Monday, November 11, 2019

Zayka restaurant fire

The famous Zayka restaurant in a busy Aligarh town area caught fire today. One lady died. The visuals shared by the towners on social media are disturbing. It was mostly popular for the take aways biryanis kebab paratha tikka etc. 

Oh my God I am completely shaken by this. Given how close the location is to my house and how often I pass by the area. But certainly not surprised. And in a strange onset of cynicism I am not able to sympathize with the owners. It's the poor workers who would have been injured or hurt.

This is a seriously disturbing trend with our community.  Wherever we live we tend to ghettoize the area. In such little spaces we stuff ourselves like grain in a hay sack. Flouting all rules. Paying bribes for illegal electric wire anchors, cooking by the roadside on heaving furnaces and erecting unruly construction one over another in the ugliest structures imaginable. 

 Muslims have forgotten that the Islamic Architecture their ancestors brought to this country not too many centuries back is the cause behind world wonders like taj mahal.

I mean in order to cluster themselves these people don't care two hoots about the Urban Development and town planning Rules of their own cities. In Aligarh of course corrupt ADA engineers are also responsible.

All oncerns for ventilation, insulation or natural light are conveniently laid aside for petty commercial gains. This is all that seems to matter to us now! Is this all?

I am reminded of Howard Roark the architect protagonist in Ayn Rand's magnum opus 'The Fountainhead'. He was too sincere with his work. Gave the best designs for buildings. But when during construction engineers played havoc with health, safety and security of future inmates, Roark went by night surreptitiously and blew the structure in progress with dynamite. 

When there is no socio political will for something good, this is what sane people are compelled to do.

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