I had a bit of a discussion with a colleague at work today. About load-shedding. A concept she believes is peculiar to little villages in little remote corners of this vast country. She was, how shall I say, awed by the fact that these things happen in her own city, albeit 30 kilometers from her own house, which happens to be in Cuffe Parade in 'town'.
She asked me if I was being serious. I didn't even have to try to keep a flat face. Because after a point, you get used to these questions. "How many hours?", "What time of the day?", "How do you use the geyser?" Well, for the last one, the government here has been kind enough to execute the inevitable process of load-shedding only in the summer. So we don't have to go through the trouble of heating water for our baths, etc.
She was most upset with me when I began talking about the classic concept of The Haves and the Have-nots. "Why're you thinking so much about these things? What's the connect?" If you're waiting to read my reply, don't bother. There was none.
I may be defying a flow of thought here, but I find the very concept of load-shedding a little funny. Is our load being shed or we helping people in the affluent areas of Bombay bear theirs? Is it that a CEO (who possibly owns a sea-facing flat at Nariman Point) needs to reach work early so he can ensure a great lecture on preofessionalism to those lesser mortals who drag their arses from, let's say, a Mulund? Or maybe it is to keep his mind cooler in the air-conditioner all night long so he doesn't shout at his already disgruntled employees who had to get up sweating because the fan went off at 7:30 am?
I don't really ahve the answer. But I suppose I'll keep looking for it.
Let us also come to the irony bit of this post. (And the bit that explains the title). As I got off the train, about an hour ago, I saw a hoarding that read, "Are you mature enough to vote?" The visual, needless to say, was that of an 'irresponsible' (read long haired, unshaven man in three-fourths) man sitting on a little tricycle.
Sometimes, I wonder whether those who vote are mature enough to know what they're doing! And before you label me 'politically apathetic', I've seen both the big parties rule the country and Maharashtra and Bombay. (Give me some credit, I'm about to be 25). AC buses have come up, One phase of the Metro is going to come up. Terrorists have been locked up. Floods have been vaded through. But I still get up sweating every morning in the summer.
Who should I vote for? I think I'll go with electricity.
