intervention or intrusion!!!

I moved to Delhi few months ago and began living with my family with minimal investment. I am on a temporary basis and not sure till when I would be here, hence did not feel the necessity to invest on comforts, hence I just stuck to bare minimums.
Things were smooth for first couple of months. Trouble started when I started entertaining my land lady out of courtesy. She began with suggestions that things need to be put in places(not that I throw them, but with no shelves in the house, I could not help it), floor to be cleaned, balcony to be washed etc. She offered me a couple of tables so that I can place my suitcases over it and the place would look less cluttered. I agreed. Then she offered a sofa and bed so that it would be comfortable and would look good even when I have guests. I accepted. This was followed by regular instructions on cleaning the sofa, putting the curtains, watering the plants and what not. She wants me to be a good wife with a house that has flower pots, clean floor, curtains, dustless sofa and uncluttered rooms.

I was sometimes agreeing, nodding, grunting, bitching and so on, then it suddenly occurred to me that this what was I have been doing for the past few years, in my job in the name of development. Our activities started in a village, suggest them couple of  easy things. Then follows the actual , that they are poor, they do not know what to do, how to live, how to earn, how to manage etc. etc...and then giving innumerable suggestions on what to do and how to do. Poor chaps, they obliged to meet us whenever we visited them, whether during their meal or their field time or leisure and listen to all the non sense what we were telling them. Some of them actually did what we asked them to do

My landlady at least gave me tables, sofa and bed but what did we give them, just a few words and some of our time, not entirely out of empathy but also because it was our job. I never realized or cared to think if I was doing things from my perspective or theirs. Intentions were good, as good as my landlady's towards me, but then were they required, was it the way to be done...were we intervening or intruding.....

my feelings....by SHG movement

"I thought you would not bother to look at me , because you are from centre, present all over the country  " said the SHG Movement (SHGM)  to the Indian Railway(IR) who was staring at her.
"Yes, I am present all over the country, but it is you who is present in every small village of this vast country, may be in different forms like JLG, cooperative, group, manch, team etc, but the essence is same. But I wonder how you could spread so deep  especially in South India, you are great, should be quite an achievement with all the visits from different countries , rewards, recognition , studies, thesis, books etc on you "

"Oh, so you are also one of those, who think of me so high. Yes, there are awards, recognition, visits. But have you noticed..how similar are we both"
"We are similar?...I could not understand"
"Your first visit was a small journey from Bombay to Thane, among many excited people. You soon spread to many places in the country. I was born in somewhere hinterlands of Karnataka then spread across the country"
"So how does it make both of us similar, the same is with roads, industries"
"Your steam engine that first worked very well was discarded and switched to diesel engine. I was happy with my books and  has now moved to computers, laptops and recently to mobiles. You are the largest employer in the country and I am the largest network of women, but there is one thing that is strikingly common "

" People from all walks of life, get into your train and get down. They purchase the ticket, it is they who want to travel and reach destination,  not realising that you are their safest and cheap mode of transport, they dirty you, comment on how bad you are, how un punctual you are and how much they detest travelling with you. But they forget that, in spite of all this they cannot but help travelling with you "

"Similar with me, everybody wants to use me, Politicians for announcing their so called welfare scheme, the govt departments for their so called convergence. I and my people are used for every activity right from census till elections till surveys till distribution of assets , only for one reason that I am the best network available like you. I am the uncorrupted network , other departments cannot be relied but for the SHG network can be totally trusted. I am called for officer visits, minister visits, meetings, programmes and what not. I am called every time and everywhere. Not that I do not want to be, but nobody cares about me , they know how useful I am,  they say I am still a baby need more nourishment , announce some schemes and forget. When I need nourishment, where is the care I am getting, I am baby but lot of activities are dumped on me without informing me. I am  nothing more than a launch pad for many, a safe,easier and convenient launch pad."