Rains, Andamans and little malice

With little malice towards the Andaman & Nicobar Administration..

I have written for newspapers here, like sometimes I did in Mainland. This article appeared on 5th May last year during rains, in a weekly tabloid size English-Tamil newspaper intriguingly named The Bullet of Andaman.
An urgent appeal for boat service at Aberdeen Bazaar and more…
Rains for just two hours, our much loved Aberdeen Bazaar turns into a mini Island. It is one hundred percent true and all of us know about it. Only thing that is missing is a boat service. As the drainage system has gone for a six, the water around the bazar at many places, especially under the footsteps of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is a fascinating sight. It looks as if The Mahatma is walking on water. On one side is the imposing white and blue structure where the babus and official do-gooders of our city and municipality are sitting. And on the other side the local head office of the biggest Public Sector Bank in the country busy catering to rows and rows of harried islanders, some so old, who walk with support with their pension slips. Now they too are looking for boats from the bus stop to the bank when it rains.
Well the sight has its positives. It can be advertised on the website of our tourism department to attract more tourists from across the world to live the experience of a rain made temporary island with a Bazaar in the middle. A real town planning masterpiece! As we all know that construction above three floors is not allowed by the authorities, the place being earthquake prone, so we cannot build a Empire State Building or Petronas Twin Towers to show off our greatness to the world, therefore we can promote our mini island Aberdeen Bazaar as a touristic attraction. During rains.
If proper documentation is done professionally, with video footage, power point presentation etcetera , the city could enter this man made living marvel as the eighth wonder of the world. After all most wonders are old monuments,. But our Bazaar is a live, throbbing with activity, milling with people and shops and businesses and banks. It s novelty is a plus on many counts.
As nothing is being done for years to the drainage system, or leveling of roads, we may as well take advantage of the situation. Let us request the great men sitting in the high offices, some across the road in a white and blue building diagonally in front of the Mahatma, to block the remaining drains and gutters around the Bazaar, and try to make it more and more like a real island in the rainy season. Our problem of tourist slump during the rains will be solved once and for all, if we promote this mini island bazaar as the greatest tourist destination. Point to be noted.
An immediate tender call for boat service may be announced. Only glass bottom boats may be allowed, as the tourists can look at the floating, swimming beauties of our gutters. The colourful plastic bags, gutka packets, plastic bottles in many shapes and caps with many colours and much, much more. Man made under water beauty! And yes, some boats may be designed and built like HODIS to give the tourist a Nicobar experience. Doesn’t all this sound cool?
Tenders may also be advertised for nose masks with in built perfume dispensers for the tourists as they may not be able to stomach the wonderful smell permeating from our clogged gutters. This mask may be rented, or sold to tourists who want to take them back to their countries as souvenirs.
Knee length rubber shoes will also be in great demand. Therefore the jobless entrepreneurs may be given loans to start rubber shoe factories as rubber is abundantly found in the islands.
More ideas can be discussed on how to promote this mini island Bazaar, but there is a shortage of space in this issue of The Bullet of Andaman, so let us say goodbye to each other as the Father of The Nation walks on water. If the water is clean enough to touch the Great Man’s feet remains a little mysterious!