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The One Where We Try to Write. Something. Anything.

I am SO tired, it's not funny. I could have avoided writing anything at all today, but I can assure you if that happened, the blog's existence would be a serious concern, considering I haven't written in SO long. So, despite being tired enough to happily sleep with those dogs on the beds at the CWG Village, I am going to attempt to write! Cheers to that! 


Before I go any further, please do a Chandler Bing style "Param Pam Bishh" for the dear blog! We just turned 50 posts old. The baby's growing up. Sniff. This is the worst possible way to usher in a moment like that, but this Blogger's block I tell you, is a desperate witch.

Anyhoo. This is the point where I actually start the post. But considering I don't have much to say, imagine an awkward silence here.
There is a lot of discussion on the CWG. I could add on to that hullabaloo, considering I am bang in the midst of all that, but I won't. Because there are other things that caught my attention this week, other things that this city needs to think about. Because I am reallllllly tired and I don't want to apply my mind to the CWG mess.

I should probably tell you why I am tired. That's because over the past few weeks, I have been traveling. A Lot. Within Delhi, of course. And through the course of this, I went to some alarmingly dirty places, met some shockingly good people and learnt more than I could ever imagine! You know how companies rave about products for rural India and the bottom of pyramid? Yeah? Well, we are one of them and we made a little insignificant something for them and as a part of this team, I was required to tie-up with NGO's working with the lower sections of the society. And boy, oh boy. What an experience! 

I HAVE to describe the place first. I never knew such areas existed in Delhi. Imagine the dirtiest possible place you have ever seen. Add rains to that, knee deep water and industries spewing sewage water in to the same water. Then, put in a couple of dozen pigs playing happily there, with some truck loads of garbage as their cushion. Now, imagine a chaotic situation, with a Ganpati Visarjan procession, people dancing right in between all that mess, and also a fish market on the sidelines of this. (Fish market sounds like an addition from my end, it's not. Believe me.) For a cherry on the cake, carefully place a Baraat procession bang in the middle of this. With Ghoda and dance and band and all the appurtenances. And the best part, the people were enjoying themselves to the hilt, irrespective of the rains, the mess or the mosquitoes. There. That's the best I can do to describe the place!

And where were we? In a cycle rickshaw, driven by an extremely enthusiastic Superman driver, who refused to accept that the road had potholes. To his credit though, the road did not have potholes, the potholes had a little bit of road. One look at this place, and if you don't drown in oodles of misery, I assure you, you are not human. 

Right there, when you are hanging on to dear life, when someone calls you to tell you that the bridge at a CWG stadium collapsed, you feel like sitting down in the middle of all that crap and quite literally, laughing your ass off. Because you suddenly realize what a naked sham the CWG is. Because you suddenly realize how there is a large section of the Delhi where mention of the word CWG results in stares of absolute ignorance. Because suddenly, you realize that there are people in Delhi who do not have living conditions good enough for even pigs.Because suddenly, nothing else matters. 

Don't worry. If the story didn't have a positive spin to it, I wouldn't have posted it today. In the middle of that mess, where people are trying desperately to just live life, are some angels - the NGOs. I cannot even begin to imagine the AMOUNT of motivation one needs to be able to go to these places every single day, to work. That there are not one or two, but many people who are doing that, is in itself a shocker. These NGO's train people living here, impart vocational training for free, teach them, empower them, enable them to earn a living and help young people to dream. They go deep into these villages, encourage people to come out and learn, assure them of their good intentions and then spend time and effort, just to make these people capable of living a decent life. In the worst of conditions, they reach out to people living in these areas and force them to get out of their dirge. I have to say I was deeply embarrassed when people at these NGO's said we are doing a great job by making this technology for the lower section of the society. Because, we are not doing a great job, we are just doing our job. We are just doing what should have been done ages ago. We are only doing a very minute bit to help the NGOs do more. The actual great work is being done by them!

So there, that's what I learnt over the past few days. How not to get mislead by the wrong kind of problems. How not to close my eyes towards the real problems. How not to crib about my job. How not to worry about little things that have no real significance. Incidentally, on my return journey, the song playing on the iPod was:
"If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride"

Sigh. For someone who had nothing to say, I wrote a humongous lot! And now that I have started writing, I realize there's a lot more I can say! But that's in a different post, because I really am tired today. I could fall asleep on the keyboa zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Bye.

Edited to add: It's not fair if I don't mention the names of some of these NGOs. So, that would be Prayas, Aradhya, Rasta, Navjyoti to mention a few!

