Why Chennai's courage is Delhi's shame
Chennai has emerged as the city of courage and compassion. In a time of unprecedented distress and difficulty, it turned into a million-armed helpline, and showed how a city transforms itself into one with a human personality and rises to become an angel. Not just the image of that lady, who waded through knee-deep waters to perform her duty of providing milk when it was needed the most, what stood out was that common citizens - unknown faces and strangers - were helped as if they were blood brothers.
Small cars to big SUVs were all loaded with food items, and people packed whatever ration they had in their homes onto the vehicles for distribution to those who needed them more. Doctors formed tele-groups, and tried to reach out to the sick and helpless. Social media played a big role - #ChennaiRainsHelp and many other such tags gave hope when the darkness of helplessness prevailed. The media - print and electronic - turned into centres for dissemination of information and coordinated efforts to provide relief.
The other day, a distraught phone call from an unknown person was scary. He said he had seen dead bodies floating in water at a private city hospital. "But people are coming to keep them in the morgue. I just want to know if you would help us find their relatives." he said.
Political groups forgot their usual sharp-edged animosities and rose to the occasion. Religious groups and ideologically-opposed segments simply erased the peripheries of agenda and became one entity to help Chennai.
I haven't seen reports of looting or stealing in such a bad time, when the darker side of our life usually tends to become active. For us, in Delhi, it's really a pleasant surprise.
Chennai, in such a time, became the definition of the idea of India.
In comparison, forgive me, but Delhi appears to be rude and ruthless. It becomes a rootless city of mute spectators when a lady is stabbed 27 times and eventually bleeds to death. The culture of a city depends on how people behave. The heritage and binding threads of a common language and legacy do play a role, but more than that, what's crucial is a sense of being, independent of the state. Delhi's spirit is highly political and state crafted. The Sirji syndrome makes it more of a city of political communicators rather than a society living on human values, away from state patronage. Although this can't be applied to the Old Delhi circuit, sadly that too is diminishing quickly.
Chennai, in contrast, stood taller and brighter as independently active, without caring or complaining about the state in providing relief. We didn't see demonstrations or riots against the government by those who were in distress. Neither were there political statements issued to blame this or that party nor was the state apparatus questioned for "failing and not doing enough".
The ardent followers of Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Dr J Jayalalithaa too were silently working to give maximum help in a spirit of togetherness. And there was a great statesman-like statement by Kalaignar Karunanidhi, elaborated by his daughter Kanimozhi in Rajya Sabha, offering the DMK's help to the state government in every possible way. We saw hundreds of RSS workers and BJP supporters working relentlessly, proving food, medicine, and emergency help to the people. And so were other groups belonging to different streams of thought.
And, all this was happening when communication systems had crashed. The city ran on immobility: no mobile phones, no internet, landlines were faulty, the airport turned into a river, with planes appearing as toy islands. Houses and cars were like floating icons of despair in a sea of water. It's difficult to imagine how Chennaiites managed to sail through these days of unimaginable damage and death. It will take a long time to come back to normalcy even if the rains stop and the water begins to recede.
But what shall remain forever is the lingering image of the milk-lady and the anonymous local people helping each other as if the city, itself had turned into a loving, caring mother for her children.
Thank you Chennai for showing us the most ennobling way of togetherness. A million salutes to you!!!