Traffic and World Toilet Summit

Today was a normal day. My home is a far distance from my office. 25 kms to be precise. Yes, its very far. But I love the drive. I commute on a bike. When I was to buy a vehicle many were opposed to the idea of buying a bike. Apart from the obvious spinal pains that it was likely to bring with it, affordability of smaller cars and the atrocious traffic sense that people carry with them in their pockets. But my decision was driven more by a teenage aspiration than adult realities.

Each day, its the same procedure. In Fact its so streamlined that I marvel at my own efficiency. I put on my earphones connected to my cellphone. I wrap my face with a handkerchief. Again, the idea is more towards keeping the earphones steady than protecting my skin from vehicular pollution or infection. I put on my helmet. Then the spectacles & over them my big shades. Alot of my friends comment that the shades that I wear are meant for ladies, but I hardly care.The reason is simple. These are gifted & I am too lazy to buy another one.

So, I begin. Actually I love the entire concept of biking. Biking stands for individualism(even with a pillion). Its openness allows you to connect with the nature. You are with everybody yet on your own. The ravaging petrol flowing through the labyrinth of the rumbling engine beside your legs energises them. There is an iconoclastic look to each biker on a bike even if he riding the TVS Max100. The look is always that of a man with a mission. "....Yes, the mission is to save John Connor .....", Terminator - 2. But very few like to cherish this feeling and like to make it a live circus. Its not a problem as far as the lion is growling inside a cage, because you know it cannnot escape & hence cannot harm you. But these so called bikers feel that they have to save the world. The maneouvering is more irritating than elegant by any stretch of imagination. Then the desperation to sneak through as many little crevices as possible & reach the start line on the zebra crossing before the next light turns green. This is not to absolve the many other drivers on other modes of commuting. What people do not understand is the fact that following basic rules like lane driving & obeying basic traffic rules can make the life of others around them on the road so much simpler and safer. I observed another very negative attitude on the road. It was disheartening. I just stopped at a red light. There was nearly no one on the red light. Nobody coming from any side. My side was showing red light. And then suddenly as if I was in the shooting of "Die hard - 3". Everybody started to cross at their own will. One bus conductor had the audacity to laugh at me as his victory chariot rolled past me. I was livid. And when it turned green & I started to move, Somebody from the opposite side tried to cross it. Even more disappointing was the fact that many drivers carrying their family & kids with them followed this atrocious traffic behaviour. What sense are we passing on to our next generation? A subtle indication that in a system you can get away with anything as far as you do not get caught.This sheer apathy sometimes apalls me.

As I reached my office, a rather glance on the pink daily turned into focussed attention on an Advertisement, "World Toilet Summit - 2007". I was thrilled. As I started to search it on the net, I was intrigued by it. Human Beings are social animals & are enquisitive in nature. My beautiful colleagues are no different. Hooohaaaahoooohaaaa....It went on for like ten minutes. By the time I finished my morning tea, the laughter was still going on. "What will they showcase - How to shit???"...another round of laughter........My interest arose because its a sanitation is a seriously problem plaguing the entire country. Especially when we use 85% of the daily water on our disposal activities. If we use that water judiciously, then we can manage our basic water needs pretty comfortably. The solid waste is meant to be disposed off in the ground. Unfortunately it gets diverted into our rivers, because of which we do not find a single river worth an innocent swim. We have set up numerous committees to clean up the river , but we have spent little on creative awareness to reduce the pollution of the same. It is like saying that given our lifestyle we are susceptible to diseases so, the solution is medicine. We will not talk of afforestation, the latest buzz word is Carbon trading. I was reading this article......".....They are calling that China is today contributing majorly to global pollution, what they do not understand is that the pollution has shifted from Western countries to Asian economies which are now the engines of the world economy...."...Carbon trading/ Carbon credits is an idea to which I am dead against. You are allowing the Polluting industries to flourish based on their financial muscle to pay out the intangible & incalculable damage they cause to the environment. This concept to begin with is flawed. How can you attach a price tag to something called "Environment"? The people who had gotten bored of playing with the limited financial toys that man made for his recreation, the same people have resorted to the lifelines which is the basis of their very exitence and converted it into a casino.
Unfortunately I got to know of it only on the last day. So When I visited the summit, the entire euphoria had evaporated. There were just a few exhibits & experts were left. The heartening ting was that there were many stalls manned by school children. Even if it was a mere formality for them to be there, at least they are now aware of the problem & the way to face it. Of course these could be the same kids who could just rubbish the entire concept once they are with their friends. But at least they deserve some appreciation for their efforts. I talked to a few experts who are now in the process of making a technology with zero energy, zero disposal requirement, zero water and no sewage pipes. What belongs to the nature is returned back to it. Fools dispose it in the river. Yes, agreed that there are organisms in running water who have the capability to process, but only if allowed to breathe. However, our rivers are so clogged with human & industrial waste that some of the organisms that do possess these qualities are unable to do so.
I wished if this summit was branded with a different name. I saw many people laughing at it, when they saw the publicity boards. Even, I would have had not been from this field. The organisers could have done a better job. Sometimes it helps if you do not call a spade a spade.....
I was talking yesterday to a friend of mine . I asked him how do you bring about a revolution? Or is it more than enough, if a bigger section of the society believes that certain things are good for them? How do you ensure that ideas percolate to the last born citizen? He didnt have an answer...Neither did I.....But at least the search is on.....