Bang! - a - lore

The afternoon meeting was slowly interrupted with news that Bangalore had become another statistic in the list of targeted cities. Within the next 30 minutes the networks were jammed as citizens desperate to get in touch with loved ones were calling frenetically. News trickled in on Television channels and the Radio. Rumors were strife on whether it was eight, nine or ten blasts. Decision makers struggled with, whether to ask people to go home or to stay put. Initial reports listed 10 casualties and fears of more. Within chaos order prevailed, businesses brought contingency plans into action. Backup plans swung in for critical data centers. Shifts got adjusted at call centers, transport was arranged where necessary, security stepped up, meetings rescheduled where possible or telecommuted. Within the next three hours further reports spread a sense of relief as citizens realized that Bangalore had gotten away lightly. Remarkably other than a two hour interruption most people were at work! Amazing!!! Two hours later the regular conversation on schedules, costing, sales and high severity tickets was back.

The bridge between, reading and knowing to experiencing has been crossed and it hasn't been without cost. The reactions from citizenry were however, anything but typical. A strange sense of normalcy was prevalent. The odd joke and light humor pervaded the office floor. Someone even suggesting we stick to the middle of the road while driving since the bombs have been on the footpath. Friday evening the streets wore a deserted looks, but Saturday showed that Bangalorean resilience is back. Make no mistake, people realize, "That could have been me!". Happily, the public has proven everyone wrong and was out in full strength, shopping at the malls at the cinema or at work. That is the best response any city could have given to terrorism and break the cycle of disruption.

Our best response is to not give in to the disruption and feeling of mistrust and to instead support the authorities, to take a more active role in ensuring that our politicians make it a priority to increase our terror response and to most importantly to step out and say we cannot be subjugated by cowardly threats! There have been voices of dissent in this period, with questions raised on the state of the police, the intelligence wings and the state and central governments. Public debate has begun. We aren't a perfect country and no one realizes this more than us. So lets do our bit and get there! Happy shopping, working, camping, mall ratting and whatever else you have planned. You need it, so does the city!