RESPECTED VIP, KINDLY RSVP

Dear VIP (very important politician),

Heartiest congratulations mister minister, from all us Surtis of this sparkling diamond city! Your contribution to our town has been quiet unequivocal and praiseworthy, in lieu of which you have been chosen to inaugurate our eighth flyover.

Built at a cost of Rs.59 crore, this 962 meters long piece of architecture is ‘Hors de prix’-priceless, because of the fact that not only did we uproot our signature mini Eiffel tower for it but also that denizens of an age group that ranges from kids upto the ready to kick the bucket kind, residing around it went through several sleepless nights so that it could be constructed in good time.

Many a night, beyond 1 a.m in the mornings, when the noise got unbearable and disturbed ailing elders, board exam students, pregnant mothers to be, newly born infants and us all, most of us dialed 100 to place a complaint at the Umra police station in vain, as we were promptly told to grin and bear the drone till the wee hours of the morning since, “flyover publicna sukh maatey baney chey, jetlu jaldi bani jay, public ne laabh thay.”(The flyover is for the benefit of the public, the earlier it is constructed, the better)

While the citizens of this area have sacrificed their sleep and are waiting to exhale with a sigh of relief to breathe easy, there are other Surtis who have sacrificed sweat,burnt petrol and boiled blood while trying to maneuver their vehicles with extreme difficulty on the rain ravished pot holed single track lanes, desperately awaiting the flyover to take over the problem of saving precious time, if not kilometers by smoothly branching out traffic.

School buses and the bachha brigade that rides on them are looking forward to return home earlier, Ambulances and fire brigade rescuers hope to reach their destinations faster, travelers to and from the airport where the lone flight arrives and departs during busy traffic hours within the town are looking forward to the brisk connectivity, as are railway passengers who will be able to access the station sooner. Surtis, who regularly saunter out on Sundays in search of the Arabian Sea, are looking to fly high over Parle Point’s first and only flyover that exists in this part of the town.

Since Diwali, we await the inaugural of the same and while officials are still non committal about the D date, we are sure you would know better about the reason why the same has been indefinitely delayed and postponed.

We Surtis are known to treat our guests like gods-Atithi Devo Bhav is our motto and out of habit, we shall tend to tempt you with our winter goodies such as Undhiyu, Ponk and Salempak.

Kindly take this request in right earnest and request your office to provide you a date so that you may grace the occasion of the Parle Point flyover’s inauguration with your august presence this December, so that we may all have a happy new year.

Truly, your sincere Surtis.

P.S.-While we make the best hosts, the average Surti does not care who takes the credit of this bone of contention between man and minister, because the priority here is about facility to, for and by the public, which was the original purpose. With our past record of inaugurating the Amroli bridge by ourselves and the present rumor of a Facebook campaign to walk over the flyover, hurry before we banish the barricades!