Murder of Mumbai

It was December, 2006. I was sitting on a stone at Marine Drive on Christmas eve and for the first time in my life, I fell in love with a city. There was something in the sea air that I was missing since I touched my teenage. Mumbai had a feel of a modern and free city. Delhi has its own share of educated and wealthy middle class but Mumbai seemed a far mature city. Mumbaikars readily adapted to change in life style driven by pro-liberalisation policies since 1990s. I can safely say that when it comes to mentality and outlook towards life, Mumbaikar of 2006 was at least 30 years ahead of its counterparts in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. With its strict traffic policing, mature citizens with respect for privacy and beliefs of fellow citizens and a active nightlife, it looked pleasantly familiar to western cities, we usually see in Hollywood movies. But that all has changed dramatically in last one year and I don't think Mumbai is ever going to be same.

Last week's terrorist attack was unique in its execution and magnitude. Mumbai has endured many deadly assaults in last decade. But no attack was powerful enough to stop Mumbai in its tracks. In past, in the aftermath of blasts, people had move on with life as usual. Media used to call it spirit of Mumbai and celebrate it. Inept politicians and police officers used to hide behind this spirit. Nothing has changed since 1993 bomb blasts because establishment(media included) took this spirit as a denial of attacks by Mumbaikars. After rhetoric on day of attack, everybody used to forget about taking preventive measures and just wash their sins by joining chorus in praising the famed spirit of Mumbai. So, what has changed this time ?

The attack that took place on 26Th November was not a terrorist attack but it was a attack by few foreigners to destroy a city. They did'nt want to kill people, they just wanted to kill the city. This time, execution of attack was such that finally Mumbai has woken up to the fact that spirit of Mumbai is nothing but a mask Mumbaikars wear to hide their aloofness or selfish attitude. The very symbols of Mumbai, which every Mumbaikar feel proud were attacked and left blood-stained. Why Mumbaikar is today on road protesting the politicians and airing his rage on national television ? When Mumbai let itself raped by vote-hungry politicians, why today that much rage and anger ? May be Mumbai has realized that it has been taken for granted by politicians and terrorists alike.

Mumbaikars are fighting a battle that they have already lost. Thanks to a spoilt brat, term Mumbaikar has become a misnomer. Either you are a Marathi manoos or a bhaiyya or a Gujarati or a Tamil and so on. Mumbaikar has died a silent death without a whimper. I felt pity for honourable home minister of Maharashtra for his notorious remark 'small incidents happen in big cities'. He must be thinking that I have worked so hard on a sure-shot plan to trigger rise of a nobody into a political star. Everything was going according to script. I denied that goons are taking charge of Mumbai. I ordered an encounter that could be easiily avoided. Due to these terrorists attacks, People and media have forgotten about him. Now, I have to work out a damage control plan to bring that stupid fellow back on national television and these idiots are bothering me with the petty issue of death of 200 people. What are 200 people for Mumbai ? Why are they so bothered when Assembly elections are less than 1 year away ? Can't they go to their schools and offices as usual ? Where is that bloody spirit of Mumbai?

Mumbai has been murdered in this attack. Those very symbols, who were giving a illusion to people who are living in Mumbai that they are still Mumbaikars, left blackened for ever by terrorists. Mumbai will take a long time to recover. It is not about renovating hotel taj or fixing new glass panes in Cafe Leopold. It about rise of Mumbaikar from the ashes. People have to repair social fabric of a city which, till few months back, was considered as one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world.