It was a late start to weekend with a very late Saturday night meeting that I had to attend with US team. I got back home early morning Saturday and had a late rise at around 9 am. Weekend looked nice and moderate in terms of tasks and activities, with some social meetings, commitments to kid and few other events. Talking of the 1st major feeling, which is Joy, this is how that unfolded. I had a commitment to attend a Walkathon to support awareness of the issues that differently-abled people are facing. A NGO called Samarthanam arranged for this and venue was Rani Chennamma stadium in Jayanagar 3rd Block. eBay was supporting the cause. Given the cause and it had a physical activity to walk for 3 KM, I was excited to join this event. This is where I had the choice to drive my car for 18+ KM and drive back.
I decided to try my luck with BMTC and have a chauffeur-ride instead of laboring this myself. I guess the weekend factor worked for me, I was able to have such a wonderful ride through the Bangalore roads, on a Saturday evening. It is not that I don't take a BMTC ride but most times, they are short rides. Today, I had to ride of 20+ KM changing buses. Trust me, we all in Bangalore should start trying this, once in a while. I bought a day-pass and had the freedom to get into wrong routes etc., and take any which way to get to my destination. This was the part around "JOY" that I experienced during this weekend and encourage you to consider the JOYride, once in a while.
Second is the part around despair. I got to the stadium around 2:40 pm and was a little surprised that majority of folks were busy having lunch. Per the communication, we had the Walkathon to start at 3 pm. Seemed like, I didn't see the schedule properly or something else was not right. Slowly people started settling down in front of the main stage. I could see a very disconnected set of two MCs talking into the PA system. GENPACT was one of the main sponsor and there were some Japaneese (??) execs from that company, who made it onto the stage at 3 pm sharp. But the MCs kept telling that the VIPs are going to arrive any moment etc., I am sure, we had 500+ volunteers, 500+ school students and another 1000+ differently-able kids/adults waiting for the VIPs.
Best of the worst, the MP from the local constituency arrives at 3:30 pm or so. From there on, we had few more VIPs crawling in slowly until 3:50 pm or so. This is when, I could see more insensible behavior from the crowds. There were some performances from folk dancers, tribal dances etc., right in-front of the VIP stage, as if this was all for VIPs. All the perfectly-abled people started walking from their seats to get a good view of the performances. Most disabled children and adults were stuck to their chairs, not able to figure what was happening in-front of the stage. (See the Pic above) With so much senseless behavior from VIPs and audience, what was to follow was even more strange. The VIPs got hold of the mikes and started speaking on what they have done, doing and will do for the differently-abled. It was well past 4:40 pm and there was no sign or hope of the walkathon. I just had some commitments at home and had to take my JOY-RIDE back home on BMTC, with a sense of despair.
Lastly, the much talked and seen performance of AAP in Delhi elections, is what leaves me with hope. This is a wonderful ending to the weekend and warm welcome to the week ahead. AAP doing so well is a personal point of joy and happiness for me. I was a volunteer and donor for the party. But more than anything, how people in Delhi and the whole country believed in AAP and trust they showed on fellow voters, is so much to talk about HOPE.
It was easy for the average Delhi voter to write these people off, dip oneself in a feeling of "one another poor try" etc., But that is not what the average Delhi voter has done. They believed in themselves, Power of Aam Admi and voted. Some self-proclaimed stalwarts are grounded, equations changed and new topics of fighting a election have arrived. We are in for a change. Good change.
I decided to try my luck with BMTC and have a chauffeur-ride instead of laboring this myself. I guess the weekend factor worked for me, I was able to have such a wonderful ride through the Bangalore roads, on a Saturday evening. It is not that I don't take a BMTC ride but most times, they are short rides. Today, I had to ride of 20+ KM changing buses. Trust me, we all in Bangalore should start trying this, once in a while. I bought a day-pass and had the freedom to get into wrong routes etc., and take any which way to get to my destination. This was the part around "JOY" that I experienced during this weekend and encourage you to consider the JOYride, once in a while.Second is the part around despair. I got to the stadium around 2:40 pm and was a little surprised that majority of folks were busy having lunch. Per the communication, we had the Walkathon to start at 3 pm. Seemed like, I didn't see the schedule properly or something else was not right. Slowly people started settling down in front of the main stage. I could see a very disconnected set of two MCs talking into the PA system. GENPACT was one of the main sponsor and there were some Japaneese (??) execs from that company, who made it onto the stage at 3 pm sharp. But the MCs kept telling that the VIPs are going to arrive any moment etc., I am sure, we had 500+ volunteers, 500+ school students and another 1000+ differently-able kids/adults waiting for the VIPs.
Best of the worst, the MP from the local constituency arrives at 3:30 pm or so. From there on, we had few more VIPs crawling in slowly until 3:50 pm or so. This is when, I could see more insensible behavior from the crowds. There were some performances from folk dancers, tribal dances etc., right in-front of the VIP stage, as if this was all for VIPs. All the perfectly-abled people started walking from their seats to get a good view of the performances. Most disabled children and adults were stuck to their chairs, not able to figure what was happening in-front of the stage. (See the Pic above) With so much senseless behavior from VIPs and audience, what was to follow was even more strange. The VIPs got hold of the mikes and started speaking on what they have done, doing and will do for the differently-abled. It was well past 4:40 pm and there was no sign or hope of the walkathon. I just had some commitments at home and had to take my JOY-RIDE back home on BMTC, with a sense of despair.
Lastly, the much talked and seen performance of AAP in Delhi elections, is what leaves me with hope. This is a wonderful ending to the weekend and warm welcome to the week ahead. AAP doing so well is a personal point of joy and happiness for me. I was a volunteer and donor for the party. But more than anything, how people in Delhi and the whole country believed in AAP and trust they showed on fellow voters, is so much to talk about HOPE.
| Alliance | Leads | Results | Change | Total |
| 0 | 32 | +9 | 32 | |
| 0 | 28 | +28 | 28 | |
| 0 | 8 | -35 | 8 | |
| 0 | 2 | -2 | 2 | |
| 0 |
It was easy for the average Delhi voter to write these people off, dip oneself in a feeling of "one another poor try" etc., But that is not what the average Delhi voter has done. They believed in themselves, Power of Aam Admi and voted. Some self-proclaimed stalwarts are grounded, equations changed and new topics of fighting a election have arrived. We are in for a change. Good change.
