“Be quick but do not hurry,” says John Robert Wooden, American basketball head coach. Yet, politicians remain in being quick and in a hurry to speak against their rivals in order to prevail. That they do not develop misconceptions more often is the logically acceptable point. But, our elected politicians do not lose time at the beginning of the bittersweet dissent over rising air pollution levels in Delhi.
The bitterness started up with a photo posted on Twitter. The ruling party MP and ex-cricketer Gautam Gambhir missed the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee called for discussing the air pollution problem prevailing in Delhi and was seen enjoying delicious jalebi at an eatery in Indore.
It would be apt to mention here that MCD commissioners, DDA vice-chairman, environment ministry secretary/joint secretary, 21 Lok Sabha MPs, and 8 Rajya Sabha MPs, besides others, attended the meeting. The Aam Aadmi Party criticised the BJP MP for his act of negligence.
This made Gambhir discard his natural seriousness and he left no words in flaying the AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for his carelessness in full-throttled fury. The BJP leader even reminded him of the massive tree plantation conducted by DDA and the purchase of 52 super machines to curb pollution in the national capital region.
He even went to say that his work will speak ultimately. He counted a slew of projects in the field of garbage management, education and hygiene underway in his electoral constituency. Gambhir went on to add that there was a plan to install giant air purifiers with cutting-edge know-how across the constituency.
The apparent irony hidden in their counter indictments seemed unending and earned enough attention. It showed how politicians try to find issues to entangle into arguments. If the prevailing environment was not favourable, the politicians could at least control their wrath.
This only worsens the badly polluted air to another level. It sounds strange that pure air sells in the market like pure water. Too much concern over the environment also has influenced by market forces. Unless no hue and cry is raised how can people run for buying pure air to inhale?
In the past, there was a constant fear of floods but now there lurks the danger of a polluted environment. Is it the straight bane of our massive mechanical advancement and industrial growth?
Meanwhile, a senior Congress party leader. Kapil Sibal said that nature was punishing us for our own misdemeanours. We had ourselves jeopardised our fundamental right to breathe. The Centre should have paid as much attention to poor air quality as it did in dealing with Article 370.