‘Happy Bhoomikampo (HAPPY EARTHQUAKE)” was the update from a college mate I saw the very first time I logged in Facebook after the mighty earth quake. The same night I received a sms from a friend who related the earthquake to the dancing of rajnikanth. I too forwarded the sms to a friend. I regret that.
It was Sunday. Somewhere around 6:15 pm, I was watching Twilight on Star movies. I just heard a sound, no tremors till then I think or simply I could not realize at the moment. My mother who was in kitchen shouted but I was already near the gate. I tried taking my mother and grand mother who were at home at the moment out of the house. By the time I reached a somewhat open area, the quake had already started. Everybody was panicked. There were some who were so much terrified that they could not even understand what exactly had happened. At a time when most of the persons were just immovable and shocked, I saw a collie working as if nothing has happened. May be he believed he had nothing to loose. I also felt that the sound of drums of the Biswakarma puja had grown louder. I don’t exactly whether the people drumming beating it harder or it was the silence that made me feel so. suddenly, I heard a comment” Probol Brishti-er jonno ei ghotona ta hoyeche (The earthquake has been because of the continuous raining)”. Once I contemplating of asking the guy whether he meant that every time it rains, we should have an earthquake. But did not bother and let him live in fool’s paradise. Today I saw a comment from Mamta Bannerjee in the newspaper. The chief minister also in a kind blamed global warming as the sole reason behind it. I wonder he will further blame the previous left front government in some way for this calamity.
The truth is when a chief minister (She is also a barrister) can pass such an ill-informed comment, what a lay minister is expected to do? I remember back 7/8 years, there were many signs suggesting what actions to be taken during earth quake. The signs were quintessential, on the walls of hospitals, government schools everywhere. May be it was the disastrous earthquake in Bhooj, Gujarat on 26th January, 2001. But as they say public memory is short and shorter is the memory of the administion. Most of the people do not know what exactly to do during such a massive earthquake. As the editor of The Telegraph said public awareness must be created when thousands of lives are at stake.
And lastly, for all the smart people who find it amazing, extraordinary, mind blowing, awesome, it is not the experience that made you happy. You are happy because you have survived even after such a disaster. You are happy because you are still able to comment on the tragedy. Agree?
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