Prince 's Ransom

All the India-based 24 hour TV channels had one and one thing only to show all the weekend. The life and death struggle of a 6 year old boy who fell into a 60 foot pit. The Pm. CM, army. mumbai fire brigade all got into the act. The boy was rescued. Whereas abhimanyu of mahabharat was ambushed by several enemies and lost his life, this modern day Prince got out alive. Now the gifts are pouring, 2 lacs from Haryana, 2lacs from the centre, 5 lacs from Z
TV, with many more lacs to come.

In 2000 , In Lajpatnagar , New Delhi during monsoon, I saw a young girl disappear into a water logged pit right in front of my eyes. We hear every now and then of people being electrocuted by carelessly left high tension wires, and so on.

What about breadwinners blown up by the mumbai serial bombimgs with their families left to fend for themselves? Cargil widows, J&K widows languishing.

Farmers in Vidharba and Andhra committing suicides unable to pay off thousands borrowed from moneylenders.

We love drama and our priorities are lopsided. But then, we are Indians , aren't we?