Summer of discontent

Once again, our summer of discontent is here. There is no one to make it a glorious cool spring or even a little cool. We have been suffering long power cuts in the midst of baking heat for more than 30 years. When light goes, there is darkness everywhere. Karachi and other parts of Sindh have been experiencing a severe heatwave for the past few days as the mercury has soared to 42-45 degrees Celsius. As heat increases, the duration of power outages also increases. The people are left to boil in sulphur. Prolonged power cuts, heat, darkness and sleepless nights. This is the unending story of the suffering of our dumb people. One fails to understand why electricity shortage has persisted so long in a country which receives abundant sunshine for most part of the year. The whole thing boils down to corruption, mismanagement, inefficiency and apathy. This is the consequence of disjoining power (political) from reason.

In Karachi, there are prolonged power cuts. There is no drinking water. There is garbage everywhere. No one takes notice. Our rulers have fixed their gaze at the charming maid sitting on the alluring Lorelei cliff. Their upward gaze has made them oblivious of the dangerous reefs near which they are rowing their boats. They happily continue to sing the song of Lorelei in chorus.

In Karachi, people are having sleepless nights and restless days due to the absence of electricity. Their misery has been compounded by an acute shortage of water. In low-income localities, water sellers sold water in cans. They have stopped selling water because now the police are, reportedly, asking for more bribes. In these areas, many families have been unable to prepare meals for the past many days. Those who are supposed to solve the people’s problems are adding to their problems. Double, double toil and trouble/Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Let us cry infinitely and thrice!

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2019.

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