The great Gods in punishment made him roll a boulder up a hill.
But the boulder would always roll down before he could reach the top of the hill. And he had to start all over again.This chap called Sisyphus and Sisyphean tasks need no introduction. We live our work lives don’t we ?
Sisyphean…is this work of sweeping our streets. Here are pictures clicked at very different places.
The lady was in Mahabaleshwar. There she was. Poignant. Persistent. And attentive. To the last speck of garbage on road. She collected all of it and kept it in a small basket. And walked away. Ofcourse, she didnt bother about the dog that cames along and sniffed the basket. And whatever it did from there on.
Cut to scene 2:
Mumbai. Closer home.
The man sweeps mud and dust off the road. There is a whole lot which flies off and settles on other side of the road. And perhaps when he sweeps from that side, will fly and settle on this side. He gathers whatever he gathers and tosses it into a big container in the tractor behind him. A whole lot of dust drifts aimlessly. Settling wherever it can.
Cut.
Scene 3:
Madurai.
A man with a fluorescent jacket is at work. With a shoe on leg. Collecting a heap of mud to to create another heap. In some time, an ants version of Mt. Everest forms ! He moves on.
A bus passes by. The gust from the passing bus, reduces Mt.Everest to a hillock. He doesn’t care. He is creating another Mt.Everest. Many more. Everyday.
Scene 4:
As i am typing this, there is a set of people on TV. Debating election results. And what it means for the country. Loud men & women they are. With some numbers and fancy graphs in the background. They make intelligent sounding points. They definitely seem to have sound.
I hear them talking of ‘Clean sweep in Bihar’ ‘Clean sweep in ….’ ! Occassionally, they are mumbling something about some ‘fundamental change’ that needs to be ushered in. That makes me wonder if they are replaying the last election’s analysis.
But with that ‘fundamental change’ point : I am all excited. We need to bring in fundamental change.
Ofcourse, I am talking of sweeping here!
u literally sweeped me off wit this post..it does make u wonder..change, that’s the only permanent one fosure!
bravo! love the post man!
…poignant to the last speck. now, let us pick up that broom and sweep all our thoughts together. only to have it scatter in the gust of life and daily trivialities…
such is our state!
And then there is also another type of sweeping that will be much seen now. Sweeping statements and also sweeping stuff under carpets, only to be removed, dusted and exposed again 5 years from now….but whats important, is that it be clean, like the lady in Mahabaleshwar…
The promises made in the winning party’s manifesto will probably be swept under the carpet!
Nice post, Kavi!
I’ve been witness to Scene 3 many times and have wondered. Perhaps they need a basket.
Bravo indeed! Great post 🙂
Kavi,
I have observed this “Sweep” ing as well. Fundamentally the way of sweeping has to change. Here we do not have sweepers. It is done by machines. Believe me or not I have stood and watched the way it used to do. They have high power vacuum and when driven at the edges of roads and markets it sweeps, washes and sucks. Probably next time when I come across I shall click and pubish a post.
You have proved that you can write anything and make it interesting to read.
Rush : That was my attempt at a sweep i guess !! And yes, change can never be swept away ! 🙂
Nachi : Thank you !! the last speck was an interesting metaphor !And ‘scattering in the gust of life and daily trivialities…’ was even better !!! Phew !
Ugich Konitari : Ah those sweeping under the carpets are so much part of mainstream milieu that refuses to draw any extra attention !
Yes. its important to stay clean. Just like that lady with that broom !
Manju : I think all party’s manifestoes would go under the carpet. Or someplace else where it would be difficult to find !! Sure thing !!
🙂 Thank you !
Sujata : Yes. They need a basket. And a few things more ! Hmm. I have a few ideas. But you see the elections are over !!
😉
Amreekandesi : Thank you!!
Balaji : Welcome again. After a long time !! I would love to see how the streets are swept clean over there ! High power vacuum is indeed something !!
would look forward to your post. Many thanks for that sweeping statement that i can write on anything ! 😉
I am humbled !
Wonderful! What we need is loads of brooms to sweep our politicians clean of corruption!!
Let’s see how the ‘clean sweeps’ affect our lives for the next 5 yrs or so…
Nice post. This is what happens when we dont take an idea to its completion. Its simple and yet nobody bothered. All the labour of these people going to waste everyday..just because the next step was left unattended.
It’s one of my entertainments back watching them sweep our streets in morning and loading into the mobile basked by holding two sweepers and then pour it into a garbage auto that comes around collecting from varies person. Let’s keep our society clean to avoid giving them much work and strain.
You guys (you, Ugich and SGD)are really swept up with the elections!
Sisyphus – sweep – election results…your mind jumps from thought to thought and you manage to hint at so many things without expressing direct opinion.
As a literature student, I am fascinated by the allusiveness, as an Indian, I am saddened by the irony.
Pardon me for intruding into Kavispace. One aspect of sweeping no one talked about. Being swept off(ones feet, I presume), like Roshni says, by the elections…
Actually, we are like Kachra.
We get swept off by so many things …elections, Obama, mangoes, ARRehman, Google, and last but not the least, for a nice wash after being swept, the Mumbai Monsoon, straining at the leash now….:-)
SGD : Loads of brooms and more loads of will i guess !! As the cliched expression goes, there needs to be ‘fundamental’ ‘systemic’ changes that we need to bring in !!
Thats a long way off.
Sujata : Welcome here !! And ofcourse, when things are not followed through, the reason as to why they were done in the first place goes obscure !! You are bang on target !!
Jeevan: Entertainment !!That is something..isnt it !!! They are people who work their muscles through. I am not sure to what end though !
Roshini : Swept up with the elections ! Yes we are ! Yes i am atleast ! 🙂
Sucharita : As somebody who pretends to write, i take thiis as a compliment. Especially so, coming from a literature student !!
As an Indian, i share your feeling there !
Ugich Konitari : Kavispace is open space ! Much like that speck which will go along with the gust !!
And yes. There is already so much talk about the monsoon and Mumbai’s underpreparedness ! Sigh !
This one’s for Roshni-
The whole of India is actually….look at our sensex yesterday….the euphoria was sky high!!!
Though how long it’ll last and how much of the jubilation will be translated in proactive action, remains to be seen!
SSQUO thinks to herself: Hmm need to integrate sweep in my comment, ….how how, need to match up to the rest! hmm how how how…:)
Ah!
I wish there comes a time when the people in power truly sweep me off my feet!
I liked the connections brought in. Right from Sisyphean to cleaning the streets to the sweep in the elections! Fantastic, Kavi