TELEVISTA
Mumbai will bounce back
Amita Malik

NOTHING is more pleasing to a TV watcher than, in the middle of all the big news, to see ordinary people going about their ordinary jobs. It gives one a feeling of security as we, in turn, lead our daily lives. At the other extreme, nothing is more shattering than to see violence erupting on the screen and, worse, shattering ordinary lives. While the netas, who started it all, sit in the comfort of their homes or offices, inciting violence, it is the ordinary citizen who bears the brunt of that incitement as we watchers look on in horror.

Nothing could have been more disturbing and worrying for us than to see violent events in Mumbai. It was horrifying to see a poor taxi driver, who must have left his home and family in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh to earn an honest and better living in a big city, being dragged out of his taxi and beaten up, while the other hooligans smash up his vehicle. It was equally disturbing to find a poor vendor, selling gol-gappas, having his humble wares thrown violently on the street while other hooligans chase him and beat him up brutally.

For many years Mumbai has been looked on as the home of tolerance. The all-India talent, which constitutes Bollywood, for instance, is proof of that. For Amitabh Bachchan to be questioned about his loyalty to Mumbai and ridiculed for saying Uttar Pradesh is his birthplace is really carrying things too far. Besides, the Maharashtrians are a proud and highly respected people, and a majority of them have not shown any support for Raj Thackeray. It is surely Raj's own insecurity which makes him question the loyalty of so-called "outsiders".

Truly has it been said that human nature can rise to the heights of nobility and sink to the depths of pettiness. Nothing has demonstrated this more vividly than what happened in Mumbai. One or two power-hungry individuals might cause some commotion for a while. But a great city and a great people mercifully always survive this kind of petty intolerance. One is sure Mumbai will soon revert to its own wonderful self.

Meanwhile, it is not city pride but national pride of the main countries involved in the cricket matches now taking place in Australia which is at stake. It is nothing short of disgusting to find eggs thrown at Muralitharan and the entire team being booed when walking back to its hotel after dinner out. It is surely not an accident that victims like Muralitharan and Harbhajan are targeted because they take on the Australians and often beat them at their own game. A very disturbing thought. I have said before that the Australians, by and large, are as decent and likeable people as the rest of the world. It is only a handful of people suffering from a colonial hangover who cause all the trouble.

Tired of sports, politics and films, I tried to escape to channels which offer different fare. I admit it was not very cheering watching the meticulous analysis of an air collision on National Geographic Channel, followed by a devastating crash which took many lives in Mexico. It at least enlightened one about the several different people on the ground, in the air and at airports who have to team together to make flying safe for us.

To switch over to Discovery Channel, which in some ways is my favourite, is always to find something interesting going on. I also tried to be a good girl and watch some of our Hindi channels and their serials. What I found in common between them was revealing. Starting with the eyebrows of the women, no matter what their age, character or situation, they all had the same thin arched eyebrows. They probably all go to the same hairdresser.

HOME