Varanasi somewhat clean but chaotic as ever
Cleanliness is not a Banarasi charactistics but we can still tolerate it . This time, after a gap of 4 months- from deepavali to holi, in my home universe, I noticed some visible signs of cleanliness on the roads and streets and galis. It did not impress me but this the price we have to pay for electing an MP, so obsessed with cleanliness and designer cloths.
Other day, from the press gallery of Rajya Sabha , I heard our member of Parliament cautioning fellow lawmakers that people will inquire about the cleanliness status of their cities/towns. He said his constituency is almost at the end of cleanliness index- perhaps 75th in total 78 places. He said I will have to answer to people (Banarasis). He is certainly wrong on this count. No Banarasi, of worth, will complain about garbage and filth. We have much more important and deep issues to worry about. We would simply say- keep your cleanliness to yourself along with your sartorial vulgarity.
And don't argue with us about the metaphysical dimensions of this issue. In the meantime just recite a few lines of Tomas Transtromer -
We got ready and showed our home.
The visitor thought: you live well.
The slum must be inside you.
( no need to say - visitor was from Varanasi)
Cleanliness is not a Banarasi charactistics but we can still tolerate it . This time, after a gap of 4 months- from deepavali to holi, in my home universe, I noticed some visible signs of cleanliness on the roads and streets and galis. It did not impress me but this the price we have to pay for electing an MP, so obsessed with cleanliness and designer cloths.
Other day, from the press gallery of Rajya Sabha , I heard our member of Parliament cautioning fellow lawmakers that people will inquire about the cleanliness status of their cities/towns. He said his constituency is almost at the end of cleanliness index- perhaps 75th in total 78 places. He said I will have to answer to people (Banarasis). He is certainly wrong on this count. No Banarasi, of worth, will complain about garbage and filth. We have much more important and deep issues to worry about. We would simply say- keep your cleanliness to yourself along with your sartorial vulgarity.
And don't argue with us about the metaphysical dimensions of this issue. In the meantime just recite a few lines of Tomas Transtromer -
We got ready and showed our home.
The visitor thought: you live well.
The slum must be inside you.
( no need to say - visitor was from Varanasi)
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