MUMBAI UNBREAKABLE - `ARE YOU SITTING ON A BOMB?'

Being one of the millions of people that take the Mumbai train daily and experiencing the campaigns that are being curenlty run after the bomb attacks of July in several paralell train stations, I found the following two articles quite interesting to share. They describe the campaigns to foster security, as well the gereal feeling of the Mumbaikars ...

'Spare a minute, it is worth many lifetimes'.

'You are not stupid, if you look under your seat!'

'Don't let terrorism travel on this train' and 'Mumbai is Unbreakable.'

These head- turning statements are part of an advertisement campaign being run by the city police and the Railway police, to create awareness post 7/11. Self-sticking banners carrying these statements have been put up across stations and trains. Soon after the blasts, an advertisement campaign, which appealed to the conscience of the terrorists, appeared in the vernacular newspapers, put in there by a socially conscious individual. Campaigns of this nature have definitely made the commuters more sensitive and vigilant. They need to realise that terror has become part of their daily lives.

Deana Francis, 26, a market analyst at an international investment consultancy firm in Central Mumbai, is usually the cheerleader in the ladies first-class compartment of the 9:52 Churchgate fast local.

Amiable and cheerful by nature, Deana exemplifies her bunch of `go-getter' girls from similar professions and backgrounds. But she wasn't exactly feeling great at that moment. Scouting beneath her seat and reassuring herself that no "unaccompanied baggage" was lying perilously, ticking for the right moment to go ka-boom, Deana began speaking her worst fears to friend and co-commuter Shreya, a company executive.
"It's Tuesday — and I have an inkling, something will go terribly wrong today... Remember, last Tuesday we had the suburban rail blasts, and the same day the week before, torrential rain flooded a good part of my groundfloor apartment. I foresee terrible happenings this week," she said with a shudder.

FEAR ON THE MOVE

Mumbaikars appear to be in the grip of fear, even paranoia, following the Mumbai rail blasts and a spate of other unfortunate events. The smiles and seeming confidence belie the apprehensions and bruises deep within. And all that insecurity is revealed, more starkly than usual, when they are alone or on the move.
The lifeline of Mumbai, the suburban railway aptly mirrors the sentiment of Mumbaikars. On a buoyant and spirited day, the local trains reverberate with raunchy and boisterous comments, peals of laughter, war cries and the choicest expletives uttered sometimes with reason, and many times without. From the no-nonsense executives to the `wired' yuppies (always hooked to mobile phones or MP3 players), flashy college-goers, simple folk, crooks and card players, et al. Local trains give you a cross-section of Mumbaikars, representing all and sundry of this great city. Any impact on Mumbai will directly reflect on the lakhs of commuters criss-crossing the bustling metro.

`ARE YOU SITTING ON A BOMB?'

Thirty-two-year-old Rajesh Mundhra, marketing manager of an FMCG company, is a typical Mumbaikar. Emptying a ghutka packet into his mouth, Rajesh tells his pal, Susheel Biyani, a businessman, "Susheel, yaar, zara seat ke neeche dekho. Koi kuch chod toh nahi gaya." (Please check under the seat to ensure no one has left any packet).

Rajesh, till recently a happy-go-lucky youngster who preferred the "comfort" and thrill of footboard travel, now says sombrely, "You know, many people died in the blast because they were standing near the doorway. Many were thrown out under the impact." He also makes it a point to look under the seat that he occupies.

A LITTLE PRAYER... AND TOLERANCE

"Very few people joined us for our Amrita Vani (bhajan) sessions before the blasts. Now we even have college-goers joining us," says Bapu Doshi, businessman.
Fights, arguments and brawls, a common occurrence in the general compartments, seem to have reduced considerably after the blasts. "People have mellowed quite a lot. They have become more tolerant after the blasts," says Kamran Alam, a computer professional. The case, however, is a bit different in the ladies' compartments. "The ladies these days are hysterical and rude. At the slightest provocation, they lash out, shouting insults and threats. This is more when there are reports of bomb threats or hoax calls," says Shailaja Sadanand, lecturer in a Mumbai college.

YOU ARE WATCHED

If you are carrying a heavy bag, you will very likely be stopped and frisked by cops at major railway stations. Courier boys and marketing professionals are among the worst affected. "We are being harassed by policemen. They ask us to open our bags and even frisk us bodily," says Shantanu, a local courier boy. The sight of gun toting cops, sniffer dogs and other crime-busting paraphernalia is depressing to most Mumbaikars. "It is not making us feel safe. On the other hand, it is reminding us of the past horrors," says Kavita Waghmare, an Income Tax employee.

MUMBAI SPIRIT?

"Everyone (read media) speaks about the `unbreakable spirit' of Mumbai. It is not this undying spirit that gets Mumbaikars back on their feet the very next day. It is helplessness; they have to go back to work without caring for their own safety and slog day in and day out," says Deepak Parekh, a broker in the diamond trade.
Indomitable spirit or helplessness, this city will go on... and on. Benumbing its wounds, it will walk tall, setting examples and showing the way for the country's other `growing' cities.

More reason why they say `Salaam Mumbai'.