Here are two moving and heart-warming write-ups I came across during the past two days following Mumbai (India) killer explosions.
These ‘letters’ deserve our attention for the simple reason that they are so different from the cries emerging thousands of miles away wanting ‘vendetta’, ‘eye for an eye’, etc, from people (including bloggers) who claim they are the most ‘sane and civilized’ persons.
The link to the first ‘letter’ was sent by Joe Gandelman. That was an email from a young American woman, Caitlin, caught in the chaos in Mumbai (earlier known as Bombay) immediately after the blasts in the trains.
The second is an ‘open letter’ to terrorists sent by a friend who lives in both Mumbai and Delhi. She, Namrata Bansal, works as a Senior Executive with India’s leading business company. Here is the letter:
“OPEN LETTER TO TERRORISTS”
“Dear Terrorist,
Even if you are not reading this we don’t care. Time and again you
tried to disturb us and disrupt our life – killing innocent civilians by planting bombs in trains, buses and cars.
“You have tried hard to bring death and destruction, cause panic and fear and create communal disharmony but everytime you were disgustingly unsuccessful.
“Do you know how we pass our life in Mumbai? How much it takes for us to earn that single rupee? If you wanted to give us a shock then we are sorry to say that you failed miserably in your ulterior motives.
“Better look elsewere, not here. We are not Hindus and Muslims or Gujaratis and Marathis or Punjabis and Bengaliies. Nor do we distinguish ourselves as owners or workers, govt. employees or private employees.
“WE ARE MUMBAIKERS (Bombay-ites, if you like). We will not allow you to disrupt our life like this. On the last few occassions when you struck (including the 7 deadly blasts in a single day killing over 250 people and injuring 500+ in 1993), we went to work next day in full strength.
“This time we cleared everything within a few hours and were back to normal – the vendors placing their next order, businessmen finalizing the next deals and the office workers rushing to catch the next train. (Yes the same train you targetted).
“Fathom this: Within 3 hours of the blasts, long queues of blood donating volunteers were seen outside various hospital, where most of the injured were admitted. By 12 midnight, the hospital had to issue a notification that blood banks were full and they didn’t require any more blood.
“The next day, attendance at schools and office was close to 100%, trains & buses were packed to the brim, the crowds were back. The city has simply dusted itself off and moved one – perhaps with greater vigour. We are Mumbaikers and we live like brothers in times like this.
“So, do not dare to threaten us with your crackers. The spirit of Mumbai is very strong and can not be harmed. Please forward this to others. U never know, by chance it may come to hands of a terrorist in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq and he can then read this message which is specially meant for him!!!
“With Love,
“From the people of Mumbai (Bombay)”
Interesting, that these two letters should come from two young women, one American and the other Indian (both probably in their Twenties) living or visiting Mumbai when the mighty explosions shook the cosmopolitan and financial hub of India.
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.