Romanticizing Tragedy

Mumbai was struck by serial blasts. There was panic all around. Mobile lines were jammed. People were looking for their relatives and friends. It was as crazy as it could possibly get. I could feel the chill down my spine more than 1000 kms away, in Delhi. While politicians were involved in mud slinging like all other occasions, people did rescue each other. People supporting other people – that’s how Mumbai has always been. There may be many reasons for it and the most likely reason is the apathy from authorities. At all occasions authorities have failed to take necessary action so it makes people almost rush to the rescue of each other. Who do they have except each other? People in Mumbai are resilient and their resilience is a matter of pride, but how far can we stretch it, is the question!

Media also did its bit in helping people in all possible ways but it also did its bit of romanticizing tragedy. Like the propaganda media used during war times there have been cries of ,“ The Spirit of Mumbai” , “ Salaam Mumbai” and “ The city fighting back”. What are we trying to do here and whom are we trying to fool? The politicians who roar about “Amchi Mumbai” have not much to say about this desecration at the face of nation and it is meeting a mute response from one and all, instead we are rejoicing about the spirit. Yes the opposition does condemn the ruling party like it always has been doing but that is all. Simply because among the 200 or more killed there wasn’t a politician or a celebrity or a known face. Who cares about the faceless but what if there was?

The spirit of Mumbai is nothing but a fight to survive. Ask the people who have lost friends and relatives, who are impaired for life and for whom the day has spelt the doom. Ask them what does the spirit of Mumbai means and I guess they will be able to give you a fitting reply.

Why Mumbai is back on track is because they are millions who struggle here each day for their next meal.

Why people are back in trains is because there isn’t any other way of commuting for these millions.

Why Mumbai doesn’t stop is because it has become almost mechanical in its operation and the momentum of action is so high that this inertia of motion is hard to stop. So it goes on and on.

Why am I saying all this is because we need to look beneath the surface. Somewhere underneath all this, the system is rotten and we are being made to believe all is fine. I guess we need to do more than just rescue operations. Stop propaganda and get to action. There is a sense of anger amongst many people and I am just one of them. If the government and judiciary is failing repeatedly to fulfill its function, I think we need to delve deeper than just tactically rescuing the injured and the dead. I guess we need to get real. I guess more so, media, being the opinion maker that it is also needs to report more real and stop romanticizing tragedy, for we have had enough of it.