Comments

  1. Gosh! :p
    Such a long post,i was losing my grip mid way but hanged on by the mention of those lovely places.
    Had been through them couple of times.
    Nothing much to write..so gud night have a nice sleep :d

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wrote a lot...I dont care. Because it makes a lot of sense. In between all this CWG mess, these people are the ones that no body cares for. Great job on that Preeti. :)
    And thanks for the positive note at the end.

    50 posts....:n

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  3. First things first. It's good to see that you finally came out of Blogger's-block phase. Congratulations on 50 posts! You have painted a sombre picture of the bare realities. All this disgust at CWG fiasco turned to misery and distress. I just realized the futility and nothingness of many things I expend time on. To not get misled by the wrong kind of problems and not close eyes to the real problems - I have to learn. You ended the post on a positive note and I'd like to follow suit. Kudos for writing this post. I'll take the Nickelback song along with me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Anurag: My God! Was it that long? I didn't even realize! :e

    ReplyDelete
  5. @dil..: Thanks! :h
    Sorry for the long post! :d

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Ajay: Long post is the best way to get out of a Blogger's Block! :d
    I tried to be positive! Let's see how far that goes..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yay on the 50 posts! And I am happy that the block did not bog you down :).. CWG - what more can I say. It is such a dhabba on us :(

    I feel so optimistic reading your description of the NGOs. All is not lost yet!

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Piyu: :a
    Definitely not lost yet! :a

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  9. A beautiful inspiring post Preeti, every effort big or small; recognised or onot counts.
    Thank you for sharing your experiences :a
    :n Congrats on your 50th post....way to go and wishing you many more blogging milestones :t

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congrats on the 50 Preeti :) :n :n
    And it heartening to know that people do actually care about others, they are selfless and have a will to improve the state of our country. Every bit counts :t

    ReplyDelete
  11. @dialoguewithyou: Thanks! :h
    Hope their efforts get recognized by someone atleast! :a

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Pinoo: Thank you, thank you, thank you! :h
    Yeah, you have to meet these people! Seriously, they work so hard! Someday we'll be able to help them, maybe?

    ReplyDelete
  13. You have a writers block..and are tired..and have nothing to write?? :e and then you write this wonderful..long post :o

    I have been to one such place in B'bay so know exactly what you are talking about. But never ever say that small things don't count. Every little bit make a diff to the people staying there..so keep up the work, however small you think it is.. :q

    Congratulations on the 50th post.. Hope to see many many more :a

    ReplyDelete
  14. Imagine the dirtiest possible place you have ever seen. --- are u talking about the CWG village...bruhahaha i crack myself up *fairly unsuccessful doing the same to others*

    seriously the people who work in NGO's must sleep so well at night...they are the ones who actually do something...not us kind of ppl :(

    Ohh and congrats on the 50th post

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Comfy: Hehe! You won't believe this, I had NO idea I had written so much! Only after I read the first comment did it occur to me that I had written a long post! :c
    Yeah, someone travelling with me told me how eerily similar Dharavi was to that place! Many such places in India!
    And thanks! :h

    ReplyDelete
  16. @Nuttie: Lol! :c
    You cracked me up too! :c :d
    True ya! These people must be sleeping well for sure! :a
    And danke! :a

    ReplyDelete
  17. congratulationzzzz on reaching the milestone :D
    loved those lines :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. @Rajlakshmi: Thanks! :h
    It's a wonderful song!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Its a long post,more patience needed,but once i red all it gives a great feeling..

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am such a fool! I removed your blog link from my Reader, I don't know when and obviously by mistake, and I kept thinking why is she not updating her blog. D'oh!

    Now, let me go back and catch up on the last five entries!! :-|

    ReplyDelete
  21. One of those life-changing moments, eh? :-)

    I have heard stories of courage and smiles despite adversity, and integrity despite poverty. Glad you saw it first-hand. And cared enough to share the story.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congrats on the milestone :-) and good to know there is someone out there who's doing something good!

    ReplyDelete
  23. @rechristened: And I was wondering why you had stopped commenting! :d
    Yeah, lifechanging bol sakte ho, I guess! :a
    It was quite insightful, though!

    ReplyDelete
  24. @Chinks: Thanks! :h
    Yeah, there are many who do good work. Maybe we'll join them someday? :a

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congrats! 50 posts is awesome! :D
    And yes, for someone who had nothing to say, that is ONE long post, hehe!
    These NGOs are awesome alright. Sometimes I dislike the fact that money matters so much to me, and stops me from actually getting involved in something that would give so much more to me otherwise.

    ReplyDelete
  26. @DI: Thanks! :a
    I really have to learn to write shorter! :e
    Very true about the money bit! I am sure this type of work would give a lot more!

    ReplyDelete

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