"But Delhi will bounce back. You see it will. Nothing can dampen the spirit of this city," was the refrain on most news channels a day after the blasts. Just like it was after the Gujarat blasts earlier or the Hyderabad blasts or the Bangalore ones or the Diwali blasts in Delhi last year or in Varanasi before that, or...
"This is our spirit, our resilience. We are...", is undoubtedly the tune which everyone sings post terrorist attacks-- the academecia, the intellectuals, page 3 'celebrities', media persons and god knows who else.
Yes, we will be back to acting normal within a few hours. NO doubt about that. But is it because we have that 'undying spirit'? or is it simply because out of compulsion, out of sheer lack of any other alternative option? After all, what happened exactly a week and a day ago isn't anything out of the ordinary, is it? Been here, heard that. Seen that much of blood, heard that quote. We are not the United States now, are we, that the whole world will be made to alter its course because someone dared take a shot at us? Nothing can be as big a tragedy as that one now. Why should we sweat about it? Will give you a look into an ordinary house to prove the point.
Bombs go off between 6.15 and 6.45 all over the city. Get to hear about them around 7. Why? Because one of the blasts happened outside a family member's office building. The other, at the place where they used to stay till not so long ago. They sit infront of the TV, listen to the goddamned news for about 45 minutes, attend to some phone calls from anxious relatives and friends. About an hour later, they are on their way for a dinner party.
They sit around. A bunch of 'wise' middle aged men savouring a drink while laughing and joking about the 'incident'.
"May such things keep happening so that our relatives keep remembering us", one of them says. Indeed. Then-- back to playing cards and mundane games. Damn, the tambola board is missing. Kind of dampens the mood of the party.
Next day, life is back to normal again. Take the metro to CP for classes from 6 to 8. Come back, eat, watch some news. Soon the anchor starts on how the blasts and the ongoing US credit crisis have dampened the markets. Curse a bit. Watch some more. The anchor is now talking about those injured in the markets. Yawn. Time to go hit the sack.
And this, apparently is how Delhi has 'bounced back'.
"This is our spirit, our resilience. We are...", is undoubtedly the tune which everyone sings post terrorist attacks-- the academecia, the intellectuals, page 3 'celebrities', media persons and god knows who else.
Yes, we will be back to acting normal within a few hours. NO doubt about that. But is it because we have that 'undying spirit'? or is it simply because out of compulsion, out of sheer lack of any other alternative option? After all, what happened exactly a week and a day ago isn't anything out of the ordinary, is it? Been here, heard that. Seen that much of blood, heard that quote. We are not the United States now, are we, that the whole world will be made to alter its course because someone dared take a shot at us? Nothing can be as big a tragedy as that one now. Why should we sweat about it? Will give you a look into an ordinary house to prove the point.
Bombs go off between 6.15 and 6.45 all over the city. Get to hear about them around 7. Why? Because one of the blasts happened outside a family member's office building. The other, at the place where they used to stay till not so long ago. They sit infront of the TV, listen to the goddamned news for about 45 minutes, attend to some phone calls from anxious relatives and friends. About an hour later, they are on their way for a dinner party.
They sit around. A bunch of 'wise' middle aged men savouring a drink while laughing and joking about the 'incident'.
"May such things keep happening so that our relatives keep remembering us", one of them says. Indeed. Then-- back to playing cards and mundane games. Damn, the tambola board is missing. Kind of dampens the mood of the party.
Next day, life is back to normal again. Take the metro to CP for classes from 6 to 8. Come back, eat, watch some news. Soon the anchor starts on how the blasts and the ongoing US credit crisis have dampened the markets. Curse a bit. Watch some more. The anchor is now talking about those injured in the markets. Yawn. Time to go hit the sack.
And this, apparently is how Delhi has 'bounced back'.
10 comments:
lolzz.. totally true...
thats the way every1 bounces back..!!
nyway..it goes on as a routine..!!
*Yawn...*
"May such things keep happening so that our relatives keep remembering us" *Lolz..!!*
Sigh..pune can never "bounce back" if something like this ever happens/
I don't really know if the bouncing back is for the good or the bad. Life has to move on.. but what is bad is that we tend to forget everything. The investigations go nowhere, the dead are long forgotten, the much hyped compensation packages get stuck in the bureaucratic procedures and after a time, frankly, nobody is bothered.
wrt the previous comment, i don't see any reason why pune should behave any differently. It sure is a slow and lethargic city.. but it still would bounce back
did we 'bounce back' or just quietly accepted the situation? if i were to believe the newspapers, the people who were behind this dastardly act of crime were well educated people getting a kick out of killing people... . so is the world succumbing to such madness? are we doing something about it? am i to even believe police investigations which btw is busy saving its face in other such critical cases that they completely messed up? i think we should start questioning ourselves. our existence seems short lived if we think that we have 'bounced back'. keep this incident as a reminder of the madness that can follow in our well ordered lives. the true meaning of 'bouncing back'is not to push aside problems but to face them.we will truly recover if the growing uncertainty of staying alive and safe is dealt with.
See..Death is something one faces alone no1 stands by u in that moment... be it the people who die in blasts or or on bed...each even as i type some1 is dying but m reading this post and enjoying..not my fault u see...grief is always personal and dont expect this soul less world to be the u are.... just be yourself and thats what matters the most and was for Delhi bouncing..dunno about that but the bouncers do bounce u out if ur a 'stag' in a local pub :P
I think more people die out of other diseases, poverty, etcetera. We hear about these bomb blasts only because it is sudden. Not to forget the TRP surge those idiotic news channels being watched by the idiotic people receive.
However, it is human to condemn these blasts and condole.
I really suspect the BJP and RSS guys behind these blasts..and hey my hunches have a brilliant success rate.
**Bounces**
A Rebel, she B(p)ounced back!
@ vignesh
but from what i have been hearing and listening, this is surprizingly NOT how people have bounced back. Apart from a certain cynical section which was my focal point here. :)
@blueangel
only something similar happening can tell you that. And hopefully you won't be finding out!
@arunabh
thats what i meant to say. there IS no bouncing back. simply a negation of the entire thing. cynicism and bravado are different hopefully! But yeah...surprizingly and amazingly, it seems the good samaritan spirit has taken over the people. the protest marches, passersby going out of their way to help, people standing up to help (or inspite of!) the system- reminds me of the entire Jessica Lal case scenario.
@ishaan
lol. well... hail them bouncers! their brand of bouncing is what ensures fun hen nights! :)
@ yellow iris
as i commented above, seems like people ARE actually tired enough and willing enough to lend a helping hand. Although a mere fortnight is too short a time to really count the merits and demerits. even the authorities at least seem to be cravking the whip. But apparently THAT has not been of much help, taking into consideration YESTERDAY'S bombing.
yeah...seems terrorism has a completely new face, as the media keeps saying. the funny thing is nobody is able to figure that out here BEFORE all this happens. makes you wonder whether you are safe in your country!
@prateek
she is too jobless to have anything better to do. :P
@hummingnerd
i dont agree much with your assessment.
and as for the similarity between people dying due to bomb blasts, poverty and diseases, you take the cake in cynicism here! the only similarity probably is death. with the others you at least have a chance to know and accept whats coming unlike here, where one minute you are shopping or looking forward to meeting your family and the next minute, BOOM! your pieces are flying around. THAT... is more barbaric, or so it seems to me. here someone else seems to be taking the decision for you and punishing you for their madness.
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