Oye Bengaluru- Namma Bitu Bitu

Attracting mosquitoes, repelling people-That is what good repellant mosquito coils, creams, racquets and mats do! A lesson well learnt it during my recent battles!

I am a crusader and an activist fighting corruption in education and issues pertaining to child abuse and neglect for more than a decade, but in the wildest of my dreams, I never thought that I would one day have to fight an invincible army …my biggest challenge-The modern tribe of irreverent, sadistic blood thirsty, merciless, domiciled, addicts…The Namma Mosquitoes!

They look like vampires have but evolved over time, ditching the scary teeth and flowing capes and adapting a smaller, less conspicuous look, deciding to settle in Bengaluru. The place fitted their bill and expectations! Bengaluru seems to have a special attraction for the mosquitoes. We are a very inviting and hospitable city. The lovely climatic condition is perfect for mosquito breeding. The sudden rain has left sufficient puddles that act as caring warm loving nurseries for mosquitoes. The sadistic and stubborn lot of flying pricks who strike you, when you can least, counter it with a scratch, like whilst cooking, rolling out rotis and sometimes even when fresh nail polish has been applied!

Damn! The harmful rascals! They make me feel armless sometimes!

There is not a single locality in Bengaluru that I know of, where you wouldn’t come across the mosquito menace. The mosquitoes in fact have overcome almost all the Commercial repellants. It makes no difference to the swarm as to what kind of repellant we use in the house or office, the howling swarm continues it attack in full force. I think it is more to do with the dedication, adamancy, their fertility and breeding than developing resistance.

A 1000 member swarm attacks, inhales the repellants-get high and start enjoying the sting!

Of course some take it to the next level and make ‘blood’ a three course meal! Wish they evolve to suck out fat instead of blood.

While the Corporation claims to have taken measures to bring the mosquito menace under control, residents associations feel that no action has been taken.

My life in Bengaluru has trained me to rely heavily on electricity for every single action in my life. Bad enough we have so many Rackets in our society, to add to my list is an Electrical Racquet! We all know that almost all the mosquito repellants are electrical. So where did that leave me? Somehow every time I held that racquet the unfulfilled desire of becoming Tennis pro got fulfilled within me.

Well, trying to fight away a blood thirsty swarm of mosquitoes using my bare hands!!It did not do much good, as far as I can tell. My neighbors were pleased they had a budding Qawwali artist, performing the rate at which I clapped my hand s at every failed attempt I made indoors as well as outdoors.

 Bengaluru is under seige! The enemy force, which out numbers Bengalureans by millions and feasts on namma “bloodu”, is none other the deadly mosquito!

The Corporation officials have their favorite lines-“all possible steps to curb mosquito breeding are underway.” Fogging, hand spraying…all gone up in a lot of smoke finally!

So what can Namma Bengaluru boast of today? High cost of Living, Poor Roads, Poor Electricity, Traffic Snarls, and an overdose of Mosquitoes!! And, where does it leave people like me? No idea on that…. I am still trying to figure it out!! Meanwhile,as a part of the mosquito de-addiction programme, I have consigned the mats, racquets and coils to Ulsoor lake.

Do ensure a steady supply of blood to snack on, fellow Bengalureans, for Namma Mosquitoes are here to stay!  

Praying they don’t fly out on a weekend “bloody” drinking binge!

The Advantage- Namma Mosquitoes have no curfew time! Jai Kaveri! Good Knight!


Acknowledgment: Images-Courtesy online open source