Safe by an hour

Mumbai blew up again. Three bomb blasts shook the city when the innocent people were returning home, to see their children, to see their wife, to breathe easy and lie down peacefully after a long and tiring day at work. Zaveri Bazar, Colaba, and Dadar were wrecked. More than 20 people killed, and more than 100 injured. They do it often, and they often do it at will. Is there no stopping them?

The blasts are only one day old and people are finding comfort in harping about the fact that how resolute Mumbaikars are. Jogging in Colaba, working in Dadar and shopping in Zaveri Bazar. Life is almost back to normalcy. They call it the spirit of Mumbai. Do they really know that the people are helpless? What other option do they have other than going to work and achieving their targets? They just can’t sit back and let the food feed themselves to their family. It’s fine to be proud of the resilience shown by the people but it’s time to show some wrath too, because if that is the case, the policy makers will be let off yet again. The government knows for a fact that they don’t have to do anything, and that Mumbai will heal itself as it always has been doing since years.  

The ministers from all parts flew up to the financial capital to show sympathy and condolence. Where were they when the serial blasts in Guwahati took up more lives?  Is it the limelight they just want to be in? The President of America and the Prime Minister of Pakistan have condemned the blasts, and so has the Prime Minister of India. How does that make him any different? Is that all he is supposed to do? He says “we are committed to fighting terror”. Didn’t he say the same thing last time around too? The state has been put at high alert and the country on alert. Big deal!  It’s like putting on the condom after the job is done. With time, this will be forgotten too. The sympathy doesn’t last unless we feel the pain ourselves. The masses will organize candle light marches and move on. That’s all what we are good at.

I was exactly at the Dadar blast site one hour prior to when it happened. Was returning back home from Worli and I had to get on a local from there on. The news struck me as soon as I came back home. Saw some gory pictures on TV. Felt uneasy. And the feeling remains because I was just..

safe by an hour..

"ऐ दिल है मुश्किल जीना यहाँ... ज़रा हटके ज़रा बचके ये है बॉम्बे मेरी जान..."

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