LOC- The Line of Control

This article is not about our country’s border issue where actual line of control (LOC) exists. Any intruder crossing the LOC lands in trouble and sometime become a contention for war between two countries. Similar situation exists elsewhere also.

While moving around in a big city like Bangalore, one often come across traffic signals which to me are no less than a LOC. Believe me or else observe it yourselves next time. The heavy traffic built up on both sides of road at a traffic signal is like troops across LOC almost ready to strike at the command of the traffic signal. So are the people in two or four wheelers waiting restlessly for the green signal. Their one hand or leg would be throttling the gear to full extent while the other one would be pressing the clutch to release it any moment. Fingers would be on horn button for continuous honking and the moment signal turns green, all hell breaks loose. The Great War begins and now it’s a race against time.

Two wheelers starts zooming from all possible sides and space including side walk while the desperate four wheeler drivers get busy honking even before the signal turns green. For a few seconds, there would be utter chaos and confusion. Nobody would be able to move an inch. The army of all kinds of vehicle across both sides would be face to face with no one ready to give way to the other. In the meantime some gentleman would start abusive/verbal duel which goes on for some time. The traffic police would be watching this battle helplessly for some time and then enters the ‘Chakravyuh” to pacify the desperate road soldiers. In the next 30/60 seconds , the light turns red and the battle comes to a halt as if ceasefire is declared but later continues again……

Another kind of LOC can be seen in front of those houses where there is a road and big trees. The dry leaves keep falling on the road but the point of contention arises between house owners staying in the vicinity of the tree as well opposite of it. Who should clean up the mess everyday on the road because the civic authority do not arrange for sweeping of the road. Even though there may not be any mutual understanding, it is presumed that only that portion of road in front of the house would be cleaned which falls in front of their house that is half side of the road. The other half falls in front of the opposite house so they should clean up. Thus, a LOC is drawn.

There would always be a possibility of a war if the bunch of leaves while sweeping flies or comes in the territory of the other.One can always vouch for the undercurrent of a cold war brewing up. One thing is sure that they would be keeping a watch on each other like a hawk while any one of them is sweeping to find if they are deliberately pushing the leaves across LOC and rest assured, that day would be a dooms day!