Rallies... What next???

I’ve heard of many “peace rallies”, but I don’t remember being a part of any of them. Therefore, I decided to be a part of the Enough is Enough Peace Rally organized close to Gateway. In fact, this was one of those ‘last-minute-yes-call’ I made as like other rallies, this too, was not really in my radar till I had a discussion with a couple of colleagues at my workplace.

Post-26/11, there has been a lot of talk about action to be taken and the need for citizens to rise up and raise their voice. But honestly, even the most eternal optimist would have some sort of pessimism about a rally of this considering the way this city acts, reacts and then, forgets!

“What’s gonna be the outcome?”
“It’s just gonna fizzle out!”

Yup! These were at the back of my mind, when I was on my way to the rally! “But at least it’s a start! It's better than sitting back and doing nothing!” I told my colleagues.

It didn’t take me too long to realize that this one was not just another one of those small demonstrations or rallies. From inside the comfort of the car, with the A/C hitting your face and the tyres hardly getting a chance to move, it seemed half of Mumbai’s youth was out there for a ‘cause’ (Please note the inverted comas). But the young and odd-old were out in quite a few thousands (avoiding the phrase – large number – for it would then be an understatement).

We couldn’t reach the Gateway and had to be a part of the crowd by foot at the turn towards Regal. And that was as close to Gateway as we could get. The roads were jammed and so were the networks! I was to meet another friend at Regal and could only try my hand at messaging hoping that somehow it would break the network barrier and reach the other side. We did meet up. But where was THE Rally? Turned out that this wasn’t just one rally (or maybe I just missed the main one). At every turn-of-the-head distance, there were pockets of people, and attractive ones I must add, with their placards, slogans, white t-shirts with “I love Mumbai’ (which I later bought and wore too), tricolours, candles, etc. The ‘Free Hugs for peace and prosperity’ poster definitely caught my eye. I wished - for the hug, but more so to hold that poster myself.

At the end of it all, the question re-emerged, “What next? Blame-game again? Talks and protests about Government’s inefficiency?” I don’t know and I hope not! I will pray for my leaders and stop blaming them for once!

Outside The Leopold Café, where a week back, there was hardly a soul except a few men in khaki perhaps, amongst the large crowd and the ‘Mumbai’ t-shirt sellers, there was a group of youngsters with separate posters, each holding a word – “We-are-lucky-to-be-alive!”

‘Grace-of-God!’

Siege and after...

As the siege on Mumbai ended, honestly, I don’t know what to write, for I now have mixed emotions. Relieved, disappointed, frustrated, saddened all rolled into one. Add a little bit of anger to that as well.

Relieved, cause’ I was just one phone call away from being a part of not-at-all desirable drama at VT (not CST). I got out of office at 740 pm. Took out my cell to call up a friend, who I was supposed to meet the previous day. Kept my phone back in my pocket, and told myself, “Some other day!” Caught a train back home at 8 pm. One and a half hour later, the station had become a war-zone.

Relieved also, cause’ it’s finally over!

Disappointed, cause’ yet again an intelligence failure, yet again a security lapse and yet again, Mumbai – my favourite city - fell prey!

Frustrated, cause’ I could just sit at home and do nothing, but watch the drama unfold on CNN IBN and Times Now.

Saddened, cause’ some of Mumbai’s and country’s heroes, other than the common man of course, fell victims to this dastardly act.

And angered, cause’ finger-pointing, blame-game and politicizing began even as brave-hearts were still fighting it out inside Taj, Oberoi and Nariman!

A friend told me, we must catch these terrorists alive and cruelly torture them in full public view. “It just won’t work. These guys would consider this a privilege to be tortured to death. Remember, they came to kill and to get killed,” I told her. Interestingly though, today’s Mirror’s lead story revealed this didn’t hold completely true. On seeing his colleague’s mutilated body, the terrorist caught suddenly “wanted to live!”

As is always the case, everything will soon be forgotten. The oft used and now abused phrase “Spirit of Mumbai” will re-emerge! We used it after the '92 serial blasts. We used it after July 26. We used it after 7/11. And am afraid we are gonna use this term again! And now I'm beginning to wonder if this is more a matter of the ‘paapi pet’ than the so-called spirit. Indeed it’s all about filling one’s tummy! 

The sacrifices of the few heroes will soon be forgotten. For public memory is short! It’s even shorter in Mumbai!

All I can do is hope and pray that we don't need another November 26, 2008 to remind us of November 26, 2008!!!

PS: Like many Mumbaikars, even I got this particular message about Where is Mr. Raj Thackarey now? As NSG commandos (most of them North Indians) battle it out to save Mumbai, where are the MNS and SS now who only knows to destroy and create havoc on the innocent folks!
- Good point, and taken too