Swalpa Adjust Madkoli - 3

Namma Bengaluru and traffic jam have become synonymous. One is reminded of Kalidasa’s opening lines in Raghu Vamsham which speaks of how a word and its meaning can never be separated. Yet if the ancient poet were to live today, he would realise that even unrelated words could become synonymous in certain circumstances. The mindboggling traffic of our city can tease a person’s patience and composure even at the best of times. If the government insists on progress and continues with its road-widening and Namma Metro Project, the day will not be far off when Bangalore will resemble the moon – bald and pockmarked with potholes and excavations in the size of craters.

When Boris Gromov, governor of Moscow region was riddled with a similar problem caused by the repair works on the Russian highway he told the authorities, “to buy helicopters to avoid massive traffic jam.” Though the solution may appear like Mary Antoinette’s line of thought one cannot discount the latent pragmatism in the former’s suggestion. If shrewd businessmen decide to translate this idea into reality, we can have freer roads and polluted skies!

On the other hand, the government could rope in the best of scientific minds to work on winged shoes of Greek Gods and Magic carpets to cater to individual and family needs. Then one could walk the earth to burn unwanted calories and fly around to beat Father Time. This way, our exchequers can save zillions of rupees and quit bothering about building roads, making road rules, arranging parking lots, supervising and maintaining them.

Alternately innovative young minds could use their bio-technological skills to work on Enid Blyton’s “Enchanted Tree” on which faraway lands station themselves for a couple of days before flying away to make space for another land.

If the idea clicks, households could have their own customized trees in which schools, colleges, offices, market places, malls, tourist spots et al could land, taking turns giving every one of us reprieve from the daily grind.

It would be still better if we could master the art of arriving at the chosen destination by merely thinking of the venue like our gods in our Hindu pantheon. Traffic jams could be wiped out forever.

However, there is a flipside to the scenario which will spell out utter chaos simply because the human mind tends to blasphemy. Just imagine if you simply wished someone to go to h***, your wish would come true. But if the latter also wished the same of you, you would still not be rid of each other because you will meet again in the cursed place, but if someone were to wish that everyone should go to h*** then ---- maybe some genius should find a filter to scan thought processes before they materialize!

So, as of now, our fellow denizens have no other option except to follow the guiding mantra of Namma Bengaluru - Swalpa Adjust Madkoli!