Three weeks have gone by since the Mumbai attacks and we are nearly back to where we started. My younger son flashes his plastic AK-56 gun shooting down terrorists hiding in my bathroom while my older one chases their silver skoda in his radio controlled formula one Ferrari. Things have changed so much and yet so little. Restaurants are still unable to pick up demand. A Sahara Star buffet, usually full any day of the week, had two customers last week, Dnyanada and I. I couldn't help but derive some dry humor from this situation as I told the waiter as he dropped off the bread basket on our table: " So, we had to have a terrorist attack for you to get the bread basket before deserts". All New years events are curtailed or canceled. Eid celebrations are subdued or canceled. Most hotels are posting a sarcastic 'terror special' rate on their lodging facilities to attract customers. Sad as it sounds, it has been the inevitable reality for Mumbai, a city still reeling under the impact of the attacks.
Shamefully enough, the government and the media decided to move on. The media that was drying up with news on the attacks and had a savior in the bye-elections in a few states. Their creative juices started flowing in overdrive as they capitalized on some upset victories & defeats in those elections. The media floated pledges of honor and the cliche 'We will not forget' mantras which have now all dissipated into thin air. The same media that was airing public anger towards politicians have quickly turned around and are legitimizing their elections.
Whats worse is the politicians. With much pomp and valor, Sonia Gandhi with repeated missed swings of her blunt sword rolled the head of the always unnecessarily smiling stupid face deshmoorkh and brought in the savior Ashok Chavan, The minute he landed in Mumbai, the new CM had started speculating which 'Patil, Pawar or Kolte' he had to name in his cabinet. The same old story of caste and community politics unfolded right in front of our eyes. But, that was not the killer. The best part was Sharad Pawar reinstating Chagan Bhujbal as the deputy CM. With his hands still smelling of the stink of the telgi stamp paper scam for which he was disposed, he seems to be the best option that NCP has. The central government is no different. They had to put an intelligent man in the saddle of homeland security. One that comes up and says that he answered the call of duty in accepting his position otherwise he preferred calculators to carbines and guns.
These guys have learnt nothing. If anything, they have realized how weak we are. How we seem to have resigned to the fact that the same old political process would go on and that we would accept it eventually. Somehow, we have to find a way to remind them that of all people we haven't forgotten.
Ive realized that Bombay will probably never be the same again. I took a detour to south mumbai the other day and realized the reality of the attacks. That it wasn't some made for tv show that everyone watched for 60 hours. I realized that the attacks were all very real and those that lost their lives were also very very real.
Never forget
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