Travel & Living: Fear Psychosis and much more.

Growing up in the City off 21st century – Navi Mumbai has not been much of a daunting task; Life is relatively safer than Mumbai. Of course, except, if we forget our “load shedding” woes. But, given a choice between choosing life and electricity, I would undoubtedly choose the former. Sadly, Choice and freewill which construe whole of Lord Krishna’s “Geeta” (also crux of Matrix movies), are exactly the things we: The Aam junta have been deprived of.

It all began in 1993, 13 bombs ripped the city apart. “The most deadly and devastation causing attack, ever.” But, Mumbai had a will of its own (just like the ring of power). It kept on growing. A milieu of vibrant cultures from across India and abroad as well. Its effervescent spirit could not be shaken, lest, it might lose its fizz. No sir. India was united to fight for a common cause, “terrorism”. Yes, the spirit lived on as usual; rather, spirits and ghosts of the dead ones. I was 12 then.

But, then it happened again and again and again. Not just Mumbai but, pan India. The word spirit itself had become two penny hooch, advertized frivolously by politicians, yet it lived on. And we kept on paying a heavy price for the same. Here is the data of blasts (I have restricted it to Mumbai as the pan India list is way too big. You can see that list/data here: http://satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/database/index.html


War on Mumbai, 1993-2008

26-29-Nov-08 10:
Fidayeen attack at: at the crowded (CST) railway station; at two five-star hotels: the Oberoi Trident and Taj Mahal Palace & Tower; at the Leopold Cafe; at the Cama Hospital; at the Nariman House; at the Metro Adlabs; near Mumbai Police Headquarters; blasts at Mazagaon; a taxi blast at Vile Parle near the airport.

Killed: 171 Injured: 327

11-Jul-06:
7 blasts at 7 locations in local trains across the city

Killed: 181 Injured:890

25-Aug-03:
Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar
Killed: 50 Injured: 150

29-Jul-03 Ghatkopar. Killed: 3. Injured: 34

14-Apr-03 Bandra. Killed: 1. Injured: 0

13-Mar-03 Mulund Railway Station Killed: 11. Injured: 80

27-Jan-03 Vile Parle Killed: 1. Injured: 25

6-Dec-02 Mumbai Central railway station Killed: 0. Injured: 25

2-Dec-02 Ghatokpar Killed: 3. Injured: 31

27-Feb-98 Virar Killed: 9. Injured: 0

24-Jan-98 Malad Killed: 0. Injured: 1

28-Aug-97 Near Jama Masjid Killed: 0. Injured: 3

12-Mar-93 13 blasts across the city

Killed: 257. Injured: 713

Total Killed: 687. Injured: 2279

Courtesy: www.satp.org

I am not too sure about the numbers killed and injured in the recent attacks but heck, I do not care, as one person dead is a loss, number of them dead becomes a statistic. For me and countless others every time it has been a loss; loss of faith in Govt. establishments and the TRP hungry TV news channels; loss in what our politicians’ inabilities and their in-between bickering which causes security lapses.
The scars of 13 May 2008 (Jaipur Blasts) to 01 Oct 2008 (Agartala blasts) were still fresh during our (me & my family) visit to Ahmedabad / Vadodara during Diwali. We reached the Mumbai Central station with an hour to spare and had to go through ‘Metal Detectors’ which beeped with each and every person going through it. Kids thought it was a showpiece / play item. Under the given circumstances, so did I. I am 27 now.

First look at the platform and I thought that an entire 1st division of Mumbai police was travelling in the train but then it occurred, the previous name of the city had been Bomb-bay. Also Laloo’s Railways were under verbal line of fire from Mr. Raj Thackeray. I was in total paranoiac mood. First the Bhaiyyas take my job (I was looking for a career as a Taxi Driver / laborer) and then terrorists take my life. Once inside the train and after a thorough sniffer dog (a huge German shepherd) search, the train was on its way.

I felt safe and secure. However, I was not too sure about the uncle who was passing ‘Methi Theplas’ around as if it were Diwali sweets. He was 15 years a little too late to do such ghastly and cowardly (yet another word made famous by politicians) act of being nice to fellow passengers. Did he not know that co passengers were to be looked at with suspicion as a public prosecutor looks at an accused person? Then it occurred that he must either be a Non resident or Non reliable Indian. I breathed sigh of relief when we reached the destination.

November was going hunky dory and people had almost forgotten about the bomb blasts and politicians were again back to bickering with each other. Vote bank manipulators were happy with daily dose of “Hindutva Terrorists” news that was taking the country by its – Horns. Err, sorry, even the stock markets were bearish then. So, no Horns. Divisional politics was at its best and nationalism (kargil war, 15th August, 26th January and during natural calamites), once again, had taken a back seat. Navy had sunk a pirate’s vessel in Gulf of Eden (that’s near the country Oman, if you guys do not know).

