Mumbai is the Financial Capital of India - "its not a place made by politicians, but the Aam Aadmi working endlessly to make money."
Post the terrorism in Mumbai on the unfortunate night of 26th November 2008, 'Me Mumbaikar' seems anguished and disappointed at the same time. Crores of people working day in and day out, keeping and making the city what it is today. It's you and me that hold Mumbai in the pride that we do. It's not the politicians - they look at capitalizing on the Mumbaikars hard work. What happened last week left us all shocked, hurt and disappointed. More than the terror attacks, it was the attitude of the system - The Govt - that broke down the spirit of the city of dreams.
I am ususally not a person who gets into politics or what politicians say. Infact I am too careless to even bother about my voting card and my voting rights (this would tell you I have never voted). Out of laziness and lack of clarity of who am I gonna vote for. For me all the politicians are the same - I don't trust anyone of them. This attack on Mumbai has for the first time got me to listen to what the politicians have to say. And they have said the most disappointing things I could ever imagine in my life. With all this I do plan to exercise my right of not voting. Let them know that of all the people voting there is someone out there, who is NOT voting for anyone. Does this help?? I don't know. So why am I doing this. Maybe because it's time I do something, own some responsibility for the state of affairs in Mumbai.
I never expected anything of this magnitude to happen in the city. As we took a quiet little stroll outside the Oberoi - Trident hotel, I kept wondering, what kind of a night would that have been. What went on the inside of the walls of one of Mumbai's old legendary places. We could see broken windows, big black marks from the blast, and I was trying to imagine what would it be looking like on the inside on Saturday morning after the massacre was brought to an end.
Do I blame anyone? Yes, I do. I blame the lack of attention that was paid to the innumerable warnings issued. I wonder WHY, WHY on earth would someone ignore it. Ignore something of that high significance. Do I have an answer to it?? No I don't and I might probably never get answers to my questions just like all other people in Mumbai.
At times, I dont even know what is this whole thing about, religion, terror, politics?!!! Lost - once again in the vicious circle of things unknown.
There is a lot of debate and differed opinions on the spirit of the city. Will it ever come back to the way it was. Yes it will!! It will bounce back, and with always the big black scar that the terror attacks left on us. The average Mumbaikar may return to the usual way of life, love the city like he always did, do the same things he always did in Mumbai, still call Mumbai much safer than other places in India, still the most happening place. The charm of the place shall always stay - stay with a big black scar. Only now it would be with a big black scar, a lump in our throat, and praying everyday for peace.
2 comments:
well i have a some questions....
Firstly what is the "Mumbai Spirit" and how different is it from the spirit of any other place...... if someone wants to see what real spirit is than one should see the way Kashmiris live everyday of their life... wht bombay had seen on 26th nov, it is part of everyday life in Kashmir... still the life goes on the way it had been going on for decades....And trust me on this there is no such thing as mumbai spirit, It is the tryst of the thousands of ppl for their bread and butter that makes them go out and do wht they have been doing before 26th nov.we Indians are very inward looking people.... any no. of 26th nov will not change us.. our life starts with me and ends with my family.... anything happening outside it hardly leaves a impact on our life....
My second question is " what happened to the Mumbai Spirit" or Mumbaikars when the poor north indians were bashed by MNS.... i didnot hear one mumbaikar or any mumbai politician do anything to stop it..... forget about doing something noone even dared to say anything.... Is this is what "Mumbai Spirit" is all about....
Third question if you are so much of a Mumbaikar and feel so proud about the "Mumbai Spirit" than what have u ever done for Mumbai or its people... forget about what have u done in past what is that u have decided to do in future...
Its this attitude of our generation that by not voting they are doing society a good..... Alas the fate of my nation where the educated, learned and so called "Intellectuals" thinks so... then what right do you have to point your fingers towards the Politicians because they are there due to some intellectuals like u who thinks that not exercising their voting rights is a solution to this menance...
Sorry for sounding harsh but I seriously hate this "Bhed chaal"
Now get out of this blog and do something for real which could add meaning not only to your life but also to society.....
Mr./Ms. Anonymous,
Firstly, kashmiris don't show any spirit either, they're mostly divided on whether they want to be in india or pakistan, and also because they don't have any other place to live in. Would you say people in the Gaza strip have spirit because they can't go anywhere when Israel is bombing the daylights out of them?
Secondly, about the north indians, you should have read the sms's that were doing the rounds when the NSG came here to save mumbai, and you can also judge a lot from the fact that the shiv sena lost the elections. People in mumbai don't like these guys either, but when it comes to a question of getting whacked over keeping quiet and doing your thing, most people (including you,perhaps, unless you have a death wish) would pick the latter.
You have a good point as far as voting is concerned, and i am fully in agreement, so the retort is short.
To wrap it up, it's a BLOG. It's not being shoved in your face for you to read.
If you are telling the author to get out and do something useful, it appears you aren't doing anything either and have all the time to sit and read the whole damn thing. I suggest you "go out there and add meaning to your life" too. (take your advice)
And no, I'm not the author, but i know the person well.
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