Mumbai

WARNING: This is going to be a long post.

Each tragedy leads people to think (presumably) and pen down their thoughts. And courtsey www each one can reach out to millions with that digital content. Here are two letters/mails forwarded to me in last 36 hours. Difference striking and one leading us to think where we stand on this spectrum.

LETTER #1
Subject : A letter from Mumbai
Dear Terrorist,
Even if you are not reading this we don't care. Time and again you tried to disturb us and disrupt our life - killing innocent civilians by planting bombs in trains, buses and cars. You have tried hard to bring death and destruction, cause panic and fear and create communal disharmony but everytime you were disgustingly unsuccessful. Do you know how we pass our life in Mumbai? How much it takes for us to earn that single rupee? If you wanted to give us a shock then we are sorry to say that you failed miserably in your ulterior motives. Better look elsewhere, not here.
We are not Hindus and Muslims or Gujaratis and Marathis or Punjabis and Bengaliies. Nor do we distinguish ourselves as owners or workers, govt. employees or private employees. WE ARE MUMBAIKERS (Bombay-ites, if you like). We will not allow you to disrupt our life like this. On the last few occasions when you struck (including the 7 deadly blasts in a single day killing over 250 people and injuring 500+ in 1993), we went to work next day in full strength. This time we cleared everything within a few hours and were back to normal - the vendors placing their next order, businessmen finalizing the next deals and the office workers rushing to catch the next train. (Yes the same train you targeted)
Fathom this: Within 3 hours of the blasts, long queues of blood donating volunteers were seen outside various hospitals, where most of the injured were admitted. By 12 midnight, the hospital had to issue a notification that blood banks were full and they didn't require any more blood. The next day, attendance at schools and office was close to 100%, trains & buses were packed to the brim, the crowds were back. The city has simply dusted itself off and moved one - perhaps with greater vigor.
We are Mumbaikers and we live like brothers in times like this. So, do not dare to threaten us with your crackers. The spirit of Mumbai is very strong and can not be harmed.
Please forward this to others. U never know, by chance it may come to hands of a terrorist in Afghanistan , Pakistan or Iraq and he can then read this message which is specially meant for him!!!
With Love,
>From the people of Mumbai ( Bombay )

AUTHOR - UNKNOWN


LETTER #2
Yes, the Mumbaikars have a heart to help. To give shelter. To take the injured to the hospital. Appreciated. They have done it at all times. But thats all the Mumbaikars do. They empathise and feel compassionate. Thats it. Then they go on with life as if nothing happened. All is "cool".
I feel sad for all those who r staying in Mumbai or who have relatives in Mumbai. As a teen, I always read about Mumbai as the the city of hope, the city of dreams and all. I have lived in Mumbai for 21 years. Since my teen years, I have read such stories every year. Be it the water logging issue. Or the blasts. Or the organised crimes. Or the encounters. All these stories reported by the newspapers every year. Then solutions are sought every year. And the same are repeated year after year.
They say Mumbai police were successful in curbing such attacks in the past. But what excuse can you give for this. They knew that terrorists were upto something. There was not one bomb blasts, but seven that happened consecutively. So in effect there are minimum seven terrorists moving freely in Mumbai right now.
The govt managed clearing the bodies yesterday. What will happen in the next ten days is so predictable.
The dead are dead. Ppl will pray for the severly injured. There will be reports on how Mumbaikars helped each other.
The opposition party will create a ruckus, when there are much more constructive things they can do
Big names in politics will rush to the blast sites and the hospitals as if they can bring back the dead to life.
Mumbai Police will blame the railway police and the govt and vice-versa.
RR Patil says It happened in advanced country like America so why not India ! What an excuse. Some other govt will get elected next time and they will give the same excuse.
It will rain again and Mumbai will stop functioning.
After about a week all newspapers will carry articles on first and second page on disaster management. When in reality, the govt fails to manage during every crisis.
TOI will support the ruling party, Express will oppose the ruling party.
Then there will be another breaking news and press will forget abt this.
Then after two months the police will catch some handful of ppl and prosecute them. Either they will commit suicide in jail or, they will be released due to lack of evidence or the court case will go on and on for ever.
Ppl like me will crib and crib but will not be able to do anything.
What hopes can you have for the city. We can only pray for those whose kins have not reached home yet or are in the hospital. They say people in Mumbai are helpful. People might be great and all but whats the use. Seven of these are the terrorists. Few are those who might have helped these terrorists (not necessarily the minor caste). Who can one trust then?
- Vipula

Author: Vipula



I am sure a lot of people are talking and thinking on lines similar to both these letters and so does a blog by Govindraj Ethiraj. I am not a mumbaikar but trust me all of us are as vulnerable to these blind acts of terror as a mumbaikar and I find myself angry - angry because of inaction on my part, because of helplessness...... I am definitely with Vipula on this one..........
How about you??

Why??????

Mumbai Blasts...

The Corporate

Well, Here is yet another movie post! And it is about Madhur Bhandarkar’s latest movie – Corporate.

A very good movie and a must watch! No doubts about that but….Yes BUT I felt Madhur bhandarkar trapped in his own doing! The movie does not carry the punch (I think) that Page 3 and Chandani Bar carried. But it is definitely better than Satta, which was an excellent movie!!!

