The Essence of Development

Cranes, claws and destruction of tin foil houses. Development had finally come to their door step. Insufficient jobs in their own hometowns had set them on a path of migration to Mumbai. The land of dreamers, the land of milk and honey for an underdeveloped rural country. Over 70% of the population is rural , yet, the job opportunities were sparse.

The claw crushed down on the tin foil homes and bit into the sand. A father, a mother, children and an old man cringed as they watched the sight. Perhaps this was their home. The claw retracted, pulling with it mud, wrecked metal and a destroyed home. The claw rose up again and came down. It crushed another tinfoil home into bits. The claw retracted dragging with it mud and twisted metal.

Real estate prices sky-rocket in Mumbai, just like its sky-rocketing skyline. A small community of over 20 slums had claimed this piece of land as their own; their own little home in the vast, uncaring sprawl of Mumbai. The alternative was sleeping on the streets. Their small community cautiously grew. They had a roof over their head in this sprawling city. Now, one by one, each tinfoil home was being cleared away. Development had come to their door step.

On the first day, all their homes were first cleared.

Then second day, the digging started. The was debris cleared and the claw dug deep into the ground and began moving earth. The families had gone away to earn their daily wages. Development had come to their doorstep. They were not happy, but they could do nothing to stop it. The claws dug large holes in the ground for foundation.

Then, the large pipes were brought. The pipes would help improve the city’s ailing sewer system for the residential and business homes in the region. The pipes were buried in the ground where their homes once were.

Development had come to their doorstep, but it was not for the people who lived there. Their homes, their community were destroyed.

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Rats on the Track

Long and tall creatures with four arms, that’s what I saw. They were standing on a high and long platform. All looking out and staring into the infinity beyond, I wouldn’t know. My world was down here.  Stone pebbles all around, stone pillars stuck in the ground and two shinny bars stretched on the stone pillar. Food, that’s what I came up for. Using my short limbs and claws, I navigated the rough, unstable pebbles, but they were loose so my claws did not get caught in them.

In the middle of this abyss lay a piece of bread.

Food!

Immediately, I scrambled on to the stone pillar where my claws scraped on top of it, then, contracting my muscles, I leaped across the bar. It was a quick scrambled as I sprinted to the piece of bread, dug my teeth in and dragged the piece back.

Once again, my muscles contracted and I jumped across. The food was savoured in my mouth. I was rushing across, taking the bread piece with me. That’s when my obstacle jumped across from the other side and blocked the way. It was another rat, slightly bigger than me. The long creatures on top were shuffling on their feet.

From infinity the rolling box will come, I need to go back in my hole!

I charged forward only to see him raise up his claws. Claws sharp enough to dig into my face and rip it off. I stopped. My peripheral vision told me those long creatures were getting agitated, coming closer to the edge of the platform. The rolling box is coming.

In my obstacles eye, I could see the desperation and hunger that I’ve seen so many times.

We’re all caught in a rat race. A never ending one just trying to eat every day. What do I do now?

The pebbles were rumbling, the rolling box was far way. It was not that I would crush a rat. Those vibrations were not meant for a rat’s body to bear.  

The rolling box came into my peripheral vision. The vibration and rumblings were getting stronger. My bones could feel it.

There was not much I could, I threw the bread piece and rushed for the hole as the rat went for the bread.

Even underneath I could feel the vibrations. How long it lasted as I huddled and protected myself.

Then, I emerged. The rat, my obstacle, was dying, cut in two by the rolling box. There was nothing to do, I picked up the bread piece and went back to the hole.

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