Naresh Fernandes has an op-ed in the New York Times today:

Despite the long history of sporadic violence, Mumbai has always picked itself up by its bootstraps and marched off to work as soon as the trains started working again. Our ability to jeer at misfortune is attributed in the Indian press to the “spirit of Bombay,” which is variously described as “indomitable,” “never say die” and “undying.” But our spirit has been saluted so frequently of late, all the praise was beginning to annoy me.

Before I left the office Tuesday evening, I finished a magazine article complaining that this illogical faith in Bombay’s innate resilience had the unfortunate consequence of absolving the city’s administrators of the responsibility of actually fixing our problems. No matter how bad things get, they seem to suggest, we have an infinite capacity to cope.

Soon after hearing about the blasts, I made my way to the local hospital to see if they needed blood donations. It had been less than an hour since the first explosion, but I’d been beaten to it by nearly 200 people.

Also, on behalf of Citizens for Justice and Peace, noted activist and Naresh’s fellow-Mumbaiker Teesta Setalvad has released a statement that says “Terror, especially in the name of faith, defiles faiths and creates deep divides among people. This is the greatest challenge for us. Not to fall for the deep design of the terrorists and maintain peace and harmony at all costs. Do join CJP’s campaign for calm, harmony, solidarity and hope.”Donations can be sent to Nirant, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu, Mumbai – 400 049. (Ph: 2660 2288 email: cjp02in@yahoo.com)

P.S. Here is Salil Tripathi’s ode to the city in today’s Guardian.

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