Blast The Reputation

Thus, I can state with some authority that I empathise with the present mood of Mumbaikars. The articulated and inarticulated rage, the sense of being a victim of their own success, the bewilderment as to why it is the terrorists' favourite target in India, the feeling of being trapped with no escape route.... These are the burdens Bombayites carry daily. I have, of course, yet to mention the biggest, the most nonsensical burden of all: the spirit of resilience which natives allegedly possess, and which is expected to see them through thick and thin.

If there is a hated word in the Mumbaikars' vocabulary currently, it is 'resilience'. And talking to long-time residents I can see how this mythical virtue hangs like an albatross around the city's neck. The rest of the country is certain Mumbai can cope comfortably with man-made, natural and terrorist disasters, courtesy this spirit. It absolves outsiders of any responsibility to prevent and cure its miseries: "Mumbaikars will manage because they are resilient." If I was a citizen of the city, I would say: "Stuff your resilience. Give us some real protection."