Ziacon- No More a Wonderland

I took the flight from Mumbai to Ziacon, Ziacon is one of the Island countries in Indian Ocean with a population of about 50 million. I had travelled to this country two decades before. This was one of the best countries that I had visited in my life. I wanted to visit again to see how things have transformed in this country. I thought this time I should write a travelogue of my visit to this country as last time when I had visited I was mesmerised on the transformation which the country was going through.

From the airport I sit in an Auto, I had to go to a hotel nearby. I sat in the auto with a premise that the meter will be put on once I sit, as it happened in my last visit. But the lady driver in the Auto does not put the meter on, the auto takes off, I insist that she puts the meter but she refuses to do so. I threaten her that I would go and complain to the police, she gives a dam, and pushes the auto in the small lane nearby, which gave a deserted look, She said Bastard Get down, who the hell are you to insist me to put the meter on, go and complain to whom ever you want. She takes the luggage out and places on the road, says go to hell and moves on. I get out of the Auto, as there was no point in getting into a brawl in an unknown place however I noted down the Auto number.

I walk for a distance and check out for a public transport, board a bus and check in to the hotel. It was the same hotel in which I had stayed 20 years before but the management had changed now I was told. It was in the late evening, and I was too tired, next morning I had decided to go to some tourist places including the beach, interview some of Govt officials and meet a few of the users of the various Govt systems as a part of my study for the travelogue that I decided to do. I have my dinner and doze off in the bed as early as 9 Pm.

At about 1.30 am in the night, I suddenly hear sounds all around some crying some shouting, I open the door to see what was happening, “go inside and shut the door”, slams the lady constable with her lathi on the door as I stand outside to watch what was happening, it was a deadly scene, couples mostly young boys and girls with their clothes in disorder were pulled out, dragged and beaten. When I was peeping out I could see a few who gave notes to the lady constables and such couples were let in back into the room unbeaten too. I sensed it was a raid, with purpose perhaps to collect money. I started peeping through the door hole, I could see a few of the boys and girls were pulled out and I presume that they were taken to the police custody. I was restless. Last time when I had come here to the same hotel I had stayed with no disturbance at all, I was given a warm reception, and a girl took me to my room explained all the amenities in the room and said you please dial 9 for any service. I tried giving tips to her, but she said Sir I am being paid for my work and she did not take the tips at all. All the three days were so pleasant that I did not think twice while booking this hotel again. The rooms last time were very neat and tidy, and the bedspread was crystal clean. I stayed peacefully. The experience this time was not so, no body came to my room for any briefing nor the rooms were so clean. As this deadly disturbance happened I thought of shifting to a different hotel the next day.

I was just thinking of the last visit, as soon as I sat in the Auto, the lady driver helped me put the luggage in and welcomed me, it was very pleasant, I asked her how come all the drivers are only lady drivers. She said the country is in transformation, 7 years ago the King had relinquished the throne and had given the throne to the queen, and had passed an order that hence forth the entire country will be ruled only by women, he at the same breath had also announced that instead of dynasty queen, the queen will be an elected queen. Only women will do all Kingdoms office work, and men will continue to do the household chores. However the kingdom had given rights to vote for both men and women. Slowly over a period of seven years all the new jobs and the old jobs, which were being done by men, were getting replaced and the lady driver had said in about 5 years time 90% of the workforce would be woman. The drive was very pleasant.

As I passed from the airport to the hotel I could see that the roads were getting widened, there were no potholes, greenery was there all around.

I wake up early in the morning, and decide to go to the beach for a morning walk, the beach was untidy, waste was all around, and the tickets counters were closed. Last time when I came in the evening to the beach I was surprised that there was an entry gate for the beach, entry to the beach was not free, it was notional an amount equivalent to about Rs.0.25 during those days. The number of counters was many so that people need not wait for a long time. The beach was neat and clean. There were dustbins for throwing of thrash for every 10 mts so that people need not walk for long distances. Over and above that the Govt had encouraged mandatory social service by the school students to collect trash and it was seen that the preferred destination was mostly the beach which ensured that the thrash was attended on a daily basis. The Govt had also built a waste to energy plant near the beach.

As I walk along the beach, I ask a person what had happened to the ticketing counters, the local person says that as a part of the election manifesto the current queen had waived the beach charges. I asked them what happened to those school volunteers who used to do social service at the beach, the person said that school students association lady president felt that this was not to be encouraged and people should be self disciplined hence their services are no more there. Every election one other lady had passed resolutions of such order to gather the votes, such that the attention towards the beach is no more there and the energy converting plant is not operational too.

I go to the hotel, vacate and decide to move to a different hotel. I board an auto, this time the lady in the auto was very cordial, I ask her what had happened to the country. What am I to tell Sir, she starts speaking, the first elected lady and the first officers who started working once the King relinquished the throne passed so many acts for the welfare of the citizens of the country. They turned around the country and made it much more beautiful than any other country. There was no corruption, violence theft etc , all vanished. Women surrounded all the offices across the country. Men started taking care of the household work and women became the breadwinners as directed by the King. But it was not so for long, in the last ten years things have started changing, fight for power, name, recognition has taken seat once again. Crime rates have started moving up as political inclinations started developing in the country.

As we go along in the auto there was a long procession of people, which was carrying the dead body of a lady, I ask the auto driver, what had happened she said , Kaitu the lady don is killed by her rival , Taitu. Kaitu and Taitu are the two lady dons who have established themselves in the locality for the last 10/15 years. They have set up prostitution dens illicitly they traffic girls from other countries, as the woman here currently have enough of work, prostitution is not a preferred profession at the same breath she says that once again poverty is taking its roots and she says I see a few trickling too.

I take a room in a different hotel and head to the pension office, last time when I had come here there were no grievances of any of the elderly and hardly anybody had to wait, this time I was surprised to see the queue too. I asked one of the old ladies what had happened and why she is waiting for. She said my Son has got to get some money to give bribe to the lady sitting in the counter to move my file for the pension

What a shame to the country, the beautiful things of the past created by the womanpower the same thing is destroyed by another womanpower. My mind started brooding. The trees on the roadside, which looked blooming, have waned; they do not look any more beautiful. The roads appeared as what they are in our country too, with all potholes, the story now looked no different than any corrupted country. I suddenly realized that gender has nothing to do, with either good or bad, it is all the human game play. Unfortunately human is the only animal on earth, which can lie, deceive, kill, cull, and corrupt while all animals on earth are not as intelligent enough to behave in such a fashion. I drop my Idea of writing a travelogue; to me Ziacon appeared no more a wonderland.