An obsession with the political scene is the hallmark of the media. People may be bored sick of reading about the infighting in the BJP, Maharashtra floor-crossings or Musharraf affirming again that he will check the militants from entering Kashmir, but do they really matter for the common man? Amidst all the concern for the so -called "national problems", what is forgotten is the plight of the smaller towns, which face problems that affect the life of the people.

Better roads, uninterrupted power, or improved drinking water supply, these issues are of immediate concern to the people. Of crucial importance is also the progress of the nation. There is hardly any attempt to highlight the need for a leap in fields like Infotech, vocationalisation of education or talent promotion. Development is not measured by the rise in the Sensex, increase in forex reserves or multistoreyed commercial complexes. It is a distinct improvement in the quality of life that really matters.

While busy politicking and jockeying for positions, the people’s representatives are busy pampering their own vote banks. In the name of development, the MPs have been allotted funds worth crores. But a visit to the towns and villages, away from the busy metros will reveal that nothing much has changed. One can’t help wondering where the money had disappeared.

Similarly, no serious thought has been given to the danger of the rivers getting polluted and silted. Apart from the occasional gimmick of "Clean-up campaigns", meant to ensure the photographs of politicians with shovels in their hands, no sustained effort is undertaken to tackle the problem.