You see the problem with the people of Mumbai is that they are quite content just to see things get back to normal. With great pride they will talk about how their spirit can never be broken and all that bullshit. But I would like to ask these people one question — Is this the kind of normalcy you want? … Where you know that your life is as much at risk today as it was yesterday and that nothing is going to change only because you’re happy with things being ‘normal’? I certainly don’t.
Saltwater Blues feels that Bombay’s resilient spirit does not help us in the long run.
‘Shocking’? ‘Shocked’? Took you by surprise did they, those terrorists? Never saw them coming, did you? Because you know, O great leaders of this country, you’re pretty much the only ones who didn’t. The normal people, distressed and horrified as they were, moved right into action like they knew the drill. Like they were born removing mangled bodies from scenes of terror and destruction…They queued up outside hospitals to donate blood; they offered food, water, shelter and solace to each other because this has happened before, and it can happen again.
Chronicus Skepticus echoes the same sentiment.
But when people continue on with their lives as if the blasts were nothing but a small blip, the motivation to force the authorities to do something dies down soon enough for the officials to go back to sleep.
Sailesh Ganesh urges people to stop behaving as if nothing has happened.
Comments
4 comments. Leave your comment »
The Great Ganesha
Jul 13th, 2006 at 2:11 pm | #
i think bombayites are at their best in times of crisis. but once the crisis passes, it’s back to normal. if they could keep that sprit up in normal times, then perhaps we would see some changes.
Manoj
Jul 14th, 2006 at 1:55 am | #
Mumbaikars and most big city dwellers wrongly mistake their indifference for spirit.
Decent humans will come to the aid of their fellow human beings regardless of the city/town/village/desert they dwell in. But only in the big cities will you find such indifference that only a few hours after 200 deaths the same sheeple pack themselves like sardines on the very trains and go about the business of minding their own business.
No wonder the government is equally content to announce a 5 lakh payment and go back minding it’s business of doing nothing.
Reference:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/7038.html
Kamal Tripathi
Jul 14th, 2006 at 2:14 pm | #
well its true that one must keep pressure on the govt. for coming out with results quickly but don’t you think that rhetorics liike these have helped prevent what could have been a repeat 1993 riots.
is it not desirable to have such things instead of newschannel beaming 24 hrs that it was someone from &^^* community who was spotted and who has done this.. I don’t find anything wrong with such rhetorics …. however melodramatic they sound they do help to keep calm around even in wake of a situation when people may be finding reasons and objects to vent their anger!!
The whole thing was summed very well at an interview wherein a security expert said that people and not the security agencies should forget this incident…
Give Blood Today
Jul 18th, 2006 at 2:25 pm | #
“They queued up outside hospitals to donate blood”
That is great…now if more people could do this during the summer…which is the slowest donation time because everyone goes on vacation and students are out of school.
Spread the word about local blood banks at http://bloodbanker.com