Mumbai Rising

The scene at The Gateway of India. 

This is Mumbai Rising. Will the momentum sustain and emerge as a potent force?

The mood...

• I would like to let loose against a certain P3 personality and a certain TV channel which had cordoned off the section near the Gateway for their self, but will hold my fire.... Some cheek!
• Next a well-meaning group blocked off the entire space just as you enter the Gatway circle for enacting a street play. The result? Those wishing to enter and those seeking to exit were forced to scrape and sidle past trash, heaps of tiles, sandbags, plastic drums etc.
  
• The absence of floodlights is intriguing. Was this another failure by the BMC? Or a shrewd ploy by politcos / bureaucrats to ensure that an unlit venue would limit the photo / video coverage to the range of flashes or the mounted lights? Bewildering that the police didn't ask for floodlights to be put on as darkness creeped in from 6 pm onwards..
  
• Vande Mataram slogans accompanied by claps was the prevalent audio.
  
• Poster: Politcians Get Potent.
  
• Poster: Apaan Yenha Pahilat Ka (Have you seen this person?) with pix of Raj Thackeray. Whenever this was displayed by the young girl, there would be huge roar with jeers
  
• Slogans: Pakistan Ko Tod Do. Pakistan Murdabad.
  
• Slogans: Vilasrao Hai Hai.
  
• Posters: Pixs of Slain policers with a caption Heroes.. Pixs of R R Patil, Shivraj Patil and Vilasrao Deshmukh with caption Zeroes.
  
• Youngsters were out in force, using cell phone cameras. 
  
• Handbills explaining and expounding were distributed...
  
• A poster put up by a political party on a lamppost outside Anushakti Bhavan was torn down by the crowds. A huge roar went up when it came down...
  
• Almost everyone was armed with handy drinking water bottles
• Those going back home purchased chana-shing from the silent, awe-struck vendors... a far cry from scenes from spontaneous rallies / bandhs where such "businesses" are looted or their shopes / wares vandalised. 
• A humid evening... everyone was drenched in sweat. 
• The kids were awe-struck as well... this was straight out of the movies for them to be part of a rally with their parents! Whose first reaction is always to keep them indoors and away from the windows! Taking them out on such a day, in the crowds, heaved on shoulders and the roof of parked vehicles... Heady stuff for the kiddies. Some of them holding aloft posters as well... Nanhe Munne Bacche Tere Mutthi Main Kya hain...
• While Vande Mataram was the dominant slogan, the Lata song... 'Aee Mere Watan ke Logon.." was also heard before 6 pm. One young group went back singing: Mera Rang de basanti...."

Check out this video of students at the Gateway of India, paying homage to the fallen police personnel, NSG commandos....

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As one walked down, back to CST... came the call with chilling implications: RDX found at CST STATION! CST wasn't sanitised after the operation for bombs! Who gave the all-clear? The RDX was enough to blow THE ENTIRE BUILDING.