Reposting an old post which got lost somewhere. As we enter the dawn of the first anniversary of the bomb blasts in Mumbai, i recall the horrifying experience Bomayites went through on that day. With cell phone networks jammed(the police said they did it to prevent rumours), local trains(the lifeline of Mumbai) out of gear and fear gripping the city, it was probably only the spirit of togetherness which saw the city through. Driving at 12 in the night, with 3 of my female colleagues to be dropped home, I still reckon it to be the worst traffic jam I've ever encountered in my 6 years of stay in the city.
But did the city come to a standstill? It did not. Reams of print have been devoted to this 'never say die' spirit of Bombay. But why did Mumbai not come to a standstill? Not because its fearless but because it had no option. Bombay is not only about the financial conglomerates which operate from here. Bombay is about the vada pav vendor in front of the colleges & stations. About the pav bhaji waala in the chowpathis. About the little devils we call autoricks across the entire stretch of the suburbs. About those in innumerable odd job doers who cannot afford to miss a single day at work.
Can every disaster be passed off as the undying spirit of Mumbai? Will the city ever wake up and say "Enuf is enuf". Will we ever tell our magnanimous CM who commits 50lacs to marathi NRIs(who dont need it) to get his act together. Will the Bombayite stand up and demand a CM who will govern like Narendra Modi or be progressive like Chandrababu Naidu.
Another year passes by. And we will conveniently forget all the victims, their families, their sorrow and say we have moved on. Will we ever learn to remember.....?
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7 comments:
I read Shobha De's article in Sunday Times echoing similar sentiment...I agree...its for us to demand better governance and accountability from our national leaders..
I do hope we don't. Really the only thing that keeps this dirty, overcrowded, sticky weather city sane is the realisation that it can't afford the luxury of insanity...or fear...or rest.
Mumbai wouldn't be Mumbai if it didn't run. It's a machine, nothing more, nothing less.
Well oiled machine in every possible way with a large heart...Bombay, my love!
DC - Agree whole heartedly.
Idea, Shreyasi - For how long will this realisation last. This is actually becoming a bane for us. The machine has a threshold & once we breach that, theres gonna be a breakdown.
Imagine the mayhem when that happens.
Always remember; never forget.
Thanks for stopping by and you are welcome anytime!
there is a need to cushion the truth....escaping the bitterness i think.
Scarlet - Yes rightly said
Gee - For how long will we escape?
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