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Never scared to be petrified

Rahul Bose - June 20, 2008

One of the giddying changes in a new India is that we now live in an age where the newsworthiness of an event lasts hours or days at the most. By that yardstick writing about the Maharashtrian Navnirman Sena’s agitation in February is a definite no-no. This article has had to wait this long as distance is the only way to separate the hysterical media coverage of the actual disturbances with the larger, more disquieting aspect of those ten days. The aspect of what a difference there is from the perception of Bombay (yes, I choose to call the city, Bombay, and if it appears as Mumbai in this article it is purely the choice of the editors of this site) to the reality about it.

In all the juvenile, lopsided, sensation-mongering television media coverage (each and every news television channel disgraced itself) of the ‘event’, three facets went without almost any discussion. The first facet is to do with the mythicised, so-called ‘resilience of the proud Mumbaikar”. We heard so much about it during the train blasts of July, 2006. Yet, when I went onto the trains the next day and did a story what emerged were not heroic Bombayites putting on their Superhero cloaks and striding onto the local trains with a collective spirit of never-say-die, but wary mothers putting their children onto trains because there was no other way to send them to school, women jumping into the Ladies’ because missing work meant losing precious leave, men rushing to catch the 7.10 because they had salaries to earn, families to feed. All of them, without exception said – “What else can we do?”

More significantly, they also expressed the feeling that the city should not give in to terror tactics, with some going so far as to say such terrorism would never work in Bombay as Bombayites did not scare so easily. Impressive, but an absolute untruth. We Bombayites are amongst the most cowardly citizens of this country. Here’s why. Our courage was manifest during the bomb blasts because the enemy was nameless, faceless, some perpetrators of ‘international terrorism’. We leapt to speak with indignance, defiance, even patriotism, in the aftermath of 26/7. Where were we this time?

Which one of our citizens, our high-octane celebrities, our media-savvy politicians spoke out with indignance, defiance, patriotism? Not one, with the exception of Kumar Ketkar who tersely called the disturbances, and I paraphrase, a transparent stunt to get political mileage. (How he has been targeted months after over the Shivaji statue issue is a matter for another article.) Why didn’t we speak out? Welcome to the psychology of the coward who loudly abuses the bully only once he has disappeared around the corner of the street.

Never will a Bombayite stand up to an enemy who will remember your name and your face. We cowered in the confines of our houses when Muslims were being eliminated by a conspiracy between right-wing Hindu political forces and saffronised members of the Bombay police in 1993. We turned our backs and ran home when Dalits and right-wing Hindus clashed last year (another example of gleeful, misrepresentative television reporting), and have done so again. Because we are scared of any enemy that is known, that is local.

But why blame only us when our politicians have let us down time and time again, displaying such cowardice that night after night on television we winced to see the embarrassment and shame on the faces of senior police officials who were left with the blame of inaction last month?

The other equally, if not more, sad conclusion one can draw about this city and its citizens is that when it comes to controlling political battles on our streets we have no confidence in the police. Whenever a top-ranked police official in any major metropolis seeks to calm the fears of its citizenry with hard facts only to achieve next to nothing, it simply means people have no faith in his juniors on the ground. Joint Commissioner of the Mumbai Police, Prasad appeared on television assuring Bombayites that incidents of stone-throwing and taxi- breaking were isolated and ridiculously small in number. Yet all of us in Tardeo (where no violence was reported) shut shop and ran home. Not to mention, Andheri, Worli, even Altamount Road! Because we remember reports of police inaction we have read. Because we remember the findings made by Justice Srikrishna in his commission’s report on the communal role of some Hindu policemen during the 1992-3 riots. Because we remember constable Sunil More raping a teenage girl in broad daylight at the Marine Drive police chowky.

Yes it’s confirmed. Bombay has entered the vicious cycle of a citizenry at constant loggerheads with its protectors. Lastly there is the media-concocted myth of the famous ‘fabric of Bombay’. What fabric? The fabric that has been routinely torn to shreds by riots from, to cite only recent history, the post-partition carnage to the riots in the 1960s to the riots in the 80s to the riots in 1993 to now? What fabric? If there has been any fabric I have certainly not witnessed it in my 37 years here. Ours is a city that lives together out of one-half sheer convenience and one-half sheer selfishness.

