A Matter of Choice

I am getting fed up with all the talks about Mumbai's indomitable spirit. I don't think spirit has any major role to play in ensuring that a major chunk of the jantha were back at work the very next day.

I was roaming around town the next day and overheard one lady tell her colleague that she had already taken two days off during the heavy rains the previous week. She couldn't afford another leave cos her plans to club all these leaves and take a vacation with her family sometime in November was already in jeopardy.

Another guy said they are targeting the Western Line so we are safe. Maybe he travels by Harbor or Central. So tell me what does spirit have to do here? Nothing. All are scared probably. Many don't even care.

And if not for the all the stories in the media and the initiatives taken by a few political parties and NGOs it would have been a topic of classroom debate in less than a fortnight. And I was very glad to read similar thoughts expressed by a feature writer in the ToI -- can't remember the name now.

It's basic lack of options in life, the need to work every single day to bring bread to the table, feed the children, pay the thousand and one EMIs imposed on hi, by the dream vendors that pushes the common man to get out of bed the next day, cloak his fears and motivate himself to get into that train reach office. I think the scene would have been the same in any city, anywhere in the world after such an incident. Look at Kashmir; they get bombed almost on a daily basis. Palestine, Colombo, and so many other examples.

Instead of feeling good about the fact that we are at work on time the next I actually feel bad that we don't have the leeway to take a break and help out with the rehabilitation process or even help somehow in bringing those idiots who did it to justice. No, we unfortunately don't seem to have much choice in these matters.

Today, some joker bombs the city and you either get killed or injured or if lucky escape unscathed. Tomorrow, the cops pick you up and bash you if you unfortunately happen to be living in the wrong part of the city or belong to the wrong social set or the wrong community. If you are lucky you get away with a few raps on your knuckle for something you haven't done, else God help you. No, we don't have much choice--we are the common man.

Btw, how did the police and the politicians establish so quickly who the people behind the blasts were? That's some super quick investigation team we have in the police department eh?