~ h u m m i n g l e a v e s ~: Withering Leaves

Introduction

I am a rebel, I can’t get along with meanness and injustice and feel like responding against all the menaces in the society. But it dawns on me many times that I can’t afford to be so, as I am so much bound to the materialism of the world. Sometimes I feel like a helpless child as if my favourite poet Shelley lamented once: ‘I fall upon the thorns of life, and I bleed’

It is not my intention to portray India in a bad light. I love the place where I was born and the place where I was being nurtured. And being an eternal optimist I do still believe and wish my country would change for the better. Again I subscribe to Shelley’s optimism ‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind’?

I am so grateful to my good swiss friend Mat Berthod, who inspired me to write and as a grafic designer put all his effort to frame this blog in an easthetic way.

15/08/07

Withering Leaves

Well known journalist Pritish Nandy writes that ˜Mumbai is taken over by builders’(Times of India). It is extremely pathetic to see the city is being bowed down to builders and speculators. Mumbai is the city where we feel a sense of belonging even though you don't belong to it.

But sadly this sky scrappers don't serve the purpose of our basic need, a shelter to cover over us.
A recent survey showed that 50% of Mumbaikers are homeless and 60% of its population live in slums. Not a single place is left without being bulldozed away by the builders.But who owns this buildings ? Despite all this buildings why people find it extremely difficult to get a place to stay ?

The beneficiaries of this soulless constructions are politicians,building mafia and speculators.
They say Mumbai is second to London in terms of house rent ! But whats the average income and living standard of a Mumbaikar when compared to a Londoner ? What contribution it can give to the development of a city ?

I wonder why we don't take this issue seriously ? Why we cant check this mindless construction where lurks the slow destruction of our environment.