What you will hear from most people in this city is – Jab mein kuch banoonga to mein thela bechke hotel banaoonga. Jab mein kuch banoonga to Bandra mein do BHK khareedoonga. Jab mein kuch banoonga to us director ki ma ch___ne wala hoon. Jab mein kuch banoonga. One day when I make it, I will. That’s what binds this city together. That’s all. Sure, within it you will find a million kindnesses, a million creative solutions, a million things that work miraculously better than any city on earth. But none of it from any encouragement from our politicians, our institutions or our collective spirit. There would be no point of this article if I felt there was no hope. There is. But for that first we will have to say – Yes, I am a coward. Yes, I am selfish. Yes, I have no hope from our politicians. But I have not broken any law. I have not harmed anyone. Then why am I scared? If everybody else is willing, I am prepared to take a stand against bullies. I am willing to stand up to that man with a rod in his hand. I will not back down. I will not feel fear.

How much more will you take, Bombay? This is one of the last chances we have. It’s now or never.

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Posted by Rahul Bose at June 20, 2008 10:04 AM

Comments

Did we all ever wonder who it is that is keeping us all divided arguing our fictions as truth?

Who is it that likes to throw those labels around creating an environment of separation?

Who benefits from the chaos and conflict?

If we all could unify and focus your energies we could overcome our masters. The elite members of our own society sold out to them long ago and adopted the system and were rewarded.

A long time ago some of the slaves realized that if they could get the other slaves to behave and conform the masters would toss them extra table scraps.

The people of India are being played; still a country of indentured servitude just like most all the other countries. This master, is now, not a member of any nation state, it has no allegiance or loyalty to any country, only to it's self.

I wonder if the people of India are like the people of the United States thinking they “won” their freedom, they won change, but not freedom.

No, it is more like there was a backroom agreement to purchase your freedom and if we do the math we see that because of the interest we could never pay it off and thus never obtain freedom, they simply created the appearance of freedom for economic reasons, but look around does it seem like everyone is really free, try ignoring that alarm clock.

One would expect everyone there to be participating in the global revolution as we bring an end to the ego empire and slay the beast of ignorance.

But to end on a positive note we must give them credit for converting to a somewhat humanitarian form of slavery that isn't so terrible for most yet it is really bad for some because someone must get the short end of the stick.

They won't be able to maintain the illusion much longer as we can see reality is setting in; the current systems are doomed to fail because they create an imbalance that is never corrected and is only hidden till it can be hidden no more.

1. Posted by Richard Thomas ∞Φ on June 20, 2008 02:47 PM

"Which one of our citizens, our high-octane celebrities, our media-savvy politicians spoke out with indignance, defiance, patriotism?"

I have often wondered about this - given, that Bombay has amongst others, bollywood stars, some of whom are like demi gods. If they take a stand, Bombay will surely listen. I have never heard of any of them taken a stand, a public stand, towards anything to do with their city or their country..barring Preity Zinta who if I remember right did take a stand against the underworld and also did take part in a clean Bombay drive...

Where are all of them ? And why do they keep quiet ? Against political unrest, civic problems that are huge in Mumbai...? It baffles me..

2. Posted by Nandita K Baig on June 21, 2008 01:08 AM

"..so-called ‘resilience of the proud Mumbaikar”.

After your bold statemnt about standing by Bombay, why Mumbaikar?

"Our courage was manifest during the bomb blasts.......... Where were we this time?"

My experience is totally different. I have long given up on the TV media for news analysis so am not familiat with how they handled it. However, as far as almost every newspaper I read is concerned, without exception they spoke out and came out very strongly against what the MNS was upto. In almost every drawing room, coffee shop, club or social gathering that I was witness to, (in Mumbai and elsewhere)I found this subject was discussed threadbare and barring one single individual I did not hear another voice in support of what was happening and the way it was handled. So though I am not a Mumbaikar, I think they do not deserve this criticism.