I also felt sorry/angry/disturbed (Somewhere in between them..) to see the lead lady lose in the end. This is not to say I only want ‘they lived happily ever after’ – Karan Johar phenomenon. It’s just that I would have liked to see some hope in the end. Tabbu in Chandani Bar kills her son (- Is pro-active, goes out and does something to change/alter the situation) and Konkana Sen in Page 3 accepts the facts, sheds innocence, decides her stand and moves on. Though nobody is trying to revolutionise anything but at least they have found a peace with themselves. They have a way forward. Madhur Bhandarkar’s new lead lady – Bipasha (who by the way is phenomenal in the movie) gives up. Loses it…… Should such shattered hopes be shown?? Especially when you are making a statement about single working women fighting it out?? Personally I think not…….

Well, in a nutshell, you must must watch this flick. It’s wonderful. Leads you to think and introspect. Kudos for Madhur Bhandarkar, Bipasha Basu (and cinematographer Mahesh Limaye and his assistant Kedar Phadke!! Chuckle Chuckle!!!!!!)

I was wondering.....II

For my last post not a soul has been able to give me an appropriate answer!! Nobody has a clue, well apart from some funny ideas, allright!! Well but guess what I saw yesterday night?! A new TATA Safari that has the much talked about spare tyre bang at the midddle!! Here's cell-phone-snap clicked through car windshield.....And the question still remains!! Answers anyone??

I was wondering...

why do all the SUVs have their stepney/extra tyre attached 'off centre' on their rear doors?? It is usually right side off centre as most doors have handles on the left but why not at the dead centre of the door?? The rest of the car is always symmetrical then why asymmetry here?? It suits my aesthetic sensibility (!) though! I like things, all a little skew, a little off centre and seemingly (mind you 'seemingly') off-balance!

Any ideas???

Wine, Cheese, Popcorns and Superman!!!!

Thanks to this swell friend of mine, N, and actually thanks to the fact that she owns a TATA Indigo, I managed to go to E-Square for Wine and Cheese tasting yesterday evening! She had a couple pass and knowing I enjoy Alcohol as well as Calories she called me in. The function was supposed to be followed up by a movie, all courtesy TATA or Château Indage, the Maharashtra based Wine producer.

We were supposed to drive in a TATA Indigo. There was a team of the even managers standing at the entrance of the Gorden House, E-Square. They were intercepting the cars and parking them. We were led from there to the registration desk. Two females were facilitating the registration process there. I must say we did have a few laughs at their expense! (Their presence, common sense and dressing ‘styles’ were quite ‘noteworthy’!) But one thing is for sure, this was the precise moment from when we started our giggle fits which by the end of the evening seemed interminable!!!

We were then brought to a room that was arranged for a presentation. Row upon rows of chairs with little space between them. If the room was packed we would have never made past the people sitting at the sides to reach central seats! But un(!)fortunately the response to this invitation to drink wine at 7 o’clock in the evening seemed lukewarm! We then were given a tray with three kinds of Cheese and Three kinds of wine. (White, Rose, Red!) There was a card along with this that requested us to await the mentor to take us through the ‘right’ process and sequence of drinking the wines. We like two obedient students awaited while people all around us were drowning their glasses and hogging their Cheese(How rude and manners less!) But guess what, I think that was a better strategy considering Château Indage representative and our mentor went on for a marketing presentation for about 30 mins after that! A royal overkill!! We felt he added a little extra to whatever (very) little we knew about drinking of wines! And whatever he told about preparation was extremely complicated and I won’t give him a high rating for making it even remotely interesting! After 20 mins of explaining wine making process with finesse of the dullest Chemistry teacher he says, “So this is how simple wine making really is!!!!” Ya right!! (Rolls eyes!)

The movie – Superman Returns – was due to start ay 8:30pm and he finally realised at about 8:05pm that he still has to take us through the drinking process!! Both of us gulped the liquids and tossed cheese in our mouths in a matter of 10 mins with the mentor! (That is what I came for??? Damn it! We should have done it at home!!) Rising to our feet and walking towards the door made us realize that a lot of alcohol had entered our system too quickly and that too on empty stomachs! Our giggle fits had increased notably and we needed some food to stop the slight swirls in head!!!

We spoke to the event manager managed to get another ticket for my hubby, S, of Superman returns. Poor event manager was looking sad at the prospect of about a 75 seats show booked by him being filled by 35-40 odd people!! What a waste!! He was ready to part with even more tickets! We gave him an idea to call his friends (wine??? Mostly!!!!) and left!

A couple of sandwiches, two packs of popcorn, sodas and we were walking towards our seats. S was fighting evening traffic exasperatedly to reach the show, given sudden change in his plans we had affected! Walking in the theatre we realise we have got the first row seats! Damn!! Giggle giggle!!!!!! We settle with all the food and other belongings and get ready to fly around! Well now that part got quite literal!! In the flurry we managed to knock off the popcorns!!! I do not know if it was wine or the giggly mood we had gotten into, we were again in splits!! We even picked up the box and checked if any popcorns were left in there!!!! After bidding adieu to the spilled contents we settled happily to watch the superman in love, meditating in the stratosphere!! S joined and we enjoyed the movie (however, I think I liked Krishh better!!)

An evening of poise and class, thus was thoroughly enjoyable courtesy alcohol and popcorns!! Can there be a bigger anticlimax than that?!!! But there was!! Argentina lost…….. :(