Today we are all Mumbaikars, Tomorrow lets all be Indians

Yesterday was my birthday, and it was one of my first in Kolkata in many years. My friends had planned for a big celebration, a party and lots of fun. But it was a unanimous decision to cancel the celebration by all of us. Simply we didn’t feel like having fun. We didn’t feel like celebrating.

It’s not about me alone or my friends. It’s not about Kolkata also. I got a feeling talking to people around the country how shocked, angry, sympathetic, and lost they are now feeling. In fact for some people, who since long time stopped thinking but only living their lives, they have taken a break too, to think. And that’s the silver lining I saw. It’s an unprecedented event that brought the entire nation together irrespective of their religion, region, caste or creed. And it has brought them together against one big fat enemy – the power sucking politicians. (I was aghast to see Narindra Modi visiting the Trident and making that speech!)

Terrorism is a day to day affair now. It can happen anywhere, at any time. It can affect any one of us now. We are scared. We are skeptical. We are horrified. But we are united too – in pain, in courage, in support, in emotion. We, however, know that terrorism is something that we can fight staying united. We, however, don’t know if we can fight irresponsible and selfish men at power (or seeking to be at power) or trust them with our lives anymore. But it gives me a strange feeling in the corner of my heart, that today, when 1 Billion people stand together as Mumbaikars, tomorrow we can all stand tall as Indians – against terrorism and people who showed they never cared.

Leaving emotions aside, it has now become important that we, as common citizens of India, be more responsible for ourselves and other people around us. We need to be alert, helpful and cooperative. Let’s not wait until the gun is fired at my family, let’s jump when it is aimed at my neighbor too.

Suheil Seth, on a TV Channel, had said something important – “We want to be first world country, but we are third world in mentality”. I am sure he said that out of sheer exasperation. And I share his emotion. However, somehow as I said earlier, I get a feeling, that we have, over the last 61 hours reached our “Chakde India” state. And that’s all first world…