I agree completely with what Nandita has to say, I would go a step further, it was more the ordinary Mumbaikar and not the celebrities who came out stridently even now. Being one of the few who does normally take a stand, I do hope Rahul you could provide an answer to Nandita's questions.

I think it is worthwhile quoting from your last article on the train interviews and the march to Gandhi's statue which will further enforce her opinions.

"Unlike what will be reported later on the news channels, the majority of marchers are not from either the film or the theatre fraternity. They are ordinary citizens of Bombay moved by the intent of the march. I speak to a few of them. Why are they here? Overwhelmingly, without a single exception, they say they are here because they really want to do something but don’t know what to do. They saw the pictures on television and wanted to help in any way but they don’t know where to go."

This is not the behaviour of people who are so called resilient, please don't belittle them.

Regards
Dara

3. Posted by Dara on June 21, 2008 07:39 AM

"...wary mothers putting their children onto trains because there was no other way to send them to school, women jumping into the Ladies’ because missing work meant losing precious leave, men rushing to catch the 7.10 because they had salaries to earn, families to feed. All of them, without exception said – “What else can we do?”..."

Rahul, this sounds like the way New Yorkers show their toughness -- they carry on under difficulties, when others might not. If they're not political in their words or surface attitudes, they are in their actions. Continuing to function when challenges are staring one in the face is an expression of strength and independent thought. Conserving energy to do, rather than talk, allows one to continue to do for a longer period of time, as well.

4. Posted by heath on June 21, 2008 04:46 PM

Hi,

very well said rahul and good to read multifocused post(thoughts). I hope u have same concerns on Madras and Banglore as U have on Bombay and I hope that u love Bharat or Hundustan more than India..... anyway

A film is a petrified fountain of thought and you can present this on the screen too.

It might not be the issue whether we take "BOMBAY" or not... instead of that what we must do to decrease the ratio n intensity of "Indians hate Indians" psychology

Media.. oh man, I feel sad... it is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses. The biases the media has are much bigger than conservative or liberal. They're about getting ratings, about making money, about doing stories that are easy to cover.

Don't mind but... as u said, at couple of places your article doesn't make any sense and I agree with what (comment No.4) said.

Loyalty to petrified opinion never broke a chain or freed a human soul.

I believe that things get better when we come with some solutions instead of more question and there are always difference of opinions on the solutions......... things gets better as time changes..

5. Posted by Nilesh Gore on June 22, 2008 05:13 AM

It seems to me that this is where ethics and personal responsibility really are meaningful concepts. Integrity is a personal matter. It has nothing to do with the news. At some level the news media, politicians, and media stars of various sorts can twist and use any event to further whatever agendas they posses. It is becoming blatantly clear, the world over, that institutions of mass consumption and government at all levels have no ethical base and therefore no solutions to bring to any problem. All we really have to relay on is ourselves and how our interactions with other people.

6. Posted by Vivi on June 22, 2008 02:16 PM

This is ur second blog I am reading, and m glad to see that brains can co-exists with brawns even in filmi duniya!

Kudos Buddy! Keep it up! Shall expect a revert from you and if possible email interactions! ;)

7. Posted by Global Villager on June 23, 2008 03:42 AM

Hey there!

I know it's too late to comment on something this old. Yet decided to say something. Maybe someone will still see it maybe they won't - just had to say something - perhaps just for my own benefit.

It is amusing to hear you speak of the "giddying changes in a new India". Any physiological alteration of the brain that I have evidenced in the collective Indian psyche is their mind-numbing patience and complacence. Not to be confused with "giddiness" at any time!

I read through the entire blog and found the only sentence with some amount of truth and accuracy to be - "we .........are among the most cowardly citizens........" except I think that is true of citizens anywhere, everywhere - the human population is motivated by fear and more blatantly, cowardice. Need for maintaining a livelihood overcomes Patriotism and Jingoism, every time - with good reason.
Yet you are incensed by it! - a man of your understanding!
Even so, some emotion is better than no emotion at all.
Ditto for the last few sentences of your quote "Yes, I am a coward............
You say "I will not back down....I will not feel fear.........." and then SILENCE
Where do you go from here??? Just wondering!!!

8. Posted by toriare on July 15, 2008 12:04 PM

Hey there!

