Shaken Not Stirred

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The Kamala Mills tragedy is still on my mind. I am shaken up by it. I had been to 1 Above, the restaurant which caught fire and where all the deaths happened. It just did not have a good vibe. The elevators were not working in the supposedly cool building which houses so many TV channels offices and studios. The staircase is not very big. It was full of empty plastic bottles of mineral water and cold drinks along with coffee cups n cigarette stubs. Did not feel very safe as we trudged up six floors to reach the terrace. The side entrance was narrow. The left side was like a store room and the right side had some 50 odd gas cylinders  lying in a straight line one on top of the other making a corridor which we had to cross to enter the restaurant. Terrace was all artificial plants, poles, curtains and candles with wooden furniture. The air conditioned area which also looked illegal had an extremely narrow service entrance opposite the toilet. The food was bad and so was the service. The crowd looked listless like the staff. I was wondering why the place was so popular. We just completed our meal and decided never to go back again. Walked back the dirty staircase down six or seven floors. Husband and me were talking that may be the alcohol was cheap to make it popular. 

I have this thing with all Kamala Mills eateries, I do not like the vibe or the food there. And I keep going there on and off just to try a new place which has come up. Right from Tamasha to Bombay Canteen to Grand Mamma s cafe to Milk to Smaash, each place manages to disappoint in food and service. I remember my nephew visiting  and wanting to go to Smaash. We went there and actually walked out as we thought it was no place for children. Why would it be so popular with parents to host parties for their children? It is so artificial, the games, the gadgets, the lighting and the ambience, definitely not for the kids. Aren't children supposed to play in open air and around nature? Why can't someone buy a piece of land and plant trees and make it a real children's park? Why do we have to put turf on the flooring so the child doesn't not fall and hurt himself ? What kind of environment are parents providing their children in Kidzania or Snow World? How hygienic is a place all air-conditioned permanently with no fresh air and no sunlight. Cleaning with detergents and Dettol just pollutes the closed air further. 

Coming back to the tragedy in Kamala Mills, the BMC broke down the encroachments in 600 odd eateries. The pressure came from their bosses and promptly a fortnight break was given to restaurants. All are back to operating the way they were. BMC is happy with some other things. On the day after the fire, the lunch business in the Kamala Mills restaurants was going on. In the night people were partying and the music was on, till the cops got it shut. Humanity has taken a back seat. Anyways, it comes out only for animals during the Indian festivals. People still flock to all the illegal terrace restaurants. The young honcho of the BMC ruling party has always said rooftop eateries are a good business idea. The BMC follows his orders and gives permission to all. I mean, the 1 Above eatery, got the fire clearance five days before the fire. The gas cylinders could not have been hidden anywhere else. 

They are catching the owners of the eateries but not the owner of the land who is renting it out to all the places and allowing encroachments. Junior officers of BMC bear the brunt by being suspended. All restaurants seem to have political contacts in the BMC and are able to flout all rules. I won't even talk about the kitchen, toilets and staff hygiene here. The less said the better. The fire which killed an equal number of people in a 'Farsaan' Snack making factory was heart breaking. All the nameless people who make snacks for us which our kids munch when they are not fed the factory machine prepared chips by the MNCs. Life disappears in a jiffy. Caution should be a way of life. Why do people want to flout these rules? What is this kind of urge to make money at the cost of other people's lives? 

Went for a 'Prarthana Sabha' or a prayer meet for the departed. There was a band of musicians singing Bhajans. The lady said we think we do not steal but think of all the taxes we don't pay or don't want to pay and manage to subvert, that is stealing too. This was an entire community of business people and the lady singer made this announcement between Bhajans. Even death does not stir us. 
Can we  start reading the fine print of our life? 


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