One Way Traffic

Tomorrow, the National Academy of Sciences is celebrating its Platinum Jubilee by way of a 3 day something. I had never heard of this Academy till now - a statement not meant to cast aspersions on it, but to wonder where it had been all this while. Governmental jamborees are not uncommon here and serve to remind the fundamental sarkaar-ness of IIT from time to time (this was, after all, raised by an Act of Parliament, which is probably only next to an Act of God, or even equivalent in a secular democracy).

However, since the PM comes calling to flag it off, it means uneasiness over the sudden influx of policeman looking askance at you, a flurry of paint-this-and-paint that, people looking busy and snapping to it. Though, till now, only one half of the speedbreaker outside SOM seems to have been painted and perhaps some skillful driving by the PM's designated chauffeur will prevent the Hon. PM from noticing this little underside lapse. More seriously, we don't want any unfortunate incidents, don't we? So let's clamp down on movement for a while. Take the day off, guys.

Another reminder that we well-off types don't really want to meet our leaders - the closer they are to us, the more the inconveniences. That's why our forefathers settled in Mumbai and Pune and Nagercoil - we put the distance between them and us. And if there are going to be any mischievous elements creating naughtiness, then that's even more irritating. Go away, I say to the terrorists, we're already annoyed with the restrictions our own guys have put us under.