The World of my Own

Yesterday, Gordon and I met near Regal Cinema (South Bombay). This was first chance to go to south Bombay after 26/11. My walk from CST station to Regal cinema did not feel any different. The same old crowded streets with people running around, street peddlers trying to sell their wares, cars honking, it felt like my same old Bombay to me. One change that i saw, was the metal detectors at CST station and more police presence. But, i did not feel any tension in the air. It seemed business as usual in south Bombay. Gordon suggested we have our lunch at Leopold Cafe. This is where all the mayhem started on the 26/11. I had never been to this cafe before. At first look, the place seemed like any other cafe in Bombay except there were more foreign customers than Indians. The bullet holes have not been repaired and apparently they wont be. I saw many people come to the cafe just to see these bullet holes. We were sitting next to a pillar which had a mark indicating that a bullet had brush...

On a day when India is celebrating the successful completion of Stage 1 of conquering the moon, people are being beaten up and public property worth thousands of rupees is being burnt in Mumbai and its suburbs. What a contrast! But that is my India for you. On one side, people taking law into their own hands proclaiming that they are saving the marathi  manoos and hurting people from other parts of country to gain political mileage and on the other hand, 3000 people from all over India are working together to conquer one goal - the moon.   I am sure, of the 3000 people, there is atleast one  marathi  manoos. Does he care that he belongs the different state than the others working with him? It must not even cross his mind that he is working with an Bihari or Tamilian. He can only see that all of them have a common goal - to put an Indian flag on the moon.  He lives, works and shares his life with others without worrying about their origin. He cannot even think of hurting them. He might ...