Indomitable spirit of Mumbaikars

By M H Ahssan & Alex D'souza

Mumbai citizens cannot be blamed for feeling that they are under continuous siege. People stayed up most of Wednesday night and spent Thursday shaken to the core by the ongoing reports of continued assaults. Schools, colleges and many offices were closed, the streets were deserted, the city was almost hiding from itself, it seemed. On Thursday morning, there were signs of life on the streets — buses running, taxis plying — but beneath that calm was a palpable numbness.

All this is completely understandable. The scale of the attack by the terrorists was not only unprecedented but also unimaginable. Terrorists with assault weapons were roaming the streets, shooting people at will in the heart of the city — the nerve centre of the city’s business district. Commuters and passengers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, people around Metro cinema, diners at Leopold Café and the residents and guests at Mumbai’s two most famous luxury hotels — the Oberoi and the Taj — were all victims. This is what we see in all those Bollywood films the city churns out in large numbers; no one thought that fiction would become a horrible fact of life. If Mumbai offers you one freedom more than any other Indian city, it is the freedom to wander around anywhere at anytime, at will and at whim. The terrorists stole this very basic cornerstone of Mumbai life from the citizens.

But after the numbness passes, Mumbai must wake up to realise that this theft of our spirit was only temporary. We cannot allow shameless terrorists to get away with their vile intentions. Mumbai has not been beaten by the bomb blasts of 1993 or the subsequent assaults by man and nature. At each point, the city has risen the next day — true, there is a compulsion too, since everyone must work for a living. But we do know that to succumb to fear will be to give in to what the terrorists want. The scale of this attack is horrendous, that is undeniable. The fact that the fight at the two hotels and at Nariman House continued through Thursday is also horrific. But this fear cannot be our ruling deity.

Here, the government has to do its duty to instil a sense of confidence. This is done in several ways, physical and psychological. Why close down the stock markets — they are a sign of confidence in not only the city but the country itself. Every effort must be made to get back to a normal routine even though we don’t know what “normal” will be any more. Will we now have to look around fearfully when we go to a restaurant? The trauma will not disappear, but we cannot let it weigh us down.

Through all the disasters that have visited Mumbai, the spirit of the Mumbaikar has asserted itself. After the flood of 2005, it was people who helped each other, opening their homes, hearts and bank balances. For all that Mumbai is called apathetic it is in fact a very giving city: it just does not wear its heart on its sleeve. But when the call comes, Mumbaikars rise to the occasion. It is that which we want to see, so that we can all take courage from each other and find that strength and determination to go on. The time has come for Mumbai to put its heart on display again. It is hurting, but it is still beating strong and true.