It's that time of year again...

There are some annual rituals that leave me with a feeling of despair

There are some annual rituals that I look forward to eagerly every year. And I am not just talking about birthdays and anniversaries though those are very special too in their own way. 

No, what I am referring to here are things that bring me joy and announce the arrival and departure of seasons — and eventually the year. There is the flowering of the tesu tree that is the harbinger of Holi; the blooming of the Amaltas that heralds the beginning of summer; and the blossoming of the fragrant Saptaparni as the nights turn cold. There is the arrival of mangoes in the market as the weather heats up and the profusion of oranges to show that winter is coming. 

These are just some of the annual rituals that I enjoy. But then, there are plenty of others that bring nothing but anxiety and angst - and a leavening of anger. Here are just some of them. 

• Winter pollution in Delhi: Without fail, as October bleeds into November, the air quality in the capital takes on an apocalyptic quality. A dense smog descends on Delhi and the air is so thick that it seems more suited to cutting through with a knife than breathing. The moment the AQI begins rising so do the complaints about farm fires in Punjab and Haryana. Those in power in these states blame vehicular and construction activity. The blame game continues until a shower or two improves air quality. And then, everyone moves on to the next news story — until next November when this cycle is repeated. It’s both mad and maddening that nobody finds any solutions in the interim — but that’s where we are.

• Diwali crackers: Every year the media, schools, colleges, and environmental institutions run endless campaigns in the run-up to Diwali, imploring people not to burst crackers to celebrate the festival because of (see above) air pollution. And every year, without fail, Diwali is marked by explosions all across the night sky because clearly we are incapable of putting out pulmonary health before “having a bit of fun, yaar!” In recent years, there has been a new addition to this ritual. Now objecting to crackers is seen as anti-Hindu (no, I don’t get it either) though I am pretty sure that Bhagwan Ram never set off an Anar in his life.

• Monsoon flooding in Mumbai: This is the annual ritual that brings with it another annual ritual — the celebration of the “Spirit of Mumbai”. TV screens are awash with scenes of flooded streets and then cut away to people — drenched to the skin — hanging out of local trains or walking in waist-deep water to get to work. I think we are meant to admire their dedication to work. But all I can think about as I watch is how messed up it is that we can never get our drains desilted and our infrastructure sorted before the rains come. Year after year we see the same visuals and nothing ever changes - no, not even my temper.