Turbulent Tuesday : Capsule version

Mumbai was experiencing an unusually dry period during its monsoon season, it seemed as if the rain gods were somewhat angry with Mumbaikars. But on 26/7 the adage ‘it never rains, it pours’ was once again proved true at Mumbai. Mumbaikars witnessed a record rainfall of 99cms, which is the highest downpour over the past 100 years. The drains in ‘city of dreams’ was unable to soak the amount of H2O which had rained on the fateful day.

The rains played havoc with transportation network of the city, Mumbai’s lifeline is its local railway network. The railways service was indefinitely suspended and millions of commuters were stranded in the island city. 60% of city’s taxis and a number of cars, buses had broken down, and most of them were abandoned in the middle of the roads which added to the mayhem. Water-logging and breakdown of vehicles resulted in a grid-lock situation and the city which is known to be on the move was deprived of its speed. All the cell phone networks were choked (with water !!) and ATMs were not working as well. People were on the roads for more than 24 hours, some without food or water, completely drenched in water.

But then remarkable aspect of the city and more importantly its citizens is its ability to counter adversity. That day I had witnessed the indomitable spirit of Mumbai, although stress and anxiety could be seen on their faces it did not loose its composure, it never pressed the ‘panic button’. Mumbaikars were going out of the way to help others, I was really moved when I saw a 70-year old man distributing water to the public and then providing guidance to people who were stuck in the grid-lock. Some were offering biscuits, food, water and helpful guidance to the stranded commuters, in fact such people had turned out in numbers. I cannot imagine if such a thing can happen in any other city of India. The reason for this behavior is both the geography as well as most residents at Mumbai are migrants from other parts of the country who share a common aspiration. A typical Mumbaikar is ambitious and bonds develop between strangers either in the compartments of trains or outside as most of them face similar problems and share common goals. This is the true colour of Mumbai which was highlighted on the Turbulent Tuesday.

As a result of the rains there were four water bodies which had formed between my workplace and home. I had named them as [Daddar water-body = Arabian Sea], [King Circle water body = Atlantic Ocean], [Chunnabhatti water body = Pacific Ocean] and [Chembur water body = Indian Ocean]. (Please the nomenclature has been made after careful assessment of the size and magnitude of such water bodies). It took 24hours for my voyage from the 20th floor office at Cuffe Parade to my sweet home at Vashi, whereas on a normal day I cover the same distance in 1.5hours.

It was an experience of a lifetime and I learnt a lot during this journey. I saw hope in everyone’s eye when I entered VT station, this hope was fatigued out to anxiety which transformed into agitation and protest. But at no point of time did Mumbaikars loose hope, I could see millions of people walking down their way to reach home and it was hope which was their driver, fuel and engine. I even saw some kids playing water-polo in the ocean, which was something they always missed during a routine day, it was amazing to see some people enjoying even at such hour of natural calamity. I witnessed the true Mumbai attitude of ‘never-say-die’, they were always bubbling and buzzing with activity, trying to help the commuters with whatever was possible for them.

I learnt that money cant buy everything (for anything else you have MasterCard), in such circumstances it does not matter how rich or how much money you have, as all are equal and everyone from the blue-collar employee of an MNC to a clerk at government department was walking down the streets at the same pace. It made me realize that patience is a great virtue and when something is inevitable enjoy it.

As I reached home I switched on my television set to follow the developments of the flood situation in the city. But I must admit what I saw over television was completely different picture from what I had experienced on the ground. All of the channels (expect one) were critical about the failure of the system to face such a situation. They were trying to sensationalize the news and some of the reporters also tried to victimize and single-out innocent workers. I must admit I saw a normal worker/citizen was extremely helpful, there may have been a lack of communication from system. What right does the television media have to criticize and victimize people, when it was not doing its own role of reporting facts and provide objective analysis properly. Moreover, in such hour of need they were trying to play for ratings which was really sickening. On the contrary the FM radio channels were extremely honest in their reporting of facts. They were providing insightful information about traffic situation and water levels in different parts of the city. They had also tried to bridge the communication gap between the people, who could not contact their relatives and loved ones. I think television media which has a much better coverage should be more responsible in its reporting of news and should provide due credit to heroes who deserved it . It should be more pragmatic in its approach and should portray both sides of picture, rather than always blaming it to the system. (I was wondering if the quote of JFK holds good for Indians and India "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country").


Current Mood : Damp
Current Music : ‘Lagi aaj sawan mein phir who ghadi hai’

I encourage readers to read the graphic version of my experience of the Turbulent Tuesday here.

Aski “De Damp” “De Casta”