JOIN US‘It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.’ These opening lines of the world-famous classic ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’ are probably the best way to describe the present-day society. On the positive front, the advancements in technology, various job opportunities and growing economy are surely
leading towards a bright future.
However, on the darker side, there are terror attacks, risks to lives and death lurking around in corners, that most of us don’t even realise, exist — be it the recent attack on tourists at the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, the anxiety around the Ayodhya verdict, or the anger of the people around the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Metrolife asked a few Bangaloreans whether we are living in dangerous times
Surendra Singhvi, Chartered Accountant
“The media should be more responsible in covering various issues as sometimes, many things are projected in a wrong way and this creates fear amongst people. But all thanks to the media, people have become quite aware of many things.”“What happened with the tourists in Delhi was just unacceptable. I have travelled to so many countries and have never faced such a problem. However, such incidents are not so sporadic so one doesn’t have to worry about so much.”
Shashank Kekre, Businessman
“I grew up in Mumbai in an extremely safe society. But now, times have changed. There is a lot of euphoria building around the Ayodhya verdict and what option does one have when it comes to safety? But I must say that South is a comparatively safer place to live in.”
Anita Bettaiah, Lecturer
“We are definitely living in a dangerous time where there is no certainty about anything. And declaring a holiday, as it happened in the case of the Ayodhya verdict (which was deferred later anyway), creates a lot of fear amongst people. As a mother of a three year old child and a working woman, I find it dangerous to venture out at times like these when we don’t know what is going to happen next.”
Sujaya Prabhakar, Teacher
“Things would be so different if people could be amicable with each other. The rising crimes in the City just prove that people have intruded into each other’s lives to such an extent that it’s not so safe anymore. Everytime there is any news about a bandh or a disturbance, I rush to pick up my 11-year-old son from school. It’s just so worrying even though schools are well equipped with safety measurements these days. I hope that the Commonwealth Games doesn’t pose a threat to anyone’s life. Let us all work towards a peaceful country and the welfare of the people. Let us not be selfish and look into the safety of our children.”
Suresh Patel, Real Estate Developer
“I spent my childhood in Kolkata. The times that I grew up in, there were no extremities. Yes there were times when I had seen violence as Maoism was quite prevalent, but even those weren’t as dangerous as the incidents of today.”
As told to Deepa Natarajan