BHOPAL: The clock gonged 12 at midnight of December 31. The City of Lakes along with the people across the world saw the advent of the New Year.
The nippy evening gingered up the New Year toast to the delight of ale knights in the city.
They welcomed 2021 with merriment and painted the town red, despite the corona-related restrictions.
It’s, however, the time of year for reflection. It’s a moment to look back at the year that has just gone by and forward to the year ahead.
Reflection is an important internal feedback. It helps one understand what the people have lost and gained in the past year, and what is yet to be. Therefore, it is more art than science.
When you look in the mirror, you cannot assume what you see is an accurate representation of reality.
The reflection becomes hazier than what it actually is if the mirror is broken. Therefore, through those broken images, the city has been caught.
That way the losses the past year has seen are more than gains. The corona pandemic and the political ferments since the beginning of the last year continued to keep the citizens on their toes.
Now that political dust has almost settled and that the anti-corona vaccine is likely to arrive soon, there is hope that the New Year is set to jazz up the music of life, after the past year’s dullness.
The year 2020 saw good rainfall which brought hope amidst all that despair.
The prices of essential commodities have gone through the roof because of the last year’s lockdown.
It is, however, expected that this year, when the new crops arrive, the prices will be under control.
The Union Finance Minister has already indicated that the Budget will be pro-poor and advised the people to stay relaxed.
The New Year has also thrown up many challenges to the residents of the city. And one of them is keeping the state capital dirt-free, that it may get top position in this year’s cleanliness survey.
Most of the roads are in a bad state. They need to be immediately taken care of.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has already said the government alone cannot do everything. So people’s cooperation is needed.
Therefore, the road users must be careful about it. Many roads are still littered with household waste.
The civic body cannot alone keep them clean. It is a big challenge for the residents to maintain their city.
Another problem is to follow corona-protection norms. Though the number of patients has declined, the residents can barely afford to lower their guards for a better tomorrow.
Even those who have given a wide berth to the New Year swill can chant a few lines of the bard of Avon William Shakespeare: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day.
2021 carries a healthy baby in its womb – called better tomorrow. So welcome New Year.
