A Fresh Look at Progress!

      Suddenly, I have begun to view matters differently. Ostentatious weddings no longer offend my sensibilities. As the  ornate front gates are decorated by artisans flown in, as huge open areas are converted into dazzling air conditioned pavilions that would shame Kamal Amrohi, YRF, or Karan Johar, parquet flooring laid and ripped up a week later, trees carefully harvested and stored to give clear views, and later transplanted, I start humming, feeling bright and bubbly. The lavish weddings are an industry and unlike manufacturing require very little lead time to start production. Yet the investment is of the tune of a medium scale enterprise and provides as much employment. Really these weddings could be classified as CSR projects since they generate so much work from seamstress to parking valets, cooks to florists, contractors to wedding planners or the more sophisticated usage of stylist. Hundreds of people are required to showcase these mammoth productions, as wallets spew out tens of thousands, and the economy is benefitted. I now frown upon destination weddings which rob the economy of its due, really quite unpatriotic if I dare say.

      There is another revolution happening which is not so obvious and that is in the public schools where tens of thousands of children reach by 8.30 every morning and leave at 3.30. They walk, cycle, use autos and the more affluent are dropped off on motorcycles. They carry heavy knapsacks, wear attractive uniform and come immaculately groomed. The senior students have special classes on Saturday while the sports minded compete in track events, kho kho, kabaddi and volleyball. Here too they coached and well outfitted with track suits, sports dress. 

        What can be more rewarding than seeing scores of girls and boys

learning, playing and growing to be confident empowered adults?