Got this email forward. Reaffirms my belief in the Mumbaikar's spirit & attitude


Exact Narration by an auto-rickshaw passenger,

Suvendu Roy of Titan Industries, who shares his inspirational encounter with a rickshaw driver in Mumbai:

One Sunday, my wife, kid, and I had to travel to Andheri from Bandra.
When I waved at a passing auto rickshaw, little did I expect that this ride would be any different...


I looked in front and there was a small TV. The driver had put on the Doordarshan channel.



My wife and I looked at each other with disbelief and amusement. In front of me was a small first-aid box with cotton, dettol and some medicines.
This was enough for me to realize that I was in a special vehicle.
Then I looked round again, and discovered more - there was a radio, fire extinguisher, wall clock, calendar, and pictures and symbols of all faiths
- from Islam and Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism.
There were also pictures of the heroes of 26/11- Kamte, Salaskar, Karkare and Unnikrishnan.
I realized that not only my vehicle, but also my driver was special.

I started chatting with him and the initial sense of ridicule and disbelief gradually diminished.
I gathered that he had been driving an auto rickshaw for the past 8-9 years; he had lost his job when his employer's plastic company was shut down.
He had two school-going children, and he drove from 8 in the morning till 10 at night.
No break unless he was unwell. "Sahab, ghar mein baith ke T.V dekh kar kya faida? Do paisa income karega toh future mein kaam aayega."

We realized that we had come across a man who represents Mumbai – the spirit of work, the spirit of travel and the spirit of excelling in life.
I asked him whether he does anything else as I figured that he did not have too much spare time.
He said that he goes to an old age home for women in Andheri once a week or whenever he has some extra income, where he donates tooth brushes, toothpastes, soap, hair oil, and other items of daily use.
He pointed out to a painted message below the meter that read: "25 per cent discount on metered fare for the handicapped.
Free rides for blind passengers up to Rs. 50.



My wife and I were struck with awe. The man was a HERO!

A hero who deserves all our respect!!!

Our journey came to an end;

45 minutes of a lesson in humility, selflessness, and of a hero-worshipping Mumbai, my temporary home.

We disembarked, and all I could do was
to pay him a tip that would hardly cover a
free ride for a blind man.

I hope, one day, you too have a chance to meet Mr Sandeep Bachhe in his auto rickshaw: MH-02-Z-8508.

Be a Reason for Million Smiles….But Never be a reason for even a single Grudge

Reflections of the days after 26/11 ‘08 & before 26/11 ‘09

The alarm goes off at 7 a.m., morning ablutions completed, time for a quick breakfast, catch my bus at 8.55 a.m. This is a work week, struggle to get into an overcrowded bus, step on peoples toes, neck craned, hoping to get a seat to rest my derriere before I reach my destination. Newspaper in one hand, reading it while continuing to furiously glance over my shoulder for that one seat before I get off.

Suddenly I notice a black contraption at the top of the entrance of the bus. Oh it’s a camera. I relax a bit. Honk, Honk, Honk, Honk, Screech… bus comes to a sudden halt and I am propelled closer towards the exist. Phew! I survived the almost fatal halt even today… I get off at the next stop; I’ve finally reached office having stood throughout the 1 hour journey

At the office entrance there is a security check. Bags are screened, employee ID’s to be swiped & in you go. It’s 8 p.m. still inside the office. The only window to the outside world is ironically the worldwide web. Checking news portals for news. Everything seems normal Naxalites attack police camp; abduct four , kill three policemen, inflation touches 5.64 pc,no respite as prices rise, farmer suicides on the rise, Chat with Saif & Kareena on their love making scenes in Kurbaan.

Leave for home, need to run or I’ll miss the 8.20 train. Friend calls up. Lets catch a movie. Ajab Gazaab is my choice. We head to a nearby mall. At the entrance of the mall the car also has to undergo screening. They use a long metal rod which has a mirror at one end. They also check what’s in the back seat. There are two boxes, we aren’t questioned. Perplexed about what we were put through we asked the guard what he was doing with the stick with an attached mirror. He said “ Pata nahin, humko aisa karney ko bola hai” We smirk and move on. Car parked we get into the mall. There is a metal framed box that I cross to get inside. There is a beeping sound. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I stand waiting for my bag to get checked. The lady yawns and opens the zip of my purse hands it back to me. I rush towards the screens; I don’t want to miss even the ads. Movie over I head back home ready to hit the bed.

Next day is another chapter in my life. The routine hasn’t changed and so also some other things. USA is still asking Pakistan to bring the perpetrators who attacked Mumbai on 26/11 to task. The Mumbai Police still manages civil protection with a lathi, there are lots of committees that are devising security upping measures, victims still seek justice and in some cases the monetary compensation as was promised to them.

But amidst all this there are something’s that have changed & changed for the better. To begin with people power toppled the top government officials who were seen as lackadaisical and inefficient. Though there hasn’t been an overhaul in the security systems one cannot ignore the increase in the number of surveillance cameras set-up in stations, buses etc. The most important change and a noticeable one is that people have become more vigilant. Today’s Mumbaikar doesn’t point fingers at the police but has joined hands with them.

जय हिंद