Swachh Intentions go a long way...

 l would like to say that today is symbolic of people's triumph over adversity. But, no. However dramatic that sounds, I think today represents a day when the power of a community  and that of the authorities collaborated to bring about positive  change.

 It has been more than a month since I published my blog, "Garbage, garbage everywhere", and had it not been for a genuine desire of the people to find a workable solution to the problem, all those words would have amounted to nothing. I, who is known to be overly critical of most forms of digital-technology, was awed by the way one individual's capable networking brought everyone concerned under one umbrella, not to mount an attack on the  authorities, but to genuinely find a solution.

If a growing garbage problem can bring communities together, like it did ours, imagine the possibilities! People who were estranged from each other for the last five years are now united in their cause. Not only are they on the first name basis, they even stop by each other's houses for a cuppa and an update on the garage problem. Suddenly, we are not just a community, but a family, with one common objective: to ensure not only that our neighborhood stays clean, but also that the water catchment area along the newly-paved road doesn't become a convenient dumpyard, with all the unsegregated garbage nicely hidden under a handful of soil and dried coconut leaves. 

All along this exercise, it was wonderful to see involvement of the residents, ready to allocate top priority to this issue and arrive  on time for the meetings.The co-operation and the immediate follow-up from the Tahaseeldar's office was also very encouraging. We were excited, not only because our collective voice was being heard, but also because it was being acted upon in a manner which would be conducive to the environment. And, when the authorities agreed to do their job by sending in a crew to re-bag and haul away the garage dumped by the roadside, the beaming residents did their share by catering to the best of their capacity to the needs of  a workforce of 22 women, who began work at 6 a.m., May 9th. While some people brought biscuits and a thermos filled with tea, someone else cruised in with apples, oranges and moong dal mix, while yet some other individual cooked up a pot-ful of delicious upma to feed the team. Recycled bottles filled with potable water were brought in from homes to quench the thirst of these hardy women working in the sun. A couple of young  residents even joined in the back-breaking effort to bag all that tons and tons of garbage...It was a true expression of team-work, and as my mom always like to say, "if someone advances one step towards us in a gesture of goodwill, we will advance two"... Today, as a neighborhood, we proved just that. 

Lesson learnt: just last week, while talking to Céline, a visiting sociologist from France, promoting digital support groups and forming e-communities, I was desperately trying to wrap my head around the benefits and importance of digital networking...but, now I am beginning to understand and appreciate its place in the society.

The celebrity moment: In our country, nothing is complete without its celebrity moment. And so, to highlight the import of such an endeavour, in cruises Amla Paul, the actress from Kerala, who happens to be a rare sighting in our neighborhood, even though she has been a part of it for a few months. Out she steps off her chauffeur-driven car, clad in a sexy, red summer dress. Click, click goes the selfie with the crew, all desperately trying to fit in the tiny frame. Each seeking their own triumphant moment...