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Reporting live from Kargil

0020 hours and heavy bombing begins.
This gives way to intermittent gunfire.
The machine guns are called on and there is not respite.
0200 ack ack begins and goes on for an unprecedented ten minutes.

No conscription hasn't begun in India and I am still at Bandra. But I am either getting old or it was my loudest Diwali at Mumbai last night. As I wright this there was another short round of crackers which went off. 1.30 AM, the day after Diwali.

One explanation could be that our earlier house was at a junction at Bandra and people followed the police rules in the open. We are in a quiet alley here (an unfortunate use of words given the context) and people just took off.

Now I am no Uncle Scrooge. I am all for festivities. Whether I follow them or not is a separate issue. Festive cheer is important in the pressure cooker lives that we lead. But does it have to be at another person's cost. Does Diwali become any less fun if you finish bursting your crackers by dinner time? Is it, as Bryan Adams said, all about waking up the neighbours?

After all we wish each Happy Diwali.

Not Heavy Decibels.

Comments

Moonshine said…
Then you should try Delhi where festivities start at 1.30am!!!

And here in Blr, it starts at 4am or something as Diwali in south is celebrated in the mornings!!!

Your pick?
19 October 2009 at 03:03
Rohan said…
Hey K,

So glad to hear from you! :)

How have you been? Are you still with IMRB?

It was a pleasant surprise to see your comment upon my blog. Do keep in touch :)

-Rohan
21 October 2009 at 02:44
Kalyan Karmakar said…
Hey Rohan, so good to hear from you. No I moved on a year and a half back. How are you doing? Still at Dubai? I was there for a few days last month.

btw lot of Turkey tales on my travel and food blogs. Would be great trade tales

Cheers

Kalyan
21 October 2009 at 03:05
Mumbai Paused said…
The decibel levels were very high this year, or am I growing old but nor deaf?
21 October 2009 at 22:22
Kalyan Karmakar said…
Hey M P, I definitely think it was louder this year. Abhi hamara zamanein mein ....
22 October 2009 at 05:00
Tongue Trip said…
not just diwali, the band bajaa gajaa and aatishbaaji and not to forget the cacaphonic live bhajans done on latest bollywood songs around visarjan time is as big an annoyance post the sound curfew time. we can still endure but the older and the sick, the little kids and infants are at the worst receiving ends. im all up for festive frenzy and traditions but basic considerate regard should always be maintained.
26 October 2009 at 10:59
Kalyan Karmakar said…
Tongue Trip, thanks for writing in. On a different track rail services in Mumbai were disrupted in Mumbai. Not heard a whymper yet from politicians who claim to have the interests of Mumbaikars at heart
26 October 2009 at 11:47
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