Life goes on

July 18th, 2006 · 10 Comments

On 11th July I was roaming the streets of Chennai visiting various showrooms to look for a good home theatre system. As I was entering a particular Sony World, I saw ten TV’s showing what looked like a Mumbai’s local train. It was ripped apart into two halves like a coconut in front of our temples on auspisious days.

I was shocked. My first reaction was, “How is Sam?”. Sam is my friend who stays in Mumbai. When I tried contacting him I realised that all the cellphone networks were jammed. So, I just called his home. Thankfully, Sam had the presence of mind to call his parents and tell them that he was safe. Ok so Sam was safe.

After evaluating Sony’s surprisingly inferior HT systems, I went home. I wanted to inform myself fully of the situation at Mumbai. Switched on the TV and every channel worth its salt was beaming the pictures of the blasts. It was bad. Really bad. The death toll increased gradually from 30+ to 100+ and by the time I went to sleep it was close to 200. Over 700 were injured. Hospitals were overcrowded with patients as well as anxious people looking for their dear ones. The scene was bad. And the only thing I could do was sit and watch!

If I was in Mumbai I would have definitely stepped forward and done my bit. As a human being I think it’s my duty to help fellow beings in times of such adversity. I would have donated blood. Maybe even helped the injured get to the hospital or some such useful thing that would give me a feeling of ‘yeah-i-have-been-a-good-human-being’. I wouldn’t expect people to pat my back for having done such things. And if they do, I would rather pull them into the relief work and carry on doing the work.

In such a scenario, I don’t understand what great qualities or the so-branded “Mumbai’s spirit” the TV Channels are talking about. It was human instinct. An instinct to help each other during trying times. The instinct had to overcome the fear of ‘what-if-there’s-another-blast-and-something-happens-to-me’. This is where we need to credit the Mumbaikars - for having come out in large numbers (community, religion, etc. notwithstanding!) at that moment overcoming the fear and helping each other. The courage to believe in your instinct and not get scared. Beyond that I wouldn’t hype the happenings of the aftermath of the blasts.

People are talking about how everyone was back at their offices from the next day. And how the trains were full and all that. I have just one thought, “Do the people of Mumbai really have any other option?”. No employer is going to announce a day’s off because there were blasts. If anyone would have done that it would be a gross insult to the brand - “Mumbai’s spirit”! People essentially need to be back at their offices the next day. And how do you go? Well, Local train. There’s not much on offer anyway. So, the trains are full.

Mumbai has a spirit. So does any other city. Chennai responded swiftly to the “Tsunami” - a word that was not present in anybody’s vocabulary till that day. The relief aid that was collected was unprecedented. The sheer scale of the tragedy didn’t allow normal life to go on for those affected. But for those who weren’t affected, life went on.

Spirit or no spirit. Life goes on.

Tags: Serious thoughts · Mumbai

10 responses so far ↓

Hardu // Jul 18, 2006 at 8:32 pm

True! Life goes on…
adi // Jul 19, 2006 at 3:58 pm

Hardu:
Thanks for your comment! Fools in India have blocked all the blogs from being written but not from viewing them!
Lisa // Jul 20, 2006 at 10:25 am

I am sorry to hear about the devastation. It just seems all too common these days. However, I am glad to hear that your friend was ok :)
shark // Jul 23, 2006 at 11:10 am

True.. very true.. Life goes on.. for “others”.
But for those affected.. it has come to a stand still… A person (father/mother/daughter/son) went out of the house in the morning and never came back home…

But one big question on my side… thousands have died in kashmir till now for the same reason - militancy. Why nobody talks about it? why?
adi // Jul 24, 2006 at 1:17 pm

Lisa:
It’s become so common that people nowadays just walk around thinking that “If it has to happen, then it will anyway. Why worry!”

The security mechanisms in India are pitiable. In times of calamity, it’s the citizens who come together to help each other.

The political system on the other hand begins blaming every party other than itself and tries to gain some foothold in its votebanks!

Well, finally it does come down to whether my friend was okay or not. It’s not the best thought that one can get, but then that’s the way we have become.

Thanks Lisa for coming back after so many days! It’s so pleasant to see your comment here!
adi // Jul 24, 2006 at 1:24 pm

Shark
Why are you asking the question now?

The Mumbai blasts or any other such irregular event does provoke the intellectuals of India, like me, to wonder aloud at the present state of our country.

The cumulative loss of lives of Kashmiri Pandits must be atleast 10 times of what happened in the Mumbai blasts. But we never think of them.

And I think this is the reason to it: Media

If not for the media we would have never heard the blasts! Kashmir is a place that these media people are scared of and never go there. Because they might suddenly find themselves in Afghanistan the next moment!

So, we don’t hear about Kashmir much and neither do we care about it. If we did, then we would hear.

Reminds me of a song from Dil Se..

“Dil hai to phir dard hoga..
Dard hai to dil bhi hoga..
Dil Se… Dil Se… Dil Se..”

This country needs people like us to step in and change the system. I keep talking. I don’t know when I will do something.
shark // Jul 25, 2006 at 10:02 am

My point was not in particular about kashmir or Mumbai…

Innocent people are getting killed in both the places.. for no fault of theirs..

My question was… we aren’t we doing something about this militancy!!!

When 9/11 happened, Bush came out strongly and said “Anyone who is even remotely involved with people who caused this will not be spared!”

And what did our PM do? He said “I appreciate the spirit of Mubaikars”!!! Please.. we need something more than appreciation… we need ACTION!!!!

We need security.. we need people to get arrested and the guilty punished… not soothing words.. that “anybody” can give.. even you are me can say “don’t worry everything will be fine!”…

But who is it who makes SURE that everything is actually fine?
adi // Aug 4, 2006 at 1:13 pm

Shark:
There is someone called Home Minister who has to make SURE everything is indeed fine!

This post exists at both the Central and State levels. But I don’t know what they do. They seem to be quiet most of the times.

Also, if I remember correct, there was a programme on TV the other day with a former CBI Head or someone equally important. He said on thing,”We are never given credit for what we have saved, but are always criticised for what we couldn’t save”. His point being that the threat to India is far more than what we as citizens of this country know.

Doesn’t that scare you?!! In fact there were more aborted attempts in the last one year than successful ones. I can vouch for that. If you follow a National newspaper you will know.

In Coimbatore itself there have been numerous saved attempts.
urbanvillager // Aug 5, 2006 at 3:45 am

The article was good and so are the comments.

The template looks simple with lot of texts and less of ‘jikina’ stuffs. So, for a place like blogspot where words have more meaning than pictures, this template is simply superb…

Regards,
- Murukesh.
adi // Aug 5, 2006 at 9:38 am

Murukesh:
Thanks for your comment!
And thanks once again for the compliments regarding the template. I was aiming at having less of that “jikina” stuffs only! ;)
It is ironic that you should comment after my last comment which had coimbatore in it! Or rather CBE as you say! ;) hahaha!

Mysorean

Life goes on

July 18th, 2006 · 10 Comments

10 responses so far ↓

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