So cities have become gas chambers,
air quality is severely compromised as more numbers of Indians die of air
pollution related ailments than anywhere else in the world. Common people are
in serious bother, in an already bleak scenario where apathy driven policy
makers, habituated through sanctum traditions of moral vacuum, look for easy excuses
or manipulation to hide their incompetence. So what does the market media,
which is meanwhile elevated as fourth estate –torchbearer of free speech so on,
do? Continuing with tradition of amazing levels of immunity to surroundings they
work it out through sponsors from vehicle manufacturers in a bid to increase sale!
So we have carbon fuelled cars and bikes being tempted through advertisements,
very much helped by media exaggerated icons arising out of murky world of movie
business and cricket industry, as agents of superior life on every conceivable occasion
as people grapple for dear life.
It seems some live in alternate reality, in a
market entangled paradox. It is alright to peddle vehicles while people gasp
for breath as automobiles are established as major source of air pollution in
already congested societies with limited infrastructure. This in a country where majority of people don’t own vehicles and use public transport despite
the risks and discomfort as also the system heavily skewed towards private
vehicles (must add metro trains are significant step towards MRTS). But the irresponsible
elite section wallowing in greed and pathological insecurity live in market entanglement.
Carbon spewing vehicles with fancier looks are, not very ironically, being propositioned
with deeper understanding on marketer’s limited philosophies on life meanwhile bringing
the bacon home for wage slave journalists as they pitch as guardians of common
people. The disconnect is amazing.