The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : It’s business as usual for people

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 30, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

It’s business as usual for people

J.S. Ifthekhar

Resilient Hyderabadis take things in their stride and get on with life

PHOTO: P. V. Sivakumar

Bouncing Back: Foreign tourists seen near Charminar on Wednesday.

Hyderabad: Twin blasts rock twin cities – leaving a trail of death and destruction. A sepulchral silence, wailing widows, uncomprehending orphans. The tragedy brings the entire nation together in mourning. Yet Hyderabad doesn’t erupt. In fact life goes on unhindered. The old city bustles with activity and so is the rest of Hyderabad.

Has the city turned insensitive? Not at all. There is anguish and pain. But there is also lot of resilience and buoyancy. Taking things in stride seems to be the in thing. Yes, Hyderabad has come of age.

Time was when a mysterious stone or a wild rumour was enough to turn it into a ghost town. Within spastic seconds all activity would come to a halt, shops would shut down and crowds melt into nothingness. But even after a macabre incident that claimed 41 lives Hyderabadis have maintained their cool. The same spirit was in evidence when blast took place in Mecca Masjid.

Positive development

Backlash has taken a backseat. A positive and healthy development, many agree. “The common man wants peace. There is a realisation that politicians have their own axe to grind. Nobody wants to fall into that trap anymore,” says former Ambassador and retired IPS officer, Mohammed Bin Mehmood.

The violent reactions that Hyderabad was known for was a result of ignorance. Now there is greater maturity and better understanding of issues. People know the perpetrators are not local. They know it is a part of the bigger game. However, the police and the RTC buses continue to be the target. But it is more of venting the spleen against the system than a community.

“If there is no public outrage it means people have confidence in the State. When there is no action people take things into their hands,” says Fatima Ali Khan, retired professor of Osmania University.

A colourful stew pot of communities, the orgy of violence is nothing new to Hyderabad. However, terrorism used to be something that happened somewhere else, a safe distance away. Not anymore.

Urban terror is becoming increasingly common to Hyderabad. But luckily the rancour and bitterness doesn’t last long.

People want to get back to their humdrum lives and fast.

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