The stage is all set– roads and pavements have been ‘fixed’ and the city has been decked up– to welcome the US Advisor Ivanka Trump to the historic city of Hyderabad. And the city officials are all busy sweeping the dust under rugs, clearing up the dirty clothes from the chair and tiding up the place before the guests arrive– something Indians are best at doing.
For those of you who don’t know, the city is hosting the eight edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 this year and it will witness over 1,200 dignitaries from around the world flying in to hear the global leaders speak.
Ahead of the global summit, Telangana government has invested nearly Rs 100 crore to give the city a much-needed makeover in a bid to impress the daughter of the US President and other global leaders. The city has undergone drastic transformation within days and the list of measures being undertaken include– relocating beggars, fixing roads, changing worn out interlocking tiles, planting flowers beds and palm trees, laying clay figurines and painting flyovers in colourful hues.
Take a look at the before and after images:
Hyderabad transformation (Photo: Facebook/ Manju Latha Kalanidhi)
Parts of the city from which Ivanka Trump and convoy is supposed to pass– which includes the stretch from Hitec entrance to Hyderabad International Convention Centre, road to Falaknuma Palace and pedestrian around Charminar– has been lined up with creative lighting, bougainvillaeas and palm trees.
On the contrary, other parts of the city have been left untouched. Take a look at the images:
On the left: road Ivanka Trump is taking in two days’ time.
Right: road a few miles away.
The government has gotten very good at polishing turds. pic.twitter.com/urm5KasyAe
— Harish Jonnalagadda (@chunkynerd) November 25, 2017
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The social media is full of such contrasting images that show how Telangana government has undertaken ‘selective transformation’ of the city to maintain its reputation before the global leaders. The state of the roads in the city has been a cause of concern for long. Potholes, broken pavements and ill-maintained roadsides speak for themselves. However, the government has done little to improve the pitiful state of the roads which is a sight of frequent accidents– until now.
Via @jabertoon https://t.co/ntfgLpiwUE pic.twitter.com/9ENktrGOS0
— حبيب العلي (@HbbAli) November 26, 2017
Is Hyderabad yet another example of the typical Indian ‘hide dirty clothes in the closet before the guests visit’ mindset? Tell us what you feel in the comments section.
