Inside the mind and heart of Venkatesh Sridhar

I was recently going through Purnima’s post on Mumbai’s never say die spirit and the following are what ideally should be a comment to her post, but it was way too long to be a comment so I spun it off as a blog.

Let me begin by talking about what happens when a blast occurs? There is massive chaos, destruction and mass hysteria. These are the reactions that a terrorist wants. His aim is to spread fear across the minds of the victims. It is simply to make a point saying we are going to strike you anytime anywhere anyhow we want and you cannot do anything about it? This is pure Guerilla warfare, and they are utilising the element of surprise to the maximum.

Let’s contrast 9/11 93 blasts. The pecularity of the situation was that only one particular area in the city was attacked in 9/11. In Mumbai, there were 13 blasts and they were kept at different parts of the city. Let’s contrast the reactions of the two cities, Mumbai was up and running back on its feet, NYC was panicking and eventually the nation was panicking.

So, why did Mumbai and NYC react differently, Click on more to read further.

Another thing to note is that this first major terrorist attack in both the cities. Now, look at what the prosecution did in both the cases, the Mumbai police tracked them down and laid out the case within a year and a half and then the great Indian judiciary took its own sweet time to pass its judgement. In case of 9/11, the US is on a witchhunt and using 9/11 as a pretext to go all out and eliminate all its enemies. I am sure China would really be thanking (or rather even kissing) Henry Kissinger for having brokered peace between the US and China, else even China will be on the ‘evil axis’.

Before I veer off from my point of view as to why Mumbai has been attacked since then so frequently is primarily because the terrorists have unfinished business in Mumbai, they want to terrorise us Mumbaikars, they want us to submit to mass hysteria but they havent been able to do so and they are following the maxim, ‘Try try till you succeed’

Now, its so easy for us to put the blame on the BMC, the police, the fire brigade, etc. But, imagine that there is a state of chaos in the affected area after the incident has occurred, it is damn hard to control the crowd of people who have come to locate their loved ones. The police does not want evidence to be tampered with, BMC has logistical problems to look at and the fire brigade has to put out the fire. The railways have to clear the tracks and monitor further trains. Imagine, the strain on them, don’t give me shit and say that, “They are paid to do so.”, if that’s case why do MBAs who get paid in lakhs complain about the stress of their job and not just MBAs almost everyone who is working is stressed out these days. And if I repeated those words they will sting you and they sting the police force too.

The NYC honored their policemen and the fire brigade, what has Mumbai done for them? What about the people who were in the train and they got down saw the scene called up home and said they were safe, thought to themselves, “Oh God!, what has happened to mankind?” and simply walk away from the scene, tell me what about them, did they have a spirit?

I get irritated when people tell me this city is full of spirit.

Mumbai does not have a spirit. Let’s face it, India does not have a spirit. How many times have we said we are a democratic nation and all that usual Democratic talk and ended up doing nothing. In the US, the people protest, they protest against the Government for the wrong decisions it makes. We do not bother here.

I am not saying I am any different. I was in Delhi when the AIIMS students were protesting against reservations, I feel strongly about the issue but I did not go out and take an effort to go to AIIMS and see what was happening.

It’s in our blood, we will protest only when our interests are endangered. Else, how do I care? Mera kya jaata hai?

A lot of Mumbaikars depend on the rail for subsistence, remember the famous Dabbawallas. They survive because there is a local train. People have no choice they have to travel to their workplace, we need to do it. Don’t commend us on our spirit, we do not have a choice, we have to go to our office. It is our need not our choice.

Choice is a luxury bestowed upon the blessed.