Monday, November 04, 2013

Looking For Light

Vasu Reddy From Chicago
vasureddy@aol.com

It is Diwali time for 2013, and lots of celebration and cheer among the Indian folks world over. Everyone of the NRI folks seem to embrace the festive nature of the festival of lights and much is written and said about the time of the year for revival and new found attitude towards the next year. It's fall here and already a touch of the cold weather to come in the next few months, and Halloween Candy adventure was already cold and splattered with rain. A typical time of the year for those who live in Chicago. This year was very similar to the weather at this time of the year.

Beginning with Dasara and Halloween thru the beginning of the calendar year, Indians are quite blessed with the days of Dasara and end of the year to new year celebrations. Personally the sweet tooth is well fed with all kinds of confectioneries for almost 3 months and probably 25% of the body weight to be lost as new year's resolution. All wonderful things come together and everyone is buoyed by the spirit of the season and celebrations.

While we celebrate the season and the festivities of the end of the year, it is still the same political uncertainty in our beloved state and natural calamities are added to the season, along with the politics of the division of the state. Much to be concerned about the division of the geography of the land of Andhra Pradesh, and although the announcement has been made, there is still no clear road map of what will be thrown upon the people of the state and their friends and relatives world over. Each day there is speculations on who said what and the bitterness in addressing the real and perceived issues that are in front of the people of the state.

All over India and all over the world the festivities of Diwali have been in full swing, but we don't hear the same from our state of Andhra Pradesh. For obvious reasons the state is subdued in its celebration of new year and the festivities of Diwali Much is written and said about the political uncertainty of the state, rather than the season of festivities. Each day doesn't give any more comfort to the people of the state, but the political bickering by the politicians.

The time for reasoning has long past its time as the politicians don't make it any easier for the discussions on what to do next and how to handle the real issues of the people, rather they fuel the fears of the entire state and sometimes the entire nation to be in limelight. The center has no real agenda except political, and the state's politicians have no agenda except contempt for each other.

People continue to suffer with education and services are not receiving the attention of the people who are supposed to be managing the services, and politicians who have been elected to govern and support the process. You don't even see them passing on Diwali wishes as they typically do to their constituents. Its strange behavior considering that the elected officials and appointed bureaucrats are simply bickering, and ignoring that there are millions of people who need help.

Diwali has come and gone and people are waiting for resolutions to be at peace and live their life. While looking for a greater new year, there is little that we can look forward to as there is no end t the war of words, and no end to the inaction from politicians, and it doesn't look like there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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