LETTER TO SH. R.SANKARAN,TIRUVALLUR (T.N)-602002

Subject: My “Open Forum contribution captioned ‘WOES OF THE URBAN MIDDLE-CLASS IN THE WAKE OF URBANISATION’ appearing IN THE ORGANISER dt. May 16, 2010

Respected Sir,

            Saadar Namaskar,

           

            While thanking you very much for your kind letter dt. 16.06.2010 on the above subject, I regret my inability to have responded to it earlier as I had been out of station for about a fortnight and could get it only on my coming back home. I am deeply touched by your gesture suggesting, inter-alia, to move the magazine management for grant of permission to ‘have the article published in all language magazines at least through out Bharath inviting suggestions from the readers with the end in view that the regional groups are set up, a national body is formed and matters get to the ears of present and would be rulers so that an enforceable legislation emerges as quickly as possible’.

            Sir, I am a Youngman, about half your age. All around me, I see the venerable septuagenarians and octogenarians- even a couple on the wrong side of eighties- valiantly battling with multiple odds and  terminal debilitating diseases with great courage and fortitude, and at the same time contending with the inevitable ‘Empty Nest Syndrome’ as their near and dear ones have to be away from them mostly due to the pressing economic compulsions and their job related pressures. While they abhor the very idea of neglecting their old parents in the twilight years of their life or for that matter raising nuclear families and thereby contribute to harming the traditional joint-family institution, which so long  and so far has stood the test of time, rooted as it is in antiquity.  However, the job-related compulsions force them to take unpleasant decisions that they despise most.

            On the other hand, nothing, and absolutely nothing has so far been done with regard to the  welfare and healthcare of the aged and elderly by the successive governments (excepting occasional lip-services paid in the run-up of elections). They have not even cared to enact a very much overdue  Right to Health Act, so far.

            While the fact remains that the ruling political elite is  squarely responsible for the plight and miserable condition of these ‘dear old fossils’,  they  mindlessly  go on  creating extremely difficult conditions- one after the other- for them, in pursuit of the so-called economic growth, which at best is lop-sided, and at worst tyrannical, as it ensures that  less than 10% of the population comprising of the  rich, mighty and powerful forming the elite class corner more than 90% of the national wealth and resources, created through the sweat and blood of the rest more than 90% comprising of the poor and the middle-class.

             Handsomely paid writers and columnists incessantly write millions of words eulogising this dubious growth rate as a great achievement of the government, which are greedily lapped up by the ever-obliging, out and out pro-establishment mainstream media that have to stay pro-establishment for the sake of their own survival and growth in a hugely competitive environment. That, however, is just another story requiring threadbare analysis for which there is little scope in this letter.

                My heart bleeds, and then I write something about such and other related matters which occasionally gets published, not always without editing.   In the process the piece is cut to size, both literally and figuratively, perhaps, due to the space-crunch in the concerned journal/daily. Generally, I don’t keep any record of the published stuff by way of preserving the clippings. That way, I am a free-lancer.  Obviously, I don’t know the ropes to reach wider audience in order to put across my views to the cross sections of the society via some committed and aggressive media (both print and electronic). In fact, my humble efforts so far vis-a-vis the magnitude and enormity of the problem, are of little value. Naturally, they cut little ice with the authorities that be. I would, therefore, consider myself lucky if some extra efforts on my part could be instrumental in bringing about some relief to the elderly and a thousand tortured souls. I also take liberty to pass on the copy of the correspondence on the subject to the other correspondents as well.

            With best regards,

                       

                                                                                                                 Yours sincerely,

                                                                                                            ( SANJOG MAHESHWARI)