2005-08-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

I know its a bit late. Almost everyone who matters and who don't have put in their comments on what happened to Mumbai and how the great spirit of the denizens saw the city through.
Well I would like to disagree. For once we have to stop the crap about the spirit. Which spirit are we talking about. The ordinary middle class resident of the city! Well they have no other choice but to help themselves and to help others of their kind. And that's not so unique to Bombay err...Mumbai.
Infact coming from a small city I know very well that Mumbaites don't have time to even try and find out who's their neighbour. Smaller cities are much more sensitive. And neighbours are and extended family. Mumbai has always been preferred because its the financial capital and the place which gives u opportunities and avenues to grow.

But just give this a thought. While the same citizens of the great city were battling the rains and the deluge it brought with it there were others from the same fraternity who were more concerned about how to divert the flood relief to their respective coffers. As if the relief came so late.

Did we hear people blame the government? But why? You blame somebody when you expect something. Did we still expect the govt. to deliver. And worse of all the indomitable Home Minister was still more interested in the Dance Bar bill instead of relief measures.

With housing getting out of reach of people, with roads getting congested, with trains overflowing with humanity and to compound everything the daily inflow of people into the city who come with dreams; dreams of making big in a city where infrastructure is crumbling.

How long can we take it. Is it not said that the quality of life in neighbouring Pune or for that matter Bangalore or Delhi is much better. Are we destined to live this life where an ordinary citizen spends 3-4 hours a day only on travelling. Where a 400sq.ft pigeon hole is supposed to be a lot of space to live.

Wake up dear Bombaites. You make the country financially strong. For once go out on the road and demand for your rights or this city which is on the verge of dying would be dead before anyone of us realises.

Yours
One ordinary Bombayite

Mumbai is Dead