I had been feeling somewhat guilty of not writing anything about the Mumbai attacks, especially since it is my home city. I thought about writing a number of times but didn’t exactly knew what to write. Should I be angry with everyone from the government to the militants? Or should I sympathize with those civilians who were killed and remove my hat remembering the men who did not care for their lives and wanted to stop the terror?
Being geographically so far from the actual happenings, I was amazed how quick the information / news spread. Within an hour or 2 of the start of the events, I got to know of it and immediately contacted my family back home. They were fine and then I started getting in touch with my friends who were somewhat associated with Mumbai to see how they and their families were doing. I am always remembered about the Delhi blasts where someone I knew was so very affected.
In the last few days, I have heard so much about everything even remotely connected with the happenings – views, comments, opinions etc. Obviously, there is a lot of rage and disappointment and many other emotions surfacing among people.
I would be going back to Mumbai in some time. Somebody asked me if I was scared of going there. I thought how ridiculous the question was. It is my home, and does somebody get scared while going to home?
Some years back, when I used to see regions that were very affected with violence, terrorism etc, I used to think why don’t people just leave these places and get settled elsewhere – not all but there should be a large exodus. I thought that it would be due to the constraints regarding inability to replicate the kind of life somewhere else – difficult to sell home and buy another, finding a new job etc.
Now, I see that though this might be true, the reason is much more than the enlisted constraints. It is your home. How can you leave it? Yes, there are issues – no one is denying that. But you have to deal with them and not leave the place and move away.
My grandparents always tell me this thing – when your house is dirty, you clean your house and not start living in someone else’s (because yours is dirty). I found it so much applicable in different contexts – one of which is this. When there is crisis in Mumbai, should I leave this place and think that it is better if I can find opportunities elsewhere? (Another context when I remember this thought from my grandparents is when somebody says – you should settle outside the country; don’t you think you would be wasting your life in your country?; look at all the opportunities if you go someplace else) I would like to clarify, that I do not consider that the place I live in is dirty. It is just that, we have to do some usual dusting and things would be fine.
I do not know how much, but finally the people are the ones who are responsible – and I am one of those responsible. Paresh Rawal aptly puts it in the film Nayak (the spirit behind the words have larger applicability)
"
Aaj jisse bhi poocho who kahega, main doctor banunga, IAS banunga, vakil banunga
Lekin ek bhi aadmi neta banne ko tayaar nahin hain, pooch lo
Politics ek gutter hain bolke sab log bhaag jaate hain
Lekin koi bhi iss gutter main utar kar isse saaf karne ko tayyar nahin hain
Aur desh ko inn buddhe bhediyon ke haath main chodh kar chale jaate hain
Jinke paas jine ke liye zindagi bhi nahin bachi hain
Tumhare jaise desh ke sabhi nau jawan yehi sochte hain
Ki 15-20 hazaar ki naukri mil jaaye, ek sundar si ladki shaadi karne ko mil jaaye
Aur phir budhape tak rupya rupya jama karke sheher ke bahar adha acre zameen kharid lenge
Wahan 700-800 sq ft. ka ek ghar banayenge aur ghar pe peela paint hoga
Samne garden hoga aur garden main easy chair pe baithke akhbaar padte huye apni biwi se kahenge ki
‘Darling, politics ne iss desh ko khatam kar diya hain’
Arre jaon koi hakk nahin hain kissiko politician ko gaali dene ka”
"
Being geographically so far from the actual happenings, I was amazed how quick the information / news spread. Within an hour or 2 of the start of the events, I got to know of it and immediately contacted my family back home. They were fine and then I started getting in touch with my friends who were somewhat associated with Mumbai to see how they and their families were doing. I am always remembered about the Delhi blasts where someone I knew was so very affected.
In the last few days, I have heard so much about everything even remotely connected with the happenings – views, comments, opinions etc. Obviously, there is a lot of rage and disappointment and many other emotions surfacing among people.
I would be going back to Mumbai in some time. Somebody asked me if I was scared of going there. I thought how ridiculous the question was. It is my home, and does somebody get scared while going to home?
Some years back, when I used to see regions that were very affected with violence, terrorism etc, I used to think why don’t people just leave these places and get settled elsewhere – not all but there should be a large exodus. I thought that it would be due to the constraints regarding inability to replicate the kind of life somewhere else – difficult to sell home and buy another, finding a new job etc.
Now, I see that though this might be true, the reason is much more than the enlisted constraints. It is your home. How can you leave it? Yes, there are issues – no one is denying that. But you have to deal with them and not leave the place and move away.
My grandparents always tell me this thing – when your house is dirty, you clean your house and not start living in someone else’s (because yours is dirty). I found it so much applicable in different contexts – one of which is this. When there is crisis in Mumbai, should I leave this place and think that it is better if I can find opportunities elsewhere? (Another context when I remember this thought from my grandparents is when somebody says – you should settle outside the country; don’t you think you would be wasting your life in your country?; look at all the opportunities if you go someplace else) I would like to clarify, that I do not consider that the place I live in is dirty. It is just that, we have to do some usual dusting and things would be fine.
I do not know how much, but finally the people are the ones who are responsible – and I am one of those responsible. Paresh Rawal aptly puts it in the film Nayak (the spirit behind the words have larger applicability)
"
Aaj jisse bhi poocho who kahega, main doctor banunga, IAS banunga, vakil banunga
Lekin ek bhi aadmi neta banne ko tayaar nahin hain, pooch lo
Politics ek gutter hain bolke sab log bhaag jaate hain
Lekin koi bhi iss gutter main utar kar isse saaf karne ko tayyar nahin hain
Aur desh ko inn buddhe bhediyon ke haath main chodh kar chale jaate hain
Jinke paas jine ke liye zindagi bhi nahin bachi hain
Tumhare jaise desh ke sabhi nau jawan yehi sochte hain
Ki 15-20 hazaar ki naukri mil jaaye, ek sundar si ladki shaadi karne ko mil jaaye
Aur phir budhape tak rupya rupya jama karke sheher ke bahar adha acre zameen kharid lenge
Wahan 700-800 sq ft. ka ek ghar banayenge aur ghar pe peela paint hoga
Samne garden hoga aur garden main easy chair pe baithke akhbaar padte huye apni biwi se kahenge ki
‘Darling, politics ne iss desh ko khatam kar diya hain’
Arre jaon koi hakk nahin hain kissiko politician ko gaali dene ka”
"
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2 comments:
I have a different take on this, one that you may find cynical. I too like living at home, despite attacks, the dirt, the crowding and the greater comforts abroad. But that's because I derive tremendous comfort from the familiarity of my homeland, the presence of my family and friends and the knowledge of local language and customs. It's got much less to do with any desire to clean it up or make it better. I may well end up doing that in the course of my professional life. But I want to live at home because it makes me happy, not because I want to make a statement or any altruistic motivation.
I don't think your point is cynical at all ... I guess we all like the things you mentioned. The people comprising of the 'reverse brain drain' of recent years have always valued these but only now these might have overpowered the benefits associated with settling abroad.
I just want to add ... and you might disagree ... that even if one does not wish to clean it up, one should not leave because it is dirty.
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