Austerity, my foot

Finally the UPA government realized that it also needs to do some cost cutting. This is something which should have been ages ago, but better be late than never. But this show of austerity will yield results only if done properly. Else this will go down as one of the many cards, which politicians play to garner votes.

The leader of the UPA setting an example is definitely the right step in this direction. But the whole implementation was completely a lost cause. One can and should travel by economy, but if you have two seats next to you on either sides and behind you empty and blocked, then, madam is better off travelling by business class, where she can get her own so-called space to work on important matters, which are a matter of life and death for citizens of the country. Plus, if she really wanted to show austerity, she should be sitting in any seat between 15 to 25 and not the first row, which provides extra leg space. That is how the cattle class travels. It is understandable that she would not know this as she seldom steps out of 10 Jan-path in anything other than an air conditioned, bullet proof convoy. Who paid for the additional empty seats? We did. And how do the airlines recover the cost? Simple, just increase the price for others. So we, the taxpayers foot the bill for those additional seats plus pay more for our travel. We'd rather be better off paying for a business class seat. We are in the situation of the devil and the deep sea. Whichever way, we are screwed.

She even got the support of her son. He travelled by Shatabdi express. Since when did the air conditioned coaches of Shatabdi become a show of austerity? More than half of the travelling public cannot afford the Shatabdi in our country. If he was so keen on garnering support from the common man, by showing austerity, then he should have been sitting in one of the normal trains, using his own handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his forehead and buying a ‘Kinley’ or ‘Aquafina’ at more than the MRP price. Thats what the common man does. But our man chose to sit in the comforts of an air conditioned coach and having made-to-order breakfast.

Well, if the UPA government really wants to be in sync with the common man, then they need to do more than just talk. Actions speak louder than words. This cannot be an exercise to garner votes. This is something which should be inculcated into every politician in India right from the day he joins a political industry. If you cannot provide a certain standard of service to the public, then you have no right to enjoy the same service with our money. The government should remember that they are not doing a social service by being the government. It is a job, for which they report to the public. We pay their salaries and benefits. And our money is not meant to be wasted on frivolous stuff.

Something for our Indian TV channels and newspapers. You mentioned that Rahul Gandhi had for breakfast on the train. He enjoyed the bread omelette and the parantha. But how come no one told me what Sonia Gandhi had during her flight? Was it a parantha or was it the south Indian idly-sambar or the maharashtrian poha? Did she drink lime juice or orange juice? And did she whack 25 sweets from the air-hostess like a child would do? I just cannot wait to know. Please please someone tell me. And if you cannot, don’t bother. It will not be the end of the world for sure.