RAHAGIRI

(Rahagiri) A NOVEL IDEA BUT WRONG IMPLEMENTATION (Satire)

Rahagiri means ciclovia or cyclovia, is a Spanish term that means "cycle way”. Basically we the Indians are expert in copying other’s ideas, or we can say ‘copy cats’, be it songs, cinema, novels, cars or life style. This is an event that started in Bogotá, Colombia, in the year 1976 and later spread to other countries. Ciclovia means the closing of certain streets to automobiles and keeping it exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians, for a fixed period of time. The practice is also called ‘open streets.’ Gurguon has started doing it from 2014 and other cities followed it and Odisha started it from 2016.Actually we have been practicing Rahagiri in Orissa (Dadagiri) since long. We block even our national highways for hours and also from Master Canteen to PMG Square (MGRoad) as long as the assembly session lasts, that’s also ‘Rahagiri in style’. We call it ‘Dadagiri’ which is equivalent of ‘Rahagiri’ in our mind.

When there is scarcity of water in the villages, slum areas, jaundice epidemic, high IMR, killing of innocent animals and birds with forest fires how much this Rahagiri is going to help the state and its people is difficult to envisage. A particular political party is ruling the state of Odisha for sixteen years but there are no solutions to the perennial problems of the state like flood, draught, potato, mining theft, chit funds, babagiri, onion shortages, but the people of this lazy state are happy with Rs: 5/plate of meals, one rupee rice and wheat. Earlier programs have become a failure with scandal and corruptions so also a time will come when we would know about how the money was spent on Rahagiri. We have some festival or other on alternate days in the state and people enjoy with DZ music, alcohol, fire crakers and Audi car in the evening hours so what is the need of Rahagiri when the cycle tracks, footpath are being used for driving Pulsars and Suzuki Bandits ? One cannot walk nor did cycle on Bhubaneswar roads for few kilometers, without being hospitalized.

If the government is serious about Rahagiri they can implement this idea for “free” from next week. Most of the young and old people would not cycle without publicity and money. But we can give it a try.

From 06hours to 07 hours and 16 to 17 hours, cycles time in a particular locality/roads. No other vehicles will be allowed during this time. No Rahagiri on Saturdays.

 From KITTs square to JaidevVihar--Mondays.

From BaniVihar to Master Canteen—Tuesdays

Airport to JaidevVihar—  Wednesdays.

Kalpana square to Rosulgarh---Thursdays

Acharyavihar to Bhubaneswar club—Fridays

Rabi talkies to Kalpana square—Sundays

Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy

A columnist and critics for anything and everything.