Watching the recently released Hindi movie, "Kai Po Che," I got emotional and choke at the visuals of the Earthquake. Am glad that they did not dwell on it much.
My birthday. The year 2001, 26th January, the nation woke up to the news of the devastating earthquake that rocked Gujarat and many other parts of India and Pakistan. I was in Ahmedabad with my kids who were then 5 and 2 years respectively. Hubby was out of town. I came out of it unscathed....physically. The memories...I have made them selective.
Whenever terror strikes Mumbai, the newspaper and the media make a huge hullabaloo about the "spirit of people of Mumbai" and their never die attitude.
I want to reiterate that it is the "human spirit" that triumphs.
Gujaratis or the 'gujjus' as they are referred, are at the receiving end of jokes. They are thrifty, they love food, they are irritating ( no offense) and they are also good businessmen and administrators...not to forget there have been many good leaders.
That fateful day and the days that followed saw people opening up their heart, their arms, their home and their purse. There were about 29 aftershocks which were of 5.1 magnitude. And many more of lesser intensity. People stayed on streets, never bothering to lock their homes. It was winter and the mercury dipped even further after the earthquake. There was no shortage of food for people on the streets and there was a warm blanket for everyone.
Today, for every gruesome death that was recorded then, there has been an story of success, courage and of survival against all odds. Stories of people who have rebuilt their life from the scratch.
"Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit." - Bern Williams.
A lovely post on the victory of triumph of human spirit :)
ReplyDeleteI remember this day vividly. I was on my honeymoon and heard about it. My best friend had got married earlier that day! I felt fear after the 92 riots, once again. Worried for the ones I'd left home. Will never forget it.
ReplyDeleteThe quote at the end really sums it up,doesn't it? I remember too the fateful day, though I was far down south at the time. My sister was in Gujarat at the time and was thankfully safe and sound in her part of it.
ReplyDeleteI was in Ahmedabad that day too Janaki.
ReplyDeleteWhat I remember most about that quake is the amazing resilience of the gujrati people. They are a proud people. They helped each other but refused government handouts. From all over the country, truck loads of resources- food, medicine, clothes- and helping hands were on their way to gujarat within hours of the quake. I will never forget the strong sense of community they possess. I personally know many people who left their homes and businesses to go to gujrat and help rebuild it. And look at the place today!
Loved this...
There is really nothing as resilient as the Human spirit. Hugs Janu must be a terrible experience. I remember that day too. All the way in Delhi - the utensils shook in our kitchen shelves and the hanging lamps wobbled.
ReplyDeleteE is for Excellence! - I am so blessed to have read all the posts today, Each one touched my heart in a special way! :-) Thank you Janaki for the post! - CHeers, Laxmi
ReplyDeleteThat must've been terrifying. Wellington is also prone to earthquakes. We get shaken almost everyday - the little ones don't bother us anymore but the bigger shakes have me scurrying under the doorways. I loved the quote at the end - that is ever so true.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your memory. btw I'm gujju!
And my entire family lived in Ahmedabad back then even my married sister and her family. I can't forget the terror of those days! And Ahmedabad is one of the best cities in the country.
ReplyDeleteOh! We remember that day very clearly too. Husband was in Ahmbd for a tour and reached back home in the early hours of 26th ... and we woke up to this earth quake news... it was shocking!
ReplyDeleteThat earthquake generated slight tremors even in Andhra which was strange. It indeed was a shock !
ReplyDeleteThe human spirit is seen everywhere, Janaki. No people are greater and no lesser in this.
ReplyDeleteI remember waking up to the news and watching the drama unfold on the TV. :( It was sad, just to watch it on the TV, I can't even imagine the trauma :(
ReplyDeleteI certainly feel gujaratis are very warm and delightful.
ReplyDeleteI was in school in 2001 when Udaipur rocked with gujarat. It was a day to remember. First time I saw a building developing cracks in front of my eyes. It was a day that brought a lot of people together.
wow...its like remembering where i was on sept 11th...well i was in the air and put down in atlanta...days like this though cement in our memory...
ReplyDeleteI remember it too. O! How can one forget that. We at Delhi felt it too. I was very young then but I still remember it. Our widow panes were shaking hard, wall mounted photo frames got tilted.....
ReplyDeleteLoved the way you have written about human spirit and its triumph over every odd.
Glad that you and your family came out safely
I remember it too. I had just been to my Grandpa's place in Ahdb'd in December and to think that the whole apartment is a big pile of rubble, and people I know no longer exist. I was a child then, but I still remember it so vividly.
ReplyDeleteSo right, human spirit triumphs!
So good to hear these stories! We only hear about the devastation but not about the resilience and selflessness on the news!
ReplyDeleteI remember that, Janaki. To have been there must be devastating. The human spirit indeed triumphs. Thank you for sharing your feelings. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that you had been through this, Janaki. It must have been so terrifying for you all. I'm so glad that you've chosen to remember the memories of community strength you evidenced.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful and positive post about a tragic event. It sure is the human spirit which triumphs every time.
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