Click on photo to enlarge
These banners advertise the inauguration of the "modern lighting" by an MP (Member of Parliament), an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly), and a member of the ruling party. The new street lights are on taller poles and the electric cables are underground. Sometimes you see the name of the public official who "inaugurated" a particular high-powered street light - on a plaque placed at the bottom of the pole! If I get a chance I will photograph one of those. It is the custom in India to have someone "important" inaugurate pretty much anything - a new train service (usually the railway minister or someone high in the Railways), a new plane service (the aviation minister), a new shop (local politicians or film stars) and so on. It is also the custom to place photos of these important people in the newspapers when an inauguration is advertised. I just wonder how they have time to go around inaugurating these things when there is so much work to be done... Perhaps they coordinate these things with other work they have in the area - yeah, right!!
The politicians above may be fine politicians, but it is a sad fact that many MPs and MLAs are convicted criminals, especially in the North and the East, and some have cases against them for very serious and violent crimes. But I think that is a facet of democracy. It is indeed very ironic that the police who are trying to put them behind bars are forced to provide security and protection for them once they are in public office! Attempts to introduce bills to bar criminals from running for public offices have failed...
Do you have important politicians doing such inaugurations where you live?
"Ninety eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them." -Lilly Tomlin
"Politics: "Poli" a Latin word meaning "many", and "tics" meaning "bloodsucking creatures"." -Robin Williams
"Men say I am a saint losing himself in politics. The fact is that I am a politican trying my hardest to become a saint." -Mahatma Gandhi
4 comments:
i've never noticed anything like that anywhere i lived. that's very interesting how they advertise themselves on electric poles!
Thank you for the music referral
will continue to follow the blog.
Great photos.
When some politicians die, their hoodlums coerce ordinary citizens to close their businesses. Someone said that politics is the business of scoundrels.
hi, thanks for the award. I always enjoy your insightful commentaries to the photos, most interesting. Seems politicians are blood sucking creatures wherever one goes! (with a few notable exceptions like Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela) I adore the quote from Lili Tomlin, it applies here too. 7 of the newly elected members of the ruling party, who will become our leaders at the next election, have criminal records (mostly fraud and corruption) and another 6 are under investigation, including the new President. But no problem, they have just put plans in motion to disband the unit of the Police that has been investigating them, so all the non-politician criminals will also have even more free reign here than they already do! No, they don't inaugurate things, in fact they seldom show up for parliament, too busy spending the fat salary cheques!
Post a Comment