Mumbai – The Example of Recuperation
Amidst sadness, one happy thing in Mumbai right now is the City is back to normal.
People have taken the train route, attended offices and went to school, since yesterday Morning. CNN IBN and other news media were yelling “The City is up and running”. It was pleasing to hear. Only i had a small question.
I would be hearing “Peedhi” and “Padhattam” on Tamil TVs if such a thing happened here. Most people would have bunked offices, and for the next few days we would have avoided trains. Dont you think ?
Im very certain about a subtle difference in the reaction. Not just Chennai, but any other city. Let me know, if you think otherwise.
Trains being the backbone of Mumbai, alternative transport is something they would not prefer. That could be the main reason for the “I dont care.. bomb blast or whatever.. I gotta go work.” attitude. Thats the spirit. Dont show fear. That’d be defeat. Thats precisely what a terrorist would expect.
Mumbai showed this recuperation in the last year rains. This year rains. And now this. The way public helped the injured and the dead, when RPF and Policemen were supervising (What an Irony !), they deserve an applause.
Salaam Bombay !
Zara Rain me, Zara Train me
Yeh hai Mumbai, mere jaan !
SALUTE TO MUMBAIKARS !
I’m very certain about a subtle difference in the reaction. Not just Chennai, but any other city. Let me know, if you think otherwise.
That’s a good point.
I remember the tsunami panic two years back when lots of people rushed helter skelter on a false rumour, after the actual tsunami had happened.
Also didn’t see so many common people helping the others when the tsunami happened, as seen in Mumbai.
Not sure if the two are comparable, but one gets the feeling Mumbaikars are a more composed and hardy lot.
Excuse me, ppl who sit on a sofa and pre-tell happenings, itz shame to see, all u people yelling and chanting on Mumbaikkars spirit
when the hit tragedy is there to be given more importance ….and its so fuming to see you people discussing that chennai-ites were running helter-skelter during tsunami panic and I would like to have a stats by you …. as you mentioned you witnessed everything… and I do hope any mumbaikkars or delhikkar or for that matter whoevr the hell they are….too would be running like crazy when an 100 feet water is splashing on you and not sitting helping anyone…you would know only fire is lit on your own arse !!!! maintaining a site on chennai and chennai-ites, and writing like this arent a match at all !!
am not against mumbai or any other place…. but evrytime boasting on this seems too silly !! do u know how much our own ppl cared when the tsunami struck the entire state… A friend of mine lost his life saving a kid in Marina Beach. So, Be ultra-careful when u spit ur words here on !!
u talk about all the politicians, terrorists and every other damn man on this earth…but u ppl wont be valuing ur own fellow men….
this is a very sorry state of affairs !!!
Venkat: fair enough. I can feel your anger since you lost someone close to you. Apologies.
i live in madipakkam and every time it rains in chennai, velachery will become flooded and there will be no way out of madipakkam…and i have still come to office…i take a train , take a round about trip…and anything else that i can….y? i dont have a choice..not all of us listen tp “beedhi” on suntv and sit at home….
:)
i remembner during the last year rains, when the adyar river was flooding, my mom called me one day and asked me to rush home for they were saying in *** TV that the saidapet bridge might break down….yes, tv ppl sensationalise it….the bridge is still doing fine
:))
Venkat, I understand what you feel, and the post does not try to tell that Chennai people have a lesser humanity.
Chennai wouldnt rejuvenate as Mumbai has. Period.
Mumbai people helped quickly and sensibly.. They deserve an applause for that. Period.
It is upto you what you interpret from here..
Keerthi,
the only point I wanted to convey was that itz fine to appreciate Mumbaikkars but not to compare and say that ppl of other cities isnt worth or capable enough, as it might hurt few ppl reading. I have lived in both mumbai and chennai and I have witnessed both set of people :-)
Sorry if I have lost my cool in my earlier comments. :-)`
Monu, Mumbai mazhaikku chennai mazhai – uncomparable. But yet, remember one day that we had continuous rain.. remember the day after that ? How many people turned up to office ?
The Learner, :)
Venkat, hope you got my point too. :)
As already pointed out by several other readers, it is completely irrelevant whether TN can get back to normal had such a thing happened.
And since when did “I saw some guys taking a day-off from Office” become the base of the theory “and hence Chennai can’t get back to normalcy”? Seems like Post Hoc to me.
Great that Mumbai got back to normal life. (And they don’t have a choice) It ends there. These extrapolations are absurd.
keerthi,
if mumbai is the epitome of human spirit, people caring for each other blah blah, can u pls explain the general dadaism and other lawlessness in there during normal times?
how do u explain the 1992 riots?
this is not to throw cow dung on mumbaikars..
but this mumbaikar spirit is being stretched too far by the media. i think its merely to massage their feelings and cool them a bit during times like this.
A city of such magnitude with millions of working class people has no option but to be back the next day. Mumbai, for all we know will have more vendors than any other city whose very survival will be a question mark if they dont work for a day.
True chennai wud’ve taken a day more to be back, and a place like coimbatore would take a few more days.
a much smaller town would’ve been devastated for a lot more days…
it all depends on the sheer numbers who live make up the city.
Krithika,
>>And since when did “I saw some guys taking a day-off from Office” become the base of the theory “and hence Chennai can’t get back to normalcy”?
Not what i said.. Gayathri belongs to my office, and i was pointing her the attendance.. its not just Some guys.. It was hardly less than 10% of the total strength. You think thats a Joke or some easy ignorable thing ? And this is not the only so called BASE for a so called theory, which I have not proposed.. where did you get them ?
I’ve been in Mumbai and chennai for the past three years.. mostly when its rainy season at Mumbai. There is a subtle difference in recovery. You can think it is wrong. You can think it is right. But why would you have to think it is irrelevant ?
>>”Trains being the backbone of Mumbai, alternative transport is something they would not prefer. That could be the main reason for the “I dont care.. bomb blast or whatever.. I gotta go work.” attitude.”
Alright !
And what about the media ? Sun TV will still keep telling “Iyalbu Nilai Baadhikkappattadhu”..
You think all this is absurd.. so be it. I wish the same.
Of course the so-called Mumbaikar spirit is being stretched too far as Prabhukarthik put it.Did the media mention anything about delhi returning to normal after those blasts at key shopping destinations?
@keerthivasan,
the municipal administration in mumbai did not take any action when the whole city flooded while that in chennai began working right on the day,to drain floodwater, when it rained heavily.
PK,
>>mumbai is the epitome of human spirit
I wouldnt agree. Mumbai people helped the needed, at right time. Applaud.. Thookki vechhu ellam aadala. It is worth a mention.. Avvlodhaan.
Shek,
One very good point i forgot to mention. I had appreciated Chennai Corp’s initiative during last year rain.. All the trees lying down were taken away, and water stagnation is still an area we have to work out.. Lets see this year.
I doubt the same reaction this year.. Last year, the PWD had to fear JJ who was facing an election.
If its mumbaikars or chennaikars or bangalore “kars” …
If you are not the victim of the disaster you would be continuing to work !!
All that they will do is “Oh sad!!” when they see the news in the TV !!
Tsunami:
All i did was watched TV saw how pathetic things are hoped for the best and left for my work !!
Same with mumbai…. Just that instead of saying this they say they are spirited !!
Am sure every unaffected Indian would be doing this anywhere in the world !!
Even if it was September 11 attack in newyork, you would find indians working the next hour … probably fropm the afternoon till night ..compensating !!
Affected ppl would be crying or searching for what they lost !!
Unfortunately/fortunately that the truth and that what every Indian would do !!
Exactly like the politicians !!