Friday, January 9, 2009

Yeh Hain Mumbai "Humari"Jaan


Yeh Hain Mumbai “Humari” Jaan……………..
By :PIA BAKSHI
Hello people,
I really don’t know how many people are going to read this letter from my side to the entire Mumbaikar community.
But, this is a tribute to all the residents of the amazing city of Mumbai post the day that left a mark on us all, the day that, without doubt, is one the most unpleasant unfortunate and unforgettable happenings in our country, the day a pall of gloom descended over the whole of India, the day Mumbai was struck by the 26/11…………….
26th November, popularly known as India’s 9/11, has strummed the brain chords of the people of the entire world, especially our country, our motherland, our India………..
This is a letter thanking all the Mumbaikars for showing camaraderie and a never say die attitude after that disturbing day………..
I remember that I had woken up from a deep slumber when I switched on the TV to tune into FRIENDS. While surfing through the channels, trying to reach my destination, my eyes saw something they certainly weren’t expecting………. I closed my eyes, blinked twice and widely opened them before gluing them to the TV set. And it wasn’t an imagination of two sleepy eyes but the truth. “Aamchi” Mumbai had been targeted mercilessly. The Breaking News flashed in front of my eyes reporting the trouble and pain it had caused. I remember shedding tears as I heard about families who lost their loved ones ,about families of the Martyrs .I still recall the frantic reporters claiming to be the first ones to bring live pictures from the scene. Seeing helicopters hovering and our men in black coming out of them above the beautiful Taj was a sight no one could have ever dreamed of. After a long struggle and a battle between the two forces ,Mumbai was free to breathe; to heave a sigh of relief; to be the city of dreams all over again, though the images of that day have left scars on everybody in India……..
After the horrifying struggle for almost 3-4 days, everybody expected Mumbai to have shaken up…..to be burning under the fire of hatred…..to be urging to take revenge.
But hats off to the Mumbaikars who peacefully settled matters through silent protests, candle marches and integrity instead of communal frenzy and mass killings. Hindus,
Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and people of all other religions came together to raise a voice against this atrocity. Just a month after the attack, Hotel Taj still stands tall and how! The Mumbaikars spirit never dies and people have resumed their old routine of getting up with a smile; reading a newspaper; having a bite; going to the office in the famous local trains; coming back home after a long and tiring day at work but still willing to take the kids to a movie and the wife for a dinner; returning home and sleeping off with dreams of a new day; of a new morning; of the first rays of sunshine and of the speedily recovering “Aamchi” Mumbai.
This sounds like a day in the life of any ordinary person. But mind you, Mumbaikars are not ordinary people, they are a group of extraordinary people with an extraordinary approach to life and an extraordinary vision………..
From being the epicenter of Fashion to being the house of our favourite stars; From giving us our Bollywood to giving us our stars; From teaching us how to live to teaching us how to integrate, “Aamchi” Mumbai has won our hearts again. The people of an area determine the fate of that place, therefore more than the place, the accolades are sent in the way of you all who possess the enthusiasm and love and warmth and happiness that we all wish to imbibe.
I am a resident of Chandigarh, a student of class 9th, and have never been to Mumbai in my 14 years of existence but you all know what, your plight has affected people not only near to your residential home but people from as far away places as Punjab. I am not a Mumbaikar, at least technically, but I am working towards being a Mumbaikar at heart. After all-‘Yeh Hain Mumbai “Humari” Jaan’ ........................
Yours truly; your friend and ,undeniably, your Punjabi Mumbaikar-
Pia.................

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well said - I believe if more 'people' feel the pain of / for others - it shall definitely eradicate feeling of hatred towards others and make the world a better place to live - in any case "you only live once" so live peacefully and do acts which shall further the humanitarian cause. There is already enough suffering in this world and we should unite and make an attempt to make life happy for them rather than adding to the number of people suffering. We really need an everprevailing "Mumbaikar Spirit"