are renewed to be dug again (this is very common in Hyderabad)



Totally it is humorous but No.4 ,5,6,7, made me laugh loudly (but I suppressed my vocal chords as I was in the Lab). But they are the facts.



Even when the signal is RED the others will blow horn desperately pushing us to move as if to say “why wait when there is no traffic”.



Once again I thank you sir for the treat that you have provided me with lot of laugh.



And once again I would like to say that, one should not just take it as a 'Laughing Stuff' but should realize where we are. Sir, I have observed and also often commented on things that happens in our country, but to deaf ears.



In many shops the furniture are made giving sharp edges. Just to give a curve will not cost anything more. But, giving a curve is at the edges is something they think as luxury. (Funny) (even the Lab table specification was with sharp edges. I pointed that and told the supplier to give smooth edges. Even others did not support me and simply told me, 'It is made like that everywhere. And is not of importance'. Taking advantage of this, the supplier also said that 'Everywhere it is made like this sir. It is not possible to make smoothe edged table. If u want to get a smoothe edged table, it will cost extra as there is extra work'. I had to laugh at him.



But, somehow I convinced my colegues and made them understand the harms of having sharp edged table and that it will not cost more to make a smooth edged table as only the edges have to be given a curve. Others were convinced and when the supplier came for final approval, argued with him for giving smooth edged table for the same cost.



And, sir, you can observe the table when u come to lab. Everybody praised the table.



Similarly there are many things that we come across where people behave foolishly and create problem for others.



We cannot raise our VOICE, without others support. When we talk of injustice, corruption, voilence, we can only talk. If we r luckey to get like minded people we can just exchange our views with them, Else, if we r in a group which thinks otherwise, we may not surrender to their views, but just get along with them.



In many places we see things happen negatively which can be solved by simple means, but people do not co-operete.



Ex. People rush at counters to get their tickets first which in fact turns into a chaos creating difficult for others and also to the ticket issuer.



If we move smoothly one after another we can clear the traffic very fast, but what happens is the people unnecessarily overtake and become responsible for traffic jams.



Government talks of unemployment. If we employ more young policemen in traffice junctions (it is better in some place now with more personnels), it will not only give employment to them but also the traffic can be controlled and people will be made to have traffice sense.



Sir, there is not end to this topic. But you must have got the idea. Therefore, I would like to stop here.



C.K. Rajendran
UH

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Received by email

One of the reader of this article
sent me this link.

http://tcc.itc.it/people/rocchi/fun/europe.html

Amiya Kumar Rath said...

Sir
It's really nice to read road reflections.
Amiya

Hrushikesha Mohanty said...

Sir
It's really nice to read road reflections.
Amiya

Anonymous said...

Well crafted to reflect the true road culture.