Day before yesterday at about 715pm, I get a call from my best friend (remember her - the train wali) saying "Aji, I am near Hyatt, can you check and see if any bombs have exploded in my area", I am like - "WHAT??" Shes like "Ya some 2-3 blasts have happened, half the networks are all down, so I cant find out". And I was like thinking to myself, how can someone be so cool about it? :) And thats when I remember thats the Spirit of Mumbai, life goes on...!
Anyways I put the tv on and hear about the 3 blasts that have ripped thru South and Central Mumbai. 2 hours into the whole episode and all the news channels start off about the spirit of Mumbai, and how the people there resurrect like the Ashes of the Phoenix. And then the interviews with the people and the celebrities and everyone sits and blames the Government and demands that the Home Minister, Chief Minister blah blah need to put in their papers and stuff.
Blog - I just have one question for you -
Blog - I just have one question for you -
How is the CM, HM, PM, FM, DM, XYZM resigning going to change anything? People who have lost their lives, have lost it. Their families will live with this fact for the rest of their lives. I am not sitting here and justifying that these bureaucrats are right, but actually speaking what can they do? Blady hell if someone comes and puts a cockroach in your house, are you gonna sit and blame the collector of your district!?? (Actually we do, we will sit and say that there is no collection of trash in time, the garbage system is bad etc., but then we have no problems in wiping our noses with a tissue and throwing the tissue on the road, or spitting gum around the place) EOD no minister or politician or policeman can guarantee your safety, so stop demanding for their heads after each incident. Lets take the simple example of Mumbai. She has a population of 20.5 mn, and Brihanmumbai Police has 40,914 employees (as per wiki), that eventually comes to 501 persons/cop. In a family of 4, the parents at times keep saying how tiring it is take care of 2 kids, and you are expecting one cop to take care of 501 people!! I know its a senseless comparison, but somewhere it actually is commonsense. What each of us need to realise is that if there's someone who can take care of you, its just the GOD up there. Yes most police force's around the world have a similar tagline which goes like "To Serve and to Protect" - there's a limit to which anyone can protect you. Its like the saying "GOD helps those, who help themselves". We blaming the cops without doing our part is like what I do before an exam when I pray "GOD I have not really studied anything, but please please please the question paper should only contain what I have studied".
Simple question - Look at the amount of suitcases that pass thru the gates of VT station or the number of people who walk around on Ranganathan Street in T.Nagar or number of people in Chandni Chowk/Brigade Road/Park Street/Tank Bund Road - during peak hours you wouldnt even realise if someone stole your underwear and in the middle of all this someone drops a bag and goes somewhere - which blady intelligence can do anything about it? Simplest of things, how many of us know our neighbours? Maybe yes if there was "Pretty Young Thing" staying next door, we all would be there sharing our Nescafes and waiting with badminton racquets, otherwise we would like, who the F cares!! We dont know who our neighbours are, but we expect the government to keep a count of every single cockroach in the country. The Home Minister makes a statement like "Our intelligence sources couldnt pick up anything" and we sit in our homes and grumble "Same shit - when has our intelligence ever picked up anything".
I have a lot of people on my FB timeline with messages saying, we can spend millions to protect a terrorist, but we cant protect our own citizens. Killing Kasab is not going to change anything. Its another thing that, keeping him alive also wont change anything. Although yes I dont understand why the case cant be closed.
Simple question - Look at the amount of suitcases that pass thru the gates of VT station or the number of people who walk around on Ranganathan Street in T.Nagar or number of people in Chandni Chowk/Brigade Road/Park Street/Tank Bund Road - during peak hours you wouldnt even realise if someone stole your underwear and in the middle of all this someone drops a bag and goes somewhere - which blady intelligence can do anything about it? Simplest of things, how many of us know our neighbours? Maybe yes if there was "Pretty Young Thing" staying next door, we all would be there sharing our Nescafes and waiting with badminton racquets, otherwise we would like, who the F cares!! We dont know who our neighbours are, but we expect the government to keep a count of every single cockroach in the country. The Home Minister makes a statement like "Our intelligence sources couldnt pick up anything" and we sit in our homes and grumble "Same shit - when has our intelligence ever picked up anything".
