Random Expressions

They ravaged Delhi - arguably one of India’s most beautiful cities and also my hometown - once again in a deadly deathly manner. Five blasts ripped asunder a quiet Saturday evening, two of which incised through its throbbing heart - Connaught Place and its breathtakingly beauteous (newly opened) Central Park.

These are not mere names. For me, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, Central Park, Karol Bagh et al, are not far off places read about in the papers or stories. Every inch, every pavement, every side-walk there contains my life’s indelible memories. In Gopaldass Bhawan (Barakhamba Road, the site near which one of the bomb’s blasted) I did my first job. Ghaffar Market (Karol Bagh, the second site) is where my friend and I bought those cheap imitation designer shirts, when money was tight but ambition was loose. In fact, in his house there have spent many a drunken reverly filled evenings. My parents and I spent a lovely new year’s eve last year at the Central Park.

I know I rave and rant. But then I am hurt, pained, shocked, angry and frustrated. Perprators of these crimes coolly send off emails, before and after such dastardly acts, and the series continues all across the country, but our forces wring their hands in impotent helplessness. This episode will not differ from the Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Bangalore blasts - their will be ‘clues’ but no arrests, there will be ’suspects’ but no convictions. It’s a sickly repetitive screenplay, worse than any daily soap, where the stories never move, and the characters only age but never progress.

Weren’t the villains supposed to be caught in the end? Weren’t the heroes supposed to win?When will this horrifying movie end?

Channels will create noise and hype and thrust their dirty mikes in front of victims and police forces - disturbing both with their uniformly uncaring callousness… till the time next rocking news is obtained - and that could mean anything from Aishwarya Rai’s pregnancy to birth of another big crime!

Over centuries, Delhi has been raped and robbed, desecrated and despoiled, several times. Yet, without beating its breasts about its spirit, it has stood firm with a poignantly stoic face, resting its burnt soul unyieldingly on the solid Aravallian rocks and red sandstones.

Delhi’s immensely abundant infrastructural progress in the past few years has quietened many a cynic and prided its citizens - including myself. Perhaps, hamari hi nazar lag gayi.

May it find a fresh bout of strength.

My prayers are with thee, O Delhi, my city, my home!
My prayers are with thee, O India, my country, my abode!

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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 14th, 2008 at 3:52 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.