Its been a longtime scribbling on my slate. Lot of things happened meanwhile. In fact, a lot of things always take place in this busy world. But, for the city of Surat, this has been a difficult time. First the internal problems related to labour issues in the diamond sector that kept the newspapers busy. Then successive terrorist attacks in Bangalore, Ahmedabad and discovery of a huge number of live bombs in Surat. Surat was in news for quite sometime puzzling internal security, media world and the citizens due to the surfacing of 27-28 live bombs one by one within few days. Citizens are baffled asking questions like who plant these bombs, why none of these bombs explode,whether it is all done by local people or mastermined by outsiders and excuted by locals, Why Surat as location for attack, what is the motive behind placing such a big number of live bombs?
As soon as national media began airing these discovery of bombs, we began getting phone calls from relatives and friends from near and far of places. People expressing their concerns and cautioning us not to go in the market places. The fear had gripped us. The school of my three year old son was declared close. We were hooked to television news and my son began to answer phone calls by saying bombs are found without having an iota of awareness about what he is talking all about.
That phase is over now. Like earlier cases of terrorist attacks, we are left without any answers for our anxieties regarding who, why and how?
Now, we all enjoy olympic games. Media changed its gear. First the gala ceremony, then talk about some hopes, we began critical but Abhinav Bindra got a gold in Shooting and now all the states are competing each other with their declarations of awarding money to Abhinav, the sole Indian gold getter in the Olympics. Very soon, the media will flooded by storeis on who all can afford shooting range in their homes; why India has produced only one gold so far; questions ranging from infrastructures, state's role in promoting sports, class dynamics etc.
It is raining heavily and a lot of rural and suburban areas of Gujarat are already submerged by water.
my son sings
rain rain go away
come again another day
little johny wants to play
rain rain...