Then befell the ‘26.11.2008 – 29.11.2008’ proxy war on Mumbai, once again it was the worst attack ever. Masterminded by our “bhais” from across the border; probably they must be the bhais, who had lost their track. Bhais of an unsound mind. Blood thirsty Freaka-zoid Bhais. Just like our very own, Dawood Bhai. They (ten extremely well trained punks) took Mumbai by her balls and took her for a ride for three days. The damage done is listed above in the table. It also damaged careers of Shivraj Patil, Home Minister of India, and a selected member to the legislative council. Hurray! Mr. R.R Patil, Home minister of Maharashtra, a genuine leader, who paid price for his faux pas. Did I mention that Shivraj Patil has a wardrobe full of safari suits?

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra took his son and a film producer along with high level security strategists to examine the damages done to all the places under attack. His justification was more degrading than his political IQ, “a son can come along with his father”.
This happened on 01.12.2008 I guess.

I wondered the consequences of a news reporter son tagging along with his doctor father administering an enema to a V.I.P (very important politician) patient. Could it impale his (politician’s) career? Could such an act stimulate evacuation (from his seat)? Puns are not at all intended here.

I was watching and reading about the assault on Mumbai continuously. The part that irked me the most rather psyched me was a news reporter (a fool for a man) took position beside a sniper to show us the live feed of Hotel Taj. Why would someone want to give away position of a sniper now? Time to time, they also showed us from where and how the commandos were entering. The only thing they did not show was the “strategic plan” of the NSG to flush out the “fidayeen”. It would have tremendously helped us (Shock T.V), the terrorists, and their bosses who were telling them the exact details of the operation, as shown LIVE. A commendable job done by television news channels to delay the operation by a day minimum, and they woke up to their foolishness on 29.11.2008 and told their audiences that they can not show the operation part, lest, that might help the terrorists. Did they not see films like Munich and A Wednesday? Could they not understand the sensitivity of the operation? Or was it done, deliberately? To hell with Shock T.V.

I was in Ahmedabad when these things happened and I started for Mumbai on 30.11.2008. A cool new acoustic guitar was accompanying me. I was wearing cargos and sweat shirt. I was dressed for travel. A heavy rug sack was on my back (with a week’s clothes). And I could sense from the people’s looks in the bus what transpired in their minds. One uncleji even touched the guitar case to make sure that it was indeed a guitar. I asked, “Uncle fat rahi hai kya (slang for Are you scared)?” he just laughed and said, “Arre nahi beta, kya tum yeh bajate ho?” Me: “Hanji uncle, baja leta hoon thoda bahut.” Again, no puns intended.

Jokes apart, some people have their very own perspective of looking at things and most of the time, it revolves around food. One person sitting besides me (a foodie) was discussing about the macabre events. He told me, “Did you see that the terrorists were eating dry fruits?” “And people had to eat bullets.” “Indeed I saw it, I retorted “Do you eat with your foot in your mouth or would you like to eat your words?” I reached destination 01.12.2008. And my fiddle sounds better than Castro himself. It survived the onslaught that the journey put unto her.

Mumbai Proxy war was relayed world across; it was not just war on Mumbai but war on humanity. Pakistan is paranoid now assuming an attack by India. Or is it? The problem is lot of Pakistan military is near the afghan border (western side) helping America’s “War on Terror”. In frenzied attempt, Pak might move its army to its eastern side: Kashmir/India side. Surely U.S does not want that. Hence, Condoleeza Rice comes to pacify both the nations.

Surely War on Terror (Global) is bigger than War on Mumbai (local), and as usual, India might enter into Dialogues. We all know what the result of that is going to be. We have seen it countless number of times; right from the inception of terrorism since 1993 or inception of proxy war since Zia ul Haq’s time.

So what can we as citizens do? Well, the elections are 100 days away and sincerely enough is enough (a new phrase coined this time) for not just Aam Junta is killed this time but also ‘the privileged few’ the who’s who that matters are, as well. The repercussions would be the huge this time even though more people were killed during the train bombings and when the epitome of our democracy “the parliament’ was bombed.

Lets for once, as aam junta, show the Political class what we, the middle class can do to their chairs this time. For the Tata’s Taj Mahal hotel (heritage bldg) was hit this time. Gulp down the Tata Tea and for once really “Jago Re”. Let’s vote this time for our survival and our right to exist freely. For liberty is not just America’s patent. Sadak Pani aur Bijli ke sath we want our LIVES.
Vande Mataram. Bharat Mata ki Jai.