DNA Jaipur 10th Anniversary: A bipolar story with happy ending

The bipolar syndrome presents us with a state of mind that shifts between two extremes of unusually energetic disposition and acute depression. As a neuroscientist and an academician, I find Rajasthan swinging like a pendulum between the highs of visible and quantifiable development, and the lows of cultural erosion that is nibbling away at our much prided heritage and legacy.

Over the last decade, the state has shown some remarkable resilience to the afflictions of economic backwardness, under-development and has been on the forward march to neutralize the scourge of illiteracy. The climb up the economic ladder has been matched by a relentless pace in development that manifests itself in the modern and metropolitan makeover of major cities, including that of the state capital Jaipur. The icing on the cake is that the state, by a great measure, is out of “Beemaru (sick)” status.

Yet the idea of a welfare state cannot be fully embraced until women who have stepped into motherhood and our young ones are not out of harm’s way. Nutrition data on the health of lactating mothers and young children is a clear sign of worry. The targeted programmes to bring down infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate should be backed by relentless government effort to firmly plant the sapling of a healthy generation of mothers and kids.

That Jaipur is turning out to be a metropolis marked by an increase in footfalls and an insatiable appetite for pubs and bars, fashion shows and art galleries, is indisputable. The city landscape is littered with enterprises hinged around boyfriend-girlfriend themes feeding the gluttony of expectations and craving for the surreal. The increasing use of English as a medium of discourse has gained traction to the point where it has become a targeted pursuit by parents from any societal strata looking to groom their kids in the mould of global citizen.

Fast life has had its own costs. People are now being introduced to its sickening consequences such as a reduced threshold to fight for what is right, exacting revenge and lobbing abuse on trivial issues, decreasing public respect for senior citizens marked by the media-inculcated use of first name irrespective of age, which we considered to be a great cultural advancement rivaling that of the west.

The alarming decrease in basic etiquettes is reflected in the missing civic sense and chaotic traffic governance in the cities. Rajasthan finds itself, ironically, competing with the worst in air quality in India. The politicians are locked in a game of one-upmanship with bureaucrats who tend to equal their masters in lack of sensitivity to public causes. The general disillusionment of the people with the comatose government machinery is finding a release in divine intervention. There is a surge in attendees visiting temples who wish to change their destiny and seek solace in self-protection offered by their chosen deity.

The silver lining to these pockets of dystopian future is our young achievers. More and more youngsters are taking challenges head on in a relentless pursuit of self-excellence. In the process they are not only upholding their self-respect, but also ushering in a work-driven and result-oriented culture. The shift to digital mode is another game-changer. It is bringing in greater transparency and is taking the masks off of our representatives. It is also helping us save precious allocations of time and money.

Intra-state and national air connectivity has taken a big leap during this time and we can now access cities in state in a matter of minutes. The metro train is expected to ease congestion and pollution in city and is an investment for the future. The Dravyavati river project is one of the most ambitious works taken up to clean up the years of mess marked by unchecked encroachments and unplanned growth. Once completed, it would not only bring beauty to the state capital, but would also play the fertile ground to plant bold business activities.

My fervent hope is that the administrator would rise to the occasion to create real smart cities which would make life comfortable, hassle-free and pollution-free than applying band-aid to citizen’s problems by beautifying the city. The state should, through smart cities, add to the happiness index of its citizens than plan to create a beautiful façade void of any life. The dynamic and visionary chief minister Vasundhara Raje has taken several new reforms from labour to health, education to water saving, low-profit shops and low-cost nutrition diet for masses. If executed and supervised well Rajasthan could beat Tamil Nadu or Gujarat hands down.

The author is an eminent Neurologist and Padma awardee