It is time to march….to towns!

I am feeling very sad and gloomy. I have watched television for two days intermittently and it was disgusting to watch. I did not read the newspapers on Friday because I knew all newspapers would carry gory details of the fight with terrorists.

I know that all of us have failed somewhere in our duty. The political leaders have failed in compromising our security and we have failed allowing them to have their corrupt way in everything. The caption of an article in ‘The Hindu’ says it all!
I am feeling very helpless now. Is it possible to live a quiet undisturbed life in Mumbai? Certainly not. Shiv Sena had already called for Mumbai Bandh on December 1 to bring all activities to a grinding halt. Thankfully, they have called it off now.

Every year a certain political party organises a public meeting in early December. About a hundred thousand are brought in to attend the meeting. It plays havoc with commuters’ traffic. People leave offices early to avoid delays and disturbance.

The anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition follows. The security is tightened. Every year I fear and so do many others that a bomb may explode anywhere in Mumbai on that day. This year the fear will be at its worst.

Political parties are spreading hatred among Indians; the Government is a silent spectator to it because they do not wish to lose their ‘vote banks’, their reluctance to act emboldens the miscreants.

South Mumbai was considered to be one of the safest places in Mumbai. Partly because the Secretariat of Government of Maharashtra is located there. Now we have realised that it is not a safe place. As a child, I often went there on New Year’s Day and also on the Republic Day. I will be afraid of going there now. I had happy memories of that place, now no longer.

Mumbai is no longer a great place to live in and other metro cities are no better. It is time to march to a town!

Vivek