We can deal with power-cuts. But dacoits in the middle of a power-cut are a different ball game altogether. We simply cannot deal with this rather deadly combination. On Friday night (24th April) two dacoits jumped onto the asbestos roof above our house gate, disappeared into the darkness.(This in New Alipore, which is supposedly ‘a safe area’.)
Meanwhile, all the locality people were standing around watching, occasionally shouting “There he goes! Catch him!” Two traffic guards who happened to be on the scene kept crying “Come down, otherwise we’ll shoot your legs!” We’d locked all our doors and our gates, were peering out of the windows into the darkness, we were afraid they were hiding in our backyard – it may all sound overly dramatic to you, but just take a moment to think about it. What would you have felt, in such a situation? Yes, you’d have been as scared as I was.
And our police force? Well, they took their own sweet time coming, of course. We understand. It must be rather hard to leave the comfort of the muri-aloo chop in their office. They arrived after half an hour, poked around half-heartedly at the remnants of the bombs the robbers had let off. We kept telling them to go into our neighbouring apartment building and check the flats, because we were afraid that the robbers might have hidden there, or worse still – taken someone hostage there.
Our pot-belled police force stood around for some time, basked in the glory of the chaos and the confusion, shouted gruff instructions at each other, and then left, supposedly to get ‘reinforcements’. Reinforcements consisted of two men, who checked our backyard, and looked at the bag of bombs the robbers had left on the road. After a couple of hours, when things had settled down somewhat, we heard shouts from a house behind us – apparently the thieves had been caught.
Now this incident raises a lot of questions.
Firstly, where was our locality Councillor, and why was he not answering his phone? When he called his brother, he said they were busy with Mamata. VIPs indeed. Who have risen far above the votes that we gave them, who have forgotten the fact that they are in power precisely because WE gave them power!
Secondly, why did the power take so long to come back? We called CESC, who asked us to call Lalbazaar, who in turn said that the fault lay with CPI(M). And frantic calls to the New Alipore Police Station went in vain. Also, the ‘Bomb Squad’ looked rather scared at the bag of bombs lying on the pavement in front of our house.
Thirdly, a reputed regional channel showed the news on their scroll. The headline, “In the middle of a power-cut, our efficient police force caught some dacoits.” I’m a Literature student, so I understand how words can be twisted, but wow- these people take it to a whole different level! Also, the channel in question is pro-CPI(M), and right at that moment, they were showing Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee live in their studio. Seems they used this incident for their own political leverage.
Fourthly, I wonder whether the robbers are still in custody. Or have they bribed the policemen, and left? To wreak further havoc? Why can’t we feel safe in our own homes? This is indeed a sad state of affairs. What an inefficient police force we have. Why, if the robbers took to their heels, the police-men wouldn’t even be able to run after them – they’re so notoriously unfit!
Why does everything have to take on a political colour? There are innocent men in our locality, helpless women and children – are we supposed to watch on while robbers throw bombs around and attack the security of our locality? Are we supposed to depend on our politicians and our police-force, while we citizens have to suffer?
A horrible incident indeed. I won’t forget seeing that bomb going off, neither will I forget the sounds of the woman screaming next door. We talk about ‘change’, and ‘political parties working for the good of the country’, and ‘the power of West Bengal’. But does it all mean anything? Does anything really matter when, of all things, we cannot feel safe in our own homes?
Meanwhile, all the locality people were standing around watching, occasionally shouting “There he goes! Catch him!” Two traffic guards who happened to be on the scene kept crying “Come down, otherwise we’ll shoot your legs!” We’d locked all our doors and our gates, were peering out of the windows into the darkness, we were afraid they were hiding in our backyard – it may all sound overly dramatic to you, but just take a moment to think about it. What would you have felt, in such a situation? Yes, you’d have been as scared as I was.
And our police force? Well, they took their own sweet time coming, of course. We understand. It must be rather hard to leave the comfort of the muri-aloo chop in their office. They arrived after half an hour, poked around half-heartedly at the remnants of the bombs the robbers had let off. We kept telling them to go into our neighbouring apartment building and check the flats, because we were afraid that the robbers might have hidden there, or worse still – taken someone hostage there.
Our pot-belled police force stood around for some time, basked in the glory of the chaos and the confusion, shouted gruff instructions at each other, and then left, supposedly to get ‘reinforcements’. Reinforcements consisted of two men, who checked our backyard, and looked at the bag of bombs the robbers had left on the road. After a couple of hours, when things had settled down somewhat, we heard shouts from a house behind us – apparently the thieves had been caught.
Now this incident raises a lot of questions.
Firstly, where was our locality Councillor, and why was he not answering his phone? When he called his brother, he said they were busy with Mamata. VIPs indeed. Who have risen far above the votes that we gave them, who have forgotten the fact that they are in power precisely because WE gave them power!
Secondly, why did the power take so long to come back? We called CESC, who asked us to call Lalbazaar, who in turn said that the fault lay with CPI(M). And frantic calls to the New Alipore Police Station went in vain. Also, the ‘Bomb Squad’ looked rather scared at the bag of bombs lying on the pavement in front of our house.
Thirdly, a reputed regional channel showed the news on their scroll. The headline, “In the middle of a power-cut, our efficient police force caught some dacoits.” I’m a Literature student, so I understand how words can be twisted, but wow- these people take it to a whole different level! Also, the channel in question is pro-CPI(M), and right at that moment, they were showing Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee live in their studio. Seems they used this incident for their own political leverage.
Fourthly, I wonder whether the robbers are still in custody. Or have they bribed the policemen, and left? To wreak further havoc? Why can’t we feel safe in our own homes? This is indeed a sad state of affairs. What an inefficient police force we have. Why, if the robbers took to their heels, the police-men wouldn’t even be able to run after them – they’re so notoriously unfit!
Why does everything have to take on a political colour? There are innocent men in our locality, helpless women and children – are we supposed to watch on while robbers throw bombs around and attack the security of our locality? Are we supposed to depend on our politicians and our police-force, while we citizens have to suffer?
A horrible incident indeed. I won’t forget seeing that bomb going off, neither will I forget the sounds of the woman screaming next door. We talk about ‘change’, and ‘political parties working for the good of the country’, and ‘the power of West Bengal’. But does it all mean anything? Does anything really matter when, of all things, we cannot feel safe in our own homes?
4 comments:
Bombs??? Ki shanghatik!
We should say welcome to India then. Keno, few months back, on 15th July 2008, dakat amader main-door bhenge bari'te dhuke dakati kore palalo, and when we went to the police station, guess what they said. "Erom ghotona toh protidini ghotchhey, ki dinkal porechhey...dekhi ki kora jaye..."
And the politicians, they love to do the typical "Arre baba, erom ghotona toh boro boro shohore ghotei thakey, toh eto matamati korar ki achhe?"
Bloody bastards. And that channel! Ota toh emnitei oshojhjho.
dhur, you have no gumption. dacoits are adventure personified :P
Ya , I detest those people , they like those parasites in the intestine of a pig. I have grown up hearing "B......" word appended in front of their name . Now I am nonchalant enough even to spit at their faces.
@ Lonestar: It's irritating how incidents like this are taken with a pinch of salt. Really.
@ Doubletake, Doublethink: Yes, yes. Lucky me for leading an adventurous life. :P
@ Sougata: I don't think spitting in their faces will solve anything, but yes, I think I know what you mean.
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