Falling in snow with Bombay
No one seems to get enough of this city. Everybody who’s here remains confined under its unrecoverable spell. They may not completely like it but they won’t quit either. Not all of them may turn out as winners but they don’t mind keeping up with the joneses. Meanwhile, there is a strong sense of aberration that never goes unnoticed though… the ever-expanding crowd and the asphyxiating smells are prime examples.
And at the end of the day, Mumbai is sinking. Metamorphically, at least. The huge rubble of filth that we are helping accumulate on its surface, on land, into sea and in air, would hopefully do the deed. Someday.
Until then, we’ll survive. Anyhow. For this, we’re prepared to come along as dehumanized primates in bursting trains or honking lunatics while surrounded by an inordinate traffic. Also, we’ll litter, hock a loogie, cut queues and stage civil disobedience at individual level wherever and however possible. Despite all of this, we still manage to avoid the much-deserved self-loathing — creating a not-so-smug city full of smugger inhabitants — one day at a time.
Over the past many years, our excuse has been the cliché: chaltha hai toh chalne doh! After all, expecting anything different from us would have been a bit preposterous too given the undermining circumstances a majority of the city-dwellers survive in. There is an utter disregard for law and order, yes. But there is failing governance, rumpled administration and crumbling infrastructure to balance the blame beam. It’s a unique case of two clenched fists shaking hands to make ends meet.
So here’s what I think will put an end to this miserable crap. Snowfall. Yup. Mumbai requires snowfall more than anything else. This city burns throughout summer but then which Indian city doesn’t! The only difference is the excruciating humidity. Expectedly, rain happens every monsoon that leaves us asking for less. Soon afterwards, winter takes place. Now, winter is supposed to be cold but Mumbai has a rather warm winter so basically what we get is a raw deal from Weather God. We are supposed to shiver and enjoy the whims of supercool wind (as long as no one’s homeless) but that’s not part of the ongoing reality.
A regular snowfall might change the whole scenario.
- First of all, it will keep more people off the street and in their school, home and office.
- Secondly, as the roads would be layered with snow, the chances of littering and defecating on them shall drop axiomatically.
- Thirdly, and most importantly, unchecked immigration may take a belated pause, if not complete shutdown.
- Fourthly, India as a nation will wake up and realize that Mumbai alone can’t carry the economical burden of the entire country.
- Fifthly, global warming will turn out to be just another myth inspired by Iraqi WMD.
- Sixthly, politics might suffer as an eventual byproduct.
- Seventhly, Kashmiri snow could end up facing inferiority complex.
- Eightly, miracles will be back in business.
- Ninthly, Mumbai may not sink, as I SO want it to.
- Tenthly, I might score better (read: sensible) topics to write on.
I’m sure there are more than ten reasons/outcomes why we should be having snowfall in Mumbai but I don’t know what.
