Like Southcity-I, the SAMVADA too has seen a metamorphosis in 2022. But, let me confine myself to the Colony only. The change of guard has successfully executed the taking over of reins from the old EC. Whatever tiny pinpricks remain will be resolved too.
This new Team has, however, put me out of work …. from a glorified snoopy editor, I feel like a petrified ‘rubbish’ (pun intended). How? Well, they are so transparent, that an over-rated, under-performing sleuth like me has nothing left to snoop around for. In fact, my nose has grown shorter these past 2 months due to their efficient EC – Resident interactions and transparency. The blame for my shortened nose clearly falls on all members of the EC including the President. With that preamble, it would be boring to read repetitive stuff most residents are already aware of, and which is readily available on the Colony WhatsApp Group and SCRWA website.
However, there are some who are either not on the media grapevine or who actually rely on Samvada (our editorial board’s ‘hallelujah’ moment) to give the monthly synopsis of Southcity-I. For them, I will quickly run over the key developments :-
- The L Block (or Liquor Block as most residents know it) has been auctioned as 27 plots. Lots of residents exulting and taking credit as if they got it done. But no matter, we will soon have 27 more stilt plus fours in our Colony without any enhancement in DHBVN or water or sewerage disposal upgrade. The next crib point is ready for the fear-mongers and the persistently negative clan of brothers.
- The Park upkeep is also occupying pride of place. From opening up space for children to play, to maintenance and upkeep roles and budgets, messages and discussions flood the net once a week at least. Those who don’t have tiny children anymore, want the gnomes to take the Southcity-I teens and babies away to the North Pole as a Christmas gift. Those who have occupied parks as personal spaces and planted trees, etc. in the middle of play spaces to prevent children access and happiness, remain silent, because in their hearts they know what they have done is against basic community etiquettes. It is time for a resident movement to go Block wise, and cutting across friendships and party lines, nominate one park for ball games and children fun, and if there is another one available, keep it for the ‘walkers’. The ‘Baba ka Bulldozer’ attitude is needed.
- Responsibility : The EC is working overtime. In fact I wonder if some of them are actually doing complete justice to their own businesses or jobs. When they seek nominations from Blocks, we have some ‘wise’ folks questioning them. The same ‘wise’ (pun intended) folks raise the highest decibel on multiple issues on the WhatsApp Group. One must understand
- that we only have an 11 member EC. Each Block has to nominate representatives who can be the local ‘parishads’ and ensure liaison, development and intimate monitoring of their own Blocks. It really is too much to expect any EC to deal with individual residents’ problems or issues of each Block.
- Waste Segregation and Collection : A continuous sore point. The humble request to everyone, especially some AARVI fans is, to appreciate that the EC is trying to go by the book by re-introducing EcoGreen as the waste collector. Bear with the discomfort a bit. Change, especially, change in comfort levels, takes time. We must support the ‘legal’ thing. As regards mixing dry-wet waste …. that is callous irresponsible individual behavior. Please segregate your waste. We owe it to OURSELVES more than to the community we live in. Occasional oversight of a chocolate wrapper or two in green waste is fine (because chocolates go to the waist NOT waste), but make the separation start. Over 90% households already do that in our Colony.
- Opening of Gates, etc. : The hue and cry is visble. The Blocks who have closed access to other residents of their own Colony, want better management on roads and alleys outside of their domain. About time we all understood that Southcity-I is NOT a gated Colony. Keep the gates if you wish. Place security guards and lock them up at night, but let good community sense prevail and keep the gates open for free access by everyone between 0600h to 2200h. It will definitely ease pressure on central avenues and also allow a lot of walking gentry happiness and safe walking spaces.
Many other issues rolling around. Most meet their end after 2 – 3 days of WhatsApp glory. The EC is barely 2 months old. All said and done, they are doing a wonderful job. Change takes time. Give them the leeway, hold their hand, and I, for one, am sanguine that the year 2023, will see some good things happen in the Colony.
As I close my gibberish, my one request to some over-zealous residents, with their ‘holier than thou’ attitudes and egos, would be to stop criticizing or trying to score brownie points by de-riding or mentioning unsavory comments about the previous EC or whatever happened, on every issue that comes up. What happened is history. Don’t spoil your own day and the day of some others, like myself, by your negativity in perpetuity. Move on. We are not politicians. We are friends first and neighbors for life. ECs will come and go, so will you and I. Let us clean our mirrors every morning, take a look at ourselves, and then, if we still feel like ‘the almighty’, pass derogatory comments on others in public forums. If you have the grudge and the guts, take the fight to the person directly.
With that, here is wishing everyone in our fine, and in our new EC’s terminology, soon to be B.H.E.S.T. Colony, great festive times ahead and an abundance of
happiness and good health in 2023.
“There are no strangers in this Colony, just some friends I have not yet met”.
Let us do the friendship walk and talk always.
Written by Col Anil Alagh, M Block, 9312247284