I know it's too late to comment on something this old. Yet decided to say something. Maybe someone will still see it maybe they won't - just had to say something - perhaps just for my own benefit.

Tori Roy

9. Posted by toriare on July 15, 2008 01:27 PM

Dear Rahul, the article itself have fine rhythm. well, the issue it points out also has its very own importance. And this is relevant too for the period of time. still,lets think...the ongoing situation has anything beyond the time permits? don't you think it is an irresistable process of a worldy life? When there is a time of peace then there should be a time of neutralisation and then violence.As human being is irrational, at times too emotional,sentimental, cruel...which shoes suit us. we need to wear.at the time of fluctuation and insurgency, writers can write, thinkers can think...and somebody can face the life.this is the harmony...

10. Posted by Aanandita on July 30, 2008 04:02 AM

Hi Rahul,
How is one supposed to express dissent?? Sure, I am a coward (almost everyone that is part of a large democracy is.. simply because its the path of least resistance) but, I am not sure that the internet is exactly the medium that would reach even 40% of the population, which matters.. the grassroots i.e :) So, how is one to propagate the collective spirit? I am asking for your thoughts on alternatives.. in principle you dont seem too off the mark with your opinion on this issue.

I think its easy to feel the weight of negative thoughts and energy.. maybe 90% of the world is with you but you never knew it because they are not online?? How can a common citizen rock up to a news paper reporter and say "here is what I think"..

Maybe "our" efforts are best spent creating the collective spirit since as you put it, there IS hope!

11. Posted by karmandghia on August 4, 2008 10:44 PM

"yes, I choose to call the city, Bombay, and if it appears as Mumbai in this article it is purely the choice of the editors of this site"--that's something and that's what I do too.

12. Posted by Shweta Modgil on September 22, 2008 02:57 AM

'I' have never stayed in Bombay...but 'I' understand. 'I' have not been subject to the kashmiri turmoil...but 'I'

empathise. 'I' have not been a victim to the bomb blasts...but 'I' feel the heat. Who am 'I' ? An Indian, someone

who can go all the way to US to get a degree just because everyone around is doing that, but not do something that

comes from his heart because it is the "road-less-travelled". We live by numbers-what the majority is doing - is

right ! When the majority is against you - stay quiet ! And when the majority is indifferent to a small but

significantly active mob (read between the lines) - mute your words too ! As much as I agree with you that people

elicit open hatred against the terrorists but not the MNS, isnt it always the case ? One is always more scared of

the local crook in their tinsel town than the serial killer of LA ?

But the point is not that, the point is that what do people like us, who chose not to turn a deaf ear do ? We hear

. And is that it ? Yes, sad but true.We hear, we discuss(with the like-minded),some even write blogs and the likes

and the story ends there. I 'might' have a few disturbing nights and a few 'i wish i could do something' days but

all this gets lost in the pace of "my" life....the egocentric me moves on....and my concerns....remain concerns.

And why am I posting all this to you ? Because you have a page to yourself in Wikipedia, you are more known than I am, so more capable of getting yourself heard, of taking some concrete action, of generating a mass movement.

Bullshit ! I am writing because even inspite of all the above, you are as helpless as I am.Because even you dont

know what to do.Because we all fear the "road-less-travelled". What exactly does one do ? Slap the activist who

throws a stone at you, or put the other cheek forward ?? And what about the person whos reading all this in

newspaper, sitting 200 kms away ?? Just like college exams when you dont touch your books till your ass is on fire, nothing is going to happen here too....either the issue will die with time or we will die in its tide....

13. Posted by benu on September 28, 2008 05:24 AM

Hi,
Would you like to experience the thrill of being out in the open sea with only the wind as your ally, and a fickle one at that, and a rudder to steer your vessel. Then welcome to the world of sailing.

I am Hussain Bhavnagarwala a national level sailor. I, along with others like me, have represented India at various International and Asian sailing event. Kindly read my article published in today’s Hindu NXG sports column the link for which is http://www.go-nxg.com/?p=5330.

I would like to extend an invitation to come sailing in Chennai.

14. Posted by Hussain on July 30, 2009 08:19 AM

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