the great bangalore spirit

Baba dauda,
Baby bhi daudi,
Bhatiya uncle bhi daude,
Parvati aunti bhi daudi,
Military wale sipahi bhi daude,
Kuch firangi bhi daude.

Some ran for 21 kms; some ran for 42 kms while some ran for just 7 kms.

Some ran to win the prize; some ran to win hearts. Some ran to prove themselves; some ran just coz they liked to run, some ran for a cause.

Where was Bangalore? Unfortuanately nowhere to be seen. That’s what I felt yesterday morning. So many of them run, but where were all the great Bangalorians? Sleeping in our cozy comfortable beds. None of them came out to cheer the runners. Those people ran just for themselves, all alone. Absolutely no one came out to cheer them, no one to encourage them. No one showed that "yes we are with you".

Sorry, but is this the great Bangalore spirit? Bangalore is a dead city. Or I should say a city of dead. I reached the stadium around 7 am and I could not feel if the marathon was happening. There were not many people around. No one on the road was bothered as to what was happening. They were just too involved in their mundane life.

I remember seeing pictures and videos from Mumabi Marathon last year. My friends who ran there told methat they could not have finished if the crowd was not there. Just small cheer from the crowd gave them the strength to finish the race. Roads were flooded with runners and sidewalks with the supporters. Everyone came out. Just to show the great Mumbai spirit. That we are all together and we will rise when needed. And that’s what we saw everytime any problem came to the Mumbai.

What happened in Bangalore is really saddening. I saw the happiness and content feeling on the face of each and every runner. I saw the smile on their face when we clapped for them. They were not expecting it but we did it nonetheless. We felt so motivated to see them doing something. Still we were really few. People were absolutely merciless sometimes. Many of them were not giving pass to the runners. They behaved as if there was not spirit in them. Indeed they were all dead people. People who just want to live their own life and die one day. History will never ever bother about such people.

Bangalore, I am really ashamed of you today.

Photos from marathon: Check on flickr.com or chek this out behind the lens

PS: These are the thoughts that came to my mind when I was watching the marathon. May be I am too emotional here but that’s the way it was (is). They are my personal views. I did not stay for the Celebrity marathon (coz my celebrities had already achieved their goals) so I dont know what happened there. May be Great Bangalore woke up late and everyone went for last phase of the run (for whatever reasons). I hope it did happen. I don’t want to be a part of a dead city.