Wednesday, July 12, 2006

You cant rock me!

I get knocked down, but I get up again,
You're never gonna keep me down!





You can bend me, but I wont break! I will bounce back. 17 years living in this city, and this is the biggest lesson I have learnt from the metropolis. Mumbai, one of the largest cities anywhere, was rocked once again with a series of blasts targetted at the public transport system.

Horribly sly

One can just see through the cruelty of the planning.
-- The western railway carries over 2 million people a day.
-- 6pm is the time when the trains are packed not to capacity, but well past it.
-- First class is the only compartment where one can deftly move in and out through the scores of commuters.

7 blasts go off at various points on the railway line leaving close to 200 dead and over 700 injured. Purely insane lack of respect for innocent human lives.

Rising like a phoenix

I wasnt surprised this morning though when the very railway that got hit by the blasts started services early this morning again - less than 12 hours after the explosions put a spanner in their works. Nothing gets affected here. Schools, offices, colleges, shops - everythings back to normal. The city simply bounced back like I counted on it to.

Indomitable spirit

Of course, it isn't the city thats remarkable, it is the citizens. New York, London, Madrid; we have seen them taken down by terrorist attacks. And we have seen how they took it. I cant meet enough New Yorkers, or Americans for that matter, who show how badly 9/11 impressed their minds. I cant forget how panicky London police got and had some scorn left over for me at London airport. When every other citizen would have hibernated to a shell, or should I call it a nuclear holocaust security cell in their basement if they are really paranoid, the Mumbaikar will take the blow, goto sleep and wake up the next morning like nothing happened.

There have been innumerable instances where the city was brought down to its knees - the 13 serial blasts in 1993, the massive flooding from last year, intermittent terrorist incidents every now and then. Nothing could even stir this spirit. It is the fact that people fight everyday. To make ends meet. To travel from home to schools and workplaces and back. To make time for friends and family. They have seen how hard life can be. So much that they have become kinda hardened. The mumbaikar is still passionate, but they dont have the time to get bogged down and cry. Life, they know, must always go on.

My Salute!

I can never forget what this city has taught me. Which is why I feel so relaxed, so happy to return to its throes. The streets may be filthy, the traffic snarled, the stress levels steep, the crowds mangled. But, getting through it all unscathed is what makes one realise how strong they are. Damn yes, I salute this city, one like I've never seen. Although I may not want to settle down with a house there anymore, I will always remember what it has meant to me. The city never gets rocked!

5 comments:

Enigma said...

hope u guys in mumbai are safe

Anonymous said...

dont u think this bounce back thing is bullshit and keeps being thrown at us.
The average mumbaikar has to get on that train bomb or not so he can get his salary ... doesnt mean he has bounced back ... just means that he is just fucking more irritated ....

dont u comment on mumbai sitting in pune !!!!

Addicted To Chaos said...

Mr Anonymous-I-Can-Slur-But-Wont-Reveal-My-Identity,
Your comments make sense. And I can tell you are one of those trapped in mumbai for your pay packet or for family, and are damn frustrated cos you dont have what it takes to live there. Me, I may be in Pune right now, for my pay packet too, but I have lived in mumbai 17 years of my life. And I love that city. I think I know a thing or two about living there. First thing I learnt is not to hide behind a veil to make my comments. The second thing I learnt is not to fear anything or anyone.

Anonymous said...

I am not sure whether you are really sensitive to this issue or not. Forgetting about the bomb and pretending as if nothing has happened is what is called bouncing back...then let me tell you this is a loser and coward mentality. The bomb blast should leave a scar on us and we must take steps to prevent it and catch those guilty. The scar should always be there otherwise justice shall not prevail. If the scar is gone so shall be the justice because the cause for fighting justice will go away. Learned people like you must realize that such an incident should really leave a scar on longer terms. With those scares if tomorrow, the city becomes terrorist free then you can certainly call it "BOUNCING BACK". Your positive efforts are required rather than some lame talks.

Anonymous said...

I think the US and UK have made tremendous attempts in trying to avoid these things from happening again. Mumbai on the other hand seems to have done squat. My dad travels by train to work everyday. He was in the stock-exchange when the bomb went off but was one of the lucky survivors. I have personally lived in Mumbai 22 years I have seen the Prabhadevi bomb-blast in 2001 with my own eyes. A friend of mine works with someone who was paralyzed in these train attacks - he was the only earning member of the family. Trust me - none of us bounced back the next day. People who are directly affected probably get affected like the US and UK. People who don't bounce back quicker and harp about the spirit on blogs.