Swati Chopra Vikamsey makes a very important point in her #LetterToIndia. What would you like to tell India? Tell us and we’ll make sure that you’re heard.
Dear India,
Just about 10 days ago, I was stuck in a traffic jam. For over 50 minutes. At the same spot. Yes, that's not unusual when you're staying in one of the most populated cities in the worldâthe financial capital of the country, no less. But, this is not about the traffic jam. No.
Just a few cars away from mine was a white, beaming, noisy ambulance. For all the 50 minutes and more, the beacon kept flashing, the siren kept ringing... boring piercingly through my rolled up windows into the otherwise calm air-conditioned environ of my brand new hatchback.
For the first five minutes into the rut, it didn't bother me. As time passed, and the never-ending jam seemingly resembled a road-block, the cacophonous siren started getting louder. In my head. It now not only punctured my ears, it was perforating my entire being. Thoughts kept racing through my mind. Discomfort gave rise to palpitations. Sympathy to empathy. I wanted to get out, and physically remove all vehicles out of the way. THIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY! SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE AT THE HOSPITAL. But move them to where? For miles, all there was were carsâa vast, never-ending ocean of vehicles. In a country that boasts of some of the longest expressways, technologically advanced flyovers and freeways, one ambulance was struggling to get medical aid to someone on a busy Thursday evening.
We have the best healthcare facilities at perhaps the lowest costs. But when a layman takes an accident victim to a hospital, paperwork is more important than first aid. We are now making cars right in our backyards. Parking spaces? That's another story altogether. Our institutions are producing genius after genius trying to find path-breaking solutions to replace oil fuel, but we're still allowing 30 to 40-year-old rickety trucks to run on our roads. To the whole world, we're shouting that India is shining, but errant taxi drivers are driving their lives away without as much as headlights. Dear India, can we prioritise, please? We may be on the path to development and glory. But that path is ridden with a heavy traffic jam! Some serious measures need to be taken. Some major infrastructure urgencies need to be addressed. The government, the local bodies, the peopleâwe all make our India. We all need to demand a better life. We all need to create it.
This is not about the traffic jam. It's about waking up to the fact that despite all the progress we have made, one regular peak hour in the life of an urban Indian can just as simply be the last few moments of someone's lifeâfor something as mundane as a traffic jam!
With love from,
Always-behind-the-wheel (not by choice)
Audi India is proud to be a part of India’s progressive growth and salutes the spirit of India.
(Do you ever feel like talking to India? Yes, perfect. This is your chance to write to her to tell her how you feel about her. You could be bitchy, angry, happy, emotional or spoofy. But if your answer is No – never mind, there is always a beginning. Let’s start here. Send us what you want to tell your India and we will publish it. Don’t be shy, just say it all. Mail us your letter at lettertoindia@thequint.com. We’ll ensure India gets your message.)
