There are a number idiosyncrasies associated with the average Indian street. But probably no other trait tends to define the Indian philosophy and way of life as does the ever-present dust that adorns it. Perhaps the concept of immortality of the human soul came about as a result of observing the eternal dust that manifests itself in many forms.
Normally hidden in plain sight, it has become an indispensable part of our street life. Rising to the fore and gently irritating the nostrils of passers-by whenever an over-ambitious vehicle tries to test the limits of its internal combustion engine.
Unlike in other countries that have decided to ban dust from their streets altogether, in the grand Indian tradition of secularism we cherish this diversity of particulate, and both PM2.5 and PM10 are accorded equal opportunity to inhabit our lungs. No wonder, dust is so close to our hearts!
Mind you, it hasn’t been an easy journey for dust. Despite our tradition of tolerance that prompted successive Indian rulers over the centuries to look at clean paved roads with disdain, there never was any active encouragement toward true empowerment of dust for it to break the shackles and prosper.
All that changed with the onset of the industrial age when large coal-based power plants, fleets of diesel-burning trucks and a construction boom intertwined the empowerment of dust with India’s growth story.
Successive governments and statutory bodies have shown exemplary intent and bipartisan unity by being mindful of the Indian sensibilities toward dust. It is for this reason that there is active encouragement for incomplete combustion across the board; be it by the ordinary farmer burning stubble or large power plants spewing ash. From the watchman who burns litter in cold nights to the everyday protestor who torches everything from buses to effigies, all come together in support of this mass movement.
In 21st century India, dust has become an integral part of our socio-economic ecosystem. For example, the presence of dust has created thousands of jobs for sweepers throughout our country. Anyone who has ever walked on an Indian street could not have missed a sweeper going about the futile job of cleaning the road and sweeping the dust to its margins. This dust will of course be back on the road come noon, but that’s the circle of life — what goes around, comes around. You see, unlike Arjuna in the Mahabharata, the average Indian sweeper does not need Lord Krishna to inspire him or his ilk to perform his or her karma and not think of the outcomes. And in order to empower this enlightened force of sweepers, the civic bodies ensure that the roads are not made too high and that their sides are kept unpaved.
Our contractors selflessly give up on the intellectual property rights for the advanced construction practices utilised by them by performing all operations from excavation to erection out in the open for all to see, in order to contribute to the grand tradition of re-distributing dust out in the open.
Come winter and the same dust interacts with the fog even as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) from unburnt low-quality fuels join the party to create a surreal experience for morning walkers, transporting them to “Shimla-esque” surroundings with the fog replaced by the more endearing smog. The average farmer contributes to the festive spirit by burning the left-over stubble, charging the atmosphere with the ingredients of this wonderful spectacle.
While we do encounter certain intolerant elements around this time of the year who start wearing dust masks, advertise air purifiers (no doubt evil inventions meant to separate us from our beloved dust) and turn vigilantes with their endless rants against the innocent particulate, by and large the general populace is welcoming to this festival of smog. Small children eagerly await this time of the year as their schools are abruptly closed.
In fact, when the average inhabitants of metropolitan cities go on vacation in the mountains, they’re known to experience a sense of loss without the reliable presence of dust.
Let us hope this inclusive model of development that is mindful not only of the multitude of religions, castes and ethnicities that form the different sections of our society but also the varied constituents of our atmosphere from the upwardly mobile nitrogen and oxygen to the marginalised NOx, SOx and of course dust, inspires the rest of the world toward affirmative action. Long live India and glory be to dust that adorns its billion lungs!
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