उत्तिष्ठ भारतम

As my train chugged along slowly at an elephantine speed from Old Delhi station to Shahdra, it passed along Red Fort on the right and Salimgarh Fort on the left. I saw the erstwhile  'Bridge of the Boats ' on river Yamuna, on which had passed the mutineers from Meerut, while on their way to revolt against the British garrison at Delhi in 1857. Having been transported back in time, the sight of brackish water of the dying river underneath brought me back to reality with a rude jolt. What have we done to this great historical city of Khiljis and Taimur Lang and where is the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign of the contemporary ruler. All along the railway line, encroaching on the public land were the poor slumdwellers with the ugly face of poverty on display. I thanked myself for choosing the afternoon train, or else, I would have seen a lot of bums with bombs underneath. In the distance beyond the squalor and the underbelly of Bharat, I saw the Metro train speeding at a breakneck speed in sharp contrast to mine, possibly denying the spectacle to the well- heeled, who in any case are happy to hide behind their screens. Who will solve the problems of this nation when we are not even ready to acknowledge them.उतिष्ठ भारत।