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(ARCHIVE) Vol. XXI No. 20, December 1-15, 2011
a-Musing
By Ranjitha Ashok

A Touch Touchy?


"Somehow I get the feeling that I have touched upon a touchy subject in my speech!"

63 years, eh?

Of being what the dictionary defines as “a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote....”

Nice.

But you seem worried over your particular allotment of citizens.

You think they’re increasingly becoming like those ‘mimosa pudica’ plants?

Like thotta siningi?

There seems to be a lot of touchiness around these days.

Here a ‘strong objection’; there a ‘taking exception to’; and, yonder, the media favourite, ‘sentiments’ being ‘hurt’....

In addition, ‘They’ from ‘There’ displaying a distinct need to scoff at a people who, dismally unable to guarantee basic necessities, dare to dream grand. Paradoxes – luxury apartments vis-a-vis the homeless; information desks lacking information; cyber cities where you can’t get online; oodles of cell phones but pathetically few toilets – are constantly written about.

Well, constructive criticism vs. mere carping – citizens must learn to tell the difference.

Learn to accept the former, and ignore the latter.

Know something?

Sometimes resentment is but a disguised compliment.

Look, you’re still very young.

And your people are loud, emotional, undisciplined and easily misled – but they care deeply for you.

Despite a huge chunk of ....er....‘notable’ exceptions, there really are heroes within.

More than a billion of them, actually.

You, and they, will come through.

 

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In this issue

A High Court need
New roads for old
Rare sightings
Stop that pedestrian
The Madras Nabobs of Berkshire
A footnote on the Centenary of the Coronation Durbar
The Madras High Court
Chennai wildlife

Our Regulars

Short 'N' Snappy
a-Musing
Our Readers Write
Quizzin' with Ram'nan
Dates for your diary

Archives

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