HUMAN CHAIN OR CHAIN OF HUMAN SUFFERING

It was a horrifying experience - a pandamonium - on Friday the 24th October for few of us who were subjected to lots of inconvenience. Torrential rains played havoc in the city thanks to the infrastuctural facilies we have and the foolishness of a human on a rainy day.

I am a victim myself of such an experience, as would be the case with many who dwell in the areas of Nanganallur, Alandur,Madipakkam, Ullagaram to mention a few, who have no other course than going thro one of the three subways {are they "ways" anyway] from airport road to these areas.

I have always been experiencing these subways to be full - for the past decade - at the slightest rain and commuting by any 'wheeler' becomes a nightmare besides being a big challenge. In these circumstances, dependency on the manned level crossing at Meenambakkam seems the only viable and alternative way - you can very well imagine the traffic that would be out there during these rainy days.

In fact I started from my office at Vadapalani at 6 30 pm on Friday and reached home at Ullagaram at 1045 pm - it was great commuting on the first and second gears throughout this stretch caused by water at various junctions and the traffic snarls caused by the human chain programme launched by the ruling party -they could not have selected a better day to inconvenience the voters!!

What have we achieved by this traffic snarls at all places in the city caused by the human chain programme. Well, there have been mixed feelings - some say this is totally unwarranted on a rainy day; some say the polititicans could have undertaken a fast instead ; some say it is foolish to show sympathy at our cost; some say this is not going to make any difference while the few cursed the traffic which was severly affected during that 'black Friday'.

I also wonder apart from this what are we achieving Will this human chain change the circumstances at Sri Lanka It is right that we should have sympathy to our fellow Tamilians elsewhere but not like this - having a chain and things like that. What a waste of time, energy and fuel which was wasted that day This if translated into money in value could have been pooled to help with the necessities - be it food, clothing or importantly medicines - to those affected by the attrocities commited against them at Sri Lanka.

Come on let us all sympathise with any one - more so our own brotheren - but think and see what better options we have in order to mitigate the sufferings without our suffereing here by these unnecessary and unwarranted yet foolish political stunts.