We mustn't abandon our Native Heritage;at any cost!

Everyone will rush to tell you why the Government of Maharashtra (GOM) mustn’t build a Rupees 350 Crore monument of Maharaj Chhatrapati Shivaji larger than the Statue of Liberty near Bombay’s coastline. I am here to tell you why it’s a good thing.

First off, don’t call this just any monument! It’s going to be larger than the Statue of Liberty in New York City! Doesn’t that count for our greatness? The Statue of liberty will look so small in from of the monument of our Maharaj! What better way to show the world that we can do what America does, but better! This will have a lift to go up to the top, a revolving restaurant and a museum with artifacts of the emperor what more can you ask for! Does the Statue of Liberty have any of this?

Then of course the fact that we need as a city to grow to its destined greatness a gigantic and great monument of a great person! Let’s be honest, all the monuments or landmarks we have today are so badly maintained and/or damaged! Who wants to see those eyesores? We need something new!

These are stand-alone reasons to build it. What the many people will say is that we have so many social and civic problems that plague our city and state. The drought-hit areas are severely crippled. But they don’t understand the issue! First of all, the BMC is already spending several lacs of the taxpayer’s money for cloud seeding. So rain is imminent, and more over how can you say there is a rain shortage, when city wide basic services are being shut down because of water logging? Please get your facts right.

The social problems are primarily because citizen lack a guide in their life… This monument will be that guiding light. Just like “Lady Liberty” guides Americans our monument will guide us in following his ideals. Just renaming a vital train station, or our International Airport or having tiny insignificant statues all over the city is not sufficient to commemorate the ideals of a great human being. This one will be an equestrian statue, the way we have come to look up at him.

I have also heard many otherwise rational people saying- in times of recession should we really splurge on a monument?. The Indian Government has said that public servants shouldn't travel in business class, or live in 5 star hotels. So its not like they don’t want to save money. Moreover, its not like we will not be able to make anything from spending 350 crores, it will boost tourism significantly. At a time when tourists are low in number thanks to 26/11, this will help them comeback. The much written about and filmed slums that our tourists see as they land in the Bombay, and this magnificent statue will serve as a honey-pot.

So are they ignoring the apparent poor state of our public offices, the measly salaries of our hardworking (and in certain need of raises) public servants? Are they ignoring the so-called dilapidated education system, or schools, or hospitals? Are they turning a blind eye to poor maintenance of the roads, or poor quality of material being used? Or is it not bothered about the jam-packed trains? The answer is a big firm NO. Those are beside the point!

Nov. 26th Bombay, Among other things....

As soon as I turned on TV in the early night on the 26th and witnessed lunacy at its best- the indiscriminate gunfire in South Bombay, surprise and shock gripped me. I wasn't sure that the Local cops would be able to contain them immediately, but never did I expect it to turn the way we have witnessed all of Nov. 27th 2008.

After texting my friends about the news, i turned in early on the 26th. Woke up early next morning, only to find-the Taj mahal hotel set abaze, and a terrorist situation. Like i am sure you have heard the news channels say, things turned very fast. A lot of policemen were killed including ATS chief, ACP Mumbai and an experienced Encounter Specialist. I don't know them personally, but instant sorrow and grief swept over me.I have found that as soon as you put a face and name to any one among the hundred anonymous victims, a deep sense of sadness fills me.

I was among the relatively fortunate who saw this terrorist situation develop rapidly into a hostage situation  from my home, and not on the streets of South Bombay, or inside those buildings. The news channels albeit doing their best not to perform their tacit responsibility of SENSATIONALIZING the news, were not entirely helpful. They kept repeating what we knew, and showed that they did little to find out more. CNN an American news channel, was the only one I could find who went online to get information. Which was giving more information than the hordes of journalists at ground zero. When i went online myself to find out about the "DECCAN Mujahideen"(seemed so much of a made up name), i found out on Wikipedia a few lines. There was more information about the events that took place last night on the internet(Wikipedia, BBC,word press) than on the news channels.

Our media sadly were found digging for new treasure on an already explored island. The most silliest of questions were posed to a survivor, and the DG of police. One good thing was they were flashing helpline numbers and were calling out for donation of blood. I am unaware of the response people got on those helpline numbers.

While I saw no pattern emerge from the series of events, there were news channels saying it was an attack on Westerners. But in that case CAMA hospital, VT station, Vile Parle all just dont add up. If it was to create confusion, they have not created CONFUSION. And as suggest to me by my friend over the phone, i don't think its just a gang of people with an aim to take lives. They would have killed everyone by now. The mind of a lunatic cannot be understood to have motives, i agree, but surely there must be some reason, even if it is changing from time to time, and pointless.

Our beloved political parties, with their hordes and hordes of activists maintained a conspicuous silence given their proclaimed love for this state and its aboriginals. There is so much they could have done. I don't mean fight the terrorists(although when they start protesting and disrupting daily lives for their leader, they have a countenance that betrays invincibility), but things like getting on the streets, and moving people from crowded hospital to one which isn't as busy. Move victims who make it out to safe locations. Find out about the people inside, and make sure their relatives know.
Patrol the streets of Bombay, and see if they can identify any disruptive acts. There is so much they could have done if they really felt for this city they way they claim. But that i guess, is expecting way too much. Where would the head honchos be able to create their own disruptiveness by helping the city. Even the city's MoS and MLa's presence does nothing really; Apart from wasting the time of the security forces, by getting an explanation of the situation, and doing nothing with it. They and global leaders did what they can do best...Condemn.

The NSG, RAF, Navy and police appear to be doing all they can. It must be a difficult job to identify among innocent hostages -the bad guys, and take them out. While I will salute their bravery and courage, and patience, it is what they have been trained for. They are doing their JOB. ANY LESS would be unacceptable. It is good news that they have managed to capture one of the terrorists and ascertain their identity.

There is no doubt that Bombay is playing host to a deadly situation, but certainly a lot is left to be desired for. I would like to convey my condolences to all those people who have lost dear ones in this battle, hope that the hostages return unharmed, and the perpetrators are massacred unceremoniously in public.