I have a lot of people on my FB timeline with messages saying, we can spend millions to protect a terrorist, but we cant protect our own citizens. Killing Kasab is not going to change anything. Its another thing that, keeping him alive also wont change anything. Although yes I dont understand why the case cant be closed.
What is the point of this post, I really dont know, coz I got lost somewhere in btwn. I guess my point is simple - stop blaming the government, stop blaming people around you. The earlier we realise that noone but you, can protect yourself, the better it would be for each. Now am I sitting and saying that a society where each one walks around with gun is the solution - No way, coz we dont have the mental maturity for that. I am not a Congress supporter, nor am I an Opposition supporter either. For that matter I dont even have a voters ID. Hence this post is not supporting any politicial or religious establishment.
We Indians have this fascination for our neighbour - we are like so interested in knowing whats happens in their house - precisely the reason for success of reality shows. And our 2nd fascination is in blaming our neighbours, without even knowing what their names are - Again precisely the reason why we blame the government for everything. Simplest thing, there are no rains, and the crops fail and we blame the government. What in the world can the government do if there's no rain!!?? Its not Bollywood, where u can create a rain scene. Lets get realistic about things. The faster we accept reality, the better it is for everyone.
Disclaimer - I know I could possibly invite hatred and adverse comments/reactions with this post. But really give it a thought - dont I make sense? Anywayz in no way do I support these terrorist activities, in fact I solemnly pray for each person who has ever been affected in any form because of these asses who believe that killing someone is how u avenge something. Like the proverb goes, an eye for an eye, makes the whole world go blind. I truly salute the spirit of Mumbai and the country in general on how people get back to their lives soon. Prolly there's no choice, in the rat race out there, if one wants to sit and ponder, they get left behind - so is it actually the spirit of Mumbai or like someone has just put as their status on my BBM list - "Is there a Mumbai spirit, or jus desperate people without choice" - FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan Kahin building kahin traame, kahin motor kahin mill Milta hai yahan sab kuchh, ik milta nahin dil Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan
5 comments:
Ajit.
I think some good thoughts and well expressed.
I agree with you on difference will come only when you start with oneself.
about Mumbai being up and about even after such a unfortunate event, well there is no other choice that the resident of Mumbai have.....
as far as your disclaimer goes ....Well you dont owe it to anyone because you write this blob for yourself and not for anyone else even if you choose to share it.
Regards
Wackie
the post is awesome.. and very true!! :)
So true!! that's exactly what I was thinking, why is everyone blaming the government, but I barely read the newspaper, so what would I know
Good post tho!
One, I don't think it's the spirit of Mumbai. It's the apathy of a city that is more slumdog than millionaire. More than sixty per cent of the residents of India’s financial capital live in shanties, with twenty thousand people packed into each square kilometre. Most of these people are daily wage workers who are more concerned about surviving yet another day without having to starve than worrying about bomb blasts. For most, life in Mumbai is a daily battle.
Now, my second point. I don't think the politicians in this country can do ANYTHING, but the least that they can do is to keep their trap shut and not tell the public that they can prevent 99% of the terrorist attacks or that the city should keep it's spirit and move on.
In spite of multiple bomb blasts in Mumbai over the years, injured are transported to the hospital in tempos. If they won't die of injuries, they might die of infections. Citizens have to pool over Twitter to offer help to people stuck in various parts, blood donation, etc. but the govt. shan't move a finger to ensure that at least a city like Mumbai has enough ambulance and well stocked blood banks.
If a terrorist were to use common sense, he would realise that if you want to cause most damage, detonate something small in 2 areas and then just detonate something big at any of the stations or roads which are crowded with people who think the best thing to do after a blast is to rush home. The city is too porous to keep a watch on, agreed. But have they done anything to even attempt to educate the common people of what to do after a blast to minimize damage and clear up the roads to ensure free movement of fire fighters, ambulances and heck, even the police. They would probably announce a compensation of a lakh to the dead and 50K to the injured (in lip service only and not hard cash, that too) and leave the city to show its "spirit" the next time the same shit happens.
Ajit,
Well expressed post..
Well I too believe that our safety lies in our hands..if we are not cautious of our surroundings then its us to blame.
And no matter how many attacks the city has in a day, Mumbaikars have to get back to their routine. Its not because they dont care (or cos of the spirit of the city), but more cos they dont have a choice.
And yes....dude get your voters id.....
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