Guardians of the City!

To,

The Guardians of Pune City…

When I decided to write something for all the elected State Assembly Candidates from the Pune city, this was the first line which came to my mind as addressing you! As many won’t like the term being used i.e. “Modi Brigade’,  but throughout the campaign the way it’s been run what else but we can call it as a brigade of one single man with mission! Congratulations for the efforts of your tenure as sitting MLA as well as a Corporator, for those who have worked for the city in that role. Here is something I will like to share as a citizen of this City which looks at you with very high hopes….

“Sometimes beautiful things come into our lives out of nowhere. We can't always understand them, but we have to trust in them. I know you want to question everything, but sometimes it pays to just have a little faith.”...Lauren Kate.

Lauren Kate is an internationally bestselling author of young adult fiction. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages & read across the world. What we witnessed in recent State Assembly elections in our Pune city made me recall this famous quote by her. As outcome like who will come in ruling & things like whether an alliance will happen or not, will be cleared soon but what Pune as a city has done is historic! All eight seats from the constituencies of the city has been won by one single party, that too which is in ruling in central & sure the same party is going to play a major role in forming Govt in Maharashtra is a fact! As I have always cleared that I am not an apolitical expert & this sharing is not to analyze political issues; so what’s special about it then?

To understand the special about it we need to go in past, way back to 1995 when we have Sena-BJP govt in State & BJP with alliance in Central. Then also the city wasn’t having all its MLAs from a single party & later on there were alliances in State as well in Central & mix & match formula went all as well same formula got repeated in City politics. The city also responded in vague way each time i.e. out of its eight constituencies never there were more than two or three MLA’s in assembly from the same party. Many will say what’s big deal, its democracy & we are free to choose in whatever way we want to! But then we have seen the effect of doing so; democracy doesn’t necessarily gives right outcome each time & we have proved it in past! Because of the MLA’s from different party & each party in ruling having their own agendas, the city MLA’s were never untied on city issues & failed over last nearly fifteen years to solve any of problem united! Unity is the key to success & it’s this key which was missing in Pune & none other than the citizens were at blame for not electing right combination.

Outcome was all the MLA’s never getting united for the city’s various issues & not only just unable to get united but have different stands about the issue, the famous example if Hill Top Hill Slopes or call it BDP i.e. bio diversity park, which has held the entire Development Plan of the city for years. Reason?, Well each party has their own reasons rather say interest or egos to support or to oppose this BDP reservation & their interests & egos were represented by the party MLA’s resulting in total mess of the city’s development plan i.e. DP! There are so many examples of this cross interests of parties such as BRT as one party wants BRT & another didn’t. Then there is garbage depot location as well arrangements of dumping garbage as existing garbage depot is at village phursungi, but MLA from that region has different opinions about allowing garbage to be dumped over there & then no MLA wanted to allocate place for new garbage depot from his constituency as it will benefit other MLA’s but may put him in trouble! Another famous but equally important issue is about merging of surrounding villages in already extended boundary of the PMC. Here also political interests were at clash & the issue is lingering since last many months. Then there is most famous or infamous PMRDA i.e. Pune Metropolitan Regional Planning Authority, which holds the future of entire Pune as region but just because of no unity in all the elected MLA’s & again different party interests this very important issue has taken back seat on agenda of all the parties! Once upon a time the city was supposed to be the safest in entire country but after German Bakery blast & series of blasts on JM road, that’s no more the status we enjoy. But here again issues like strengthening the city police force or CC TV are being neglected & what we saw is just blame game in different parties for the same! Metro & Public transport to Water supply from the dam, countless topics awaits our MLA’s united action but time & again it hasn’t happened is a fact! All such topics just due to one common factor i.e. no unity amongst the MLA’s has made the city grow like orphanage at State policy front!

In all the last years it seems that the MLA’s have put their party ahead of their city & with due respect to all their good intentions about the city still they could get away with it is because that was the scene in the city. All the eight MLA’s of the city are supposed to be one single team which like a pack of hunter dogs will fight to nail & tooth with the Govt whichever is in ruling & get the city issues cleared for the citizen as they are like guardians of the city! At least that’s hope of a common citizen but what we were used to see is this pack fighting amongst themselves only & why they shouldn’t when they have excuses like “I am helpless due to party policies or I am for it but other MLA’s are opposing it for the sake of their party!” And citizens also wasn’t having any choice but to accept such excuses of individual MLA’s as that was the reality in many of the cases.

And all above issues were & are extremely important to decide fate of real estate in this city. As what is real estate for but providing a decent, simple, affordable home to the millions who are citizens of this very city & who have voted to a single team in hope of having their small dream of owning a home here!

This is what makes the present outcome of State assembly election not just special but very very special! As for the first time we have a real team which won’t have to give any above excuses for being unable to unite & fight for city issues. We the citizen of Pune have voted very wisely & all these MLA’s which are in a way army representing Pune in front of State Govt are of one party where the agenda & interests like things are not going to be hurdles in solving the city problems. Rather “development, development & development’ is the only agenda they should have now on their mind. Like the famous Spiderman Movie quote “With great powers comes along greater responsibilities”, the millions of vote to a single team is the greatest power this city can give to any team & so it has given. Now the same city expects to carry out the responsibilities along with powers & the expectations are very less. No one expects free homes or free bus service or free education & things like that. Neither nobody demands overnight gardens & flyovers or garbage free roads & twenty four hours water from taps. All this city needs is a sincere attempt by this army towards understanding the problems it has been facing over the years & whole hearted efforts to solve them! Like they say “aap ek kadam aage badho hum dus kadam badhneko tayyar hai” means you just take one step towards the goal, that one step will make the millions assured that yes they have put their faith in right person! I think that’s all the city expects as faith is most delicate thing to handle & once it’s broken then its non repairable damage!  

Year after year hope has been shown to this city & their faith in the system has been shattered by that false hope; yet again the city has responded with all its remaining faith to the call of development by one man who has shown dream of a better India to the entire nation! Remember Somebody’s faith is the biggest power one can have & now that power is with you; now it’s up to you to use this faith of the city as sword & cut down every obstacle in the way of development of the very same city. As that will be due respect & honor of the word faith! Our wishes are always with you in this battle!

That is all I wanted to share from the role of a common citizen who has voted, as that’s only thing he can do once in five years! So go ahead & make the city proud by being the best team in not only the State but in entire Country & make this city such that people will compare themselves with us!

--

Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

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