Indian Festivals : Hijack of City

I have just reached home in Juhu. It's taken me 2 1/2 hrs to travel 7kms. Yes you got those stats right ! Why ? Bec today is chhat......a Bihari festival. And every Bihari in town must head to Juhu beach.
Now I've lived in Juhu for 25 years, and till the last 5 the only Puja/festival celebrated was Ganapati. But now be it Durga Puja, Basi-Eid, Chhat, every festival and community ends up at Juhu Chowpatty ! And traffic and cleanliness of our neighbourhood is destroyed. Forget about the stuff dumped in the sea and the trash on the sands.

Why is it that we as Indians have zero tolerance for others when celebrating festivals ? Why can't we put ourselves in the other person's shoes ?
Be it spraying someone in an open rickshaw with colour on holi when he/she doesn't want it, to gleefully bursting crackers in the middle of the night even when you know your neighbour has had a newborn or someone is asthmatic to hijacking the right lane of the road with pedestrian traffic on these chhat type festivals with a "do what you want, we will walk everywhere we want" attitude..........why do we do this ?
And the less said about the planning by the authorities in curbing noise, pollution, crowds, giving people traffic advice the day before, the better.
think about any of our "Festivals". Think if some poor old person or little child having a serious health ailment needing emergency medical attention. Or someones house on fire. Now think if the location of these people's houses was......
a. Chowpatty on Ganapati
b. Mahim on Eid
c. Juhu on Chhat

and now tell me........what odds would you give those people ???
I'm not being mean and saying don't celebrate these age old festivals. But think of everyone else your inconveniencing. And therefore be tolerant.

And as for my ?. I'll give you a solution too. If I was chief of Police, I'd station a Ambulance and Firetruck every Kilometer depending on the festival and pocket of city that it affects.

Its time "celebrating" stopped being selfish and all about "I'm having fun" damm everyone else and more about the entire community/neighbourhood/city.


Well atleast that's my 2 bits on it !

Life comes a full circle....almost

Last night I was at a close friend's house warming party.
It was great seeing him in his newly re-furbished house, cuddling with his girlfriend with whom he looks so much at ease, happy with his work and role there and just the overall all feel good factor.
Cut back 15 years ago when we were a bunch of 16 odd year olds I remember his Dad passing away. And then in an EXTREMELY cruel twist of fate his Mom passed away barely a year later.
I remember being very disturbed at the time with this low blow so to speak. There were tough days and difficult times after that but slowly I think its gotten better and built up to this one moment.
Hence last night it was great.....to see him all happy and things all around looking up. All the very best Dude ! You deserve it.