The Magic the Mumbai locals are.

I had been to Mumbai(Bombay) last weekend to meet some of my friends from my grad. I have travelled to this city many times in the past, while going to Nagpur, have travelled in the locals as well. But this time, I wanted to observe people and their bonding with the lifeline of this city: The locals.

So I was observing the people, hearing teh discussion and could see the magic at work here. The young and the old interacting about their lives. I distincly remember a guy, who I think is a junior journo in Mid-Day, showing an expensive watch which he bought for his father, to all who were seated there. An man in his fifties getting up to give his seat to this guy, who must be 26 or so years for this guy was standing for a long time talking to all others. They don't have anything in common except that they travel in a common train. They board on different stations and alight on different stations yet they have so much to share and smile. Listen to their conversation that ranges from Police, government, media, IT, banking, marriages, their families, business.  If you travel for the whole year in the local  and you will enough knowledge of all occupations, food and lifestyle, people etc. under the sun.  

I also got to taste the sweetness of the bond that these people share. Yes, I really tasted it, and it was the sweet that someone started sharing with everyone. I really did not get a chance to catch the reason for his celebration for the crowd in the train. I was standing for a while but got a seat as a man had reached the destination. I now could now be a part of the converstaion that the group was already having. What startled me was  the train three-minutes behind schedule was like "aaj train bahut late chal rahi hai".

I so people standing, holding the bar and having sound sleep. Nothing bothers, neither crowds nor the flow of the crowd moving in and out.

Apart from all this, the way people flow in and out of the train. You cannot make a mistake of  moving against the flow. Storm in to enter, and be ready to move out only in the direction of the platform. But it is fun to travel. 

With what had happened in the last few years in this city, and also recently, the terrorist attacks, no one is worried  about their lives or death. They take life head-on, and that inspires me. Our life is like this journey in the local train. Many come and many go. It has its own beauty  and also its challenges. Just be alert, and know where you should board, and where you should alight. And it also important to know how you go about doing it.

As such I loved every moment I spent there.

Our freedom fighters restored India to Indians, today who will restore Indians to India?

13th July 2011, would  have been the last day in many lives in Mumbai. Some might have lost their breaths, some might have lost their breath, some lost the reason to breathe.  All that happened in Mumbai is not a terrorist attack. It is an incarnation of our ignorance. I believe there would be many such articles, notes, or blogs that might have come from common man like me. But what to do, we keep murmiring about our troubles in comforts of our offices or homes.

Yes, it is true that for a moment my heart skipped a beat, when I heard about the blast. And that was enough for me to realize that how vulnerable we are to death. Mumbai  was up on its feet in no time. But that is not a good reason for the government to do nothing about it. But we all know that government would do nothing, and accept that as infallible truth. But I am dead sure, nothing will change in this country.

Even this date, we know who will win the elections long before the results are declared depending how much money has been rigged in the campaign. Who forms the government, is purely in the hands of the useless politicians, not the common man at all. Have this anytime crossed your mind? For many this would be a realization. So again the sorry state of affairs.

There are many who say that we are having young dynamic leaders, but have you realized they are all heirs to political dynasties of India. We are being fooled all the while and we get fooled. I am not concerned of what is happens, what happened and what will happen in this country. And true enough, if I go to do it, who will feed my family.

So where are we, I will shout today, shout tomorrow and shout the day-after. What about after that? The ground reality always remains. We are in India and we are Indians. Something I should be proud of, but the inverse is happening.
Many who read this will agree to my words. I am not pessimist but  I chose to be realistic. There is no possibility of creating a nation-wide agitation to press our demands. And Oh, Yes: If you are going to cite me the example of Anna Hazare, then please we can all see  the drama that is enacted everyday on TV.  Things will come back to square one in no time.

When I was in college, I had coined a woderful phrase, which I want to use it here again. It was about our freedom struggle  "Our freedom fighters restored India to Indians, today we need each one of us to restore Indians to India" Jai Hind.

The wonder that we are

It was in the church last Sunday, that I was taken aback with the Preachers words. Christ was strong enough to oppose and also be violent (in the strong language he used against the pharisees or the cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem) against the wrong and yet at the same time be humble enough to embrace everyone, the outcast and even the death of a outcast.

Keeping the religion aside, I identfied such situation within us as well. Sometimes it is very dominant and/or  dormant also within us. But we are the same person all the while. But the catch here is  where and when should we be strong or meek.

Many times we are not able to discern what shoul be our right reaction. We blare up when we should not and bury our selves when we should have been revolting. It happens with everyone, and of course I am not an exceptions. It is only when we have our time to give a second thought to the series of events, that we realize that there was always a alternative course of action we had. But it is all gone by then.

So now what? We can't be living like this? A second thought is not as good as the first thought. For there are many things that you can't change.There are some irreversible reactions that you can trigger without your intentions and many times without your knowledge.

A composed mind, could be a solution, but is it possible to be composed enough in the present work culture that we live in. The supersonic speed of this civilization that we always feel that we are falling behind.

And the answer is always YES. We have the wonder within us that often gets untapped. All we require is not to exhaust ourselves in all this pursuit that we think is necessary.  For a while throw all your concerns behind you and take a break, enjoy the breeze, Go for a ride in the country side, spend time with your loved ones, listen to what children say and talk, arrange an outing with old friends. Do this regularly and you will see how you can maintain your composure every time, for your mind is not tired. That is a wonder that we are. Only if we had to come with a manual to operate we would be good, but we have to be our own manual. The wonder within us will bloom only after we are relaxed. Nothing else will change but you will have changed alot, your perspective, your life everything.