Welcome to Namma Bengaluru..!!!

We Indians have a bad habit, We don’t respond, till we are victims of things ourselves. Bangalore, aka Bengaluru my second home is close to my heart but then I come across incidents where I wonder, has the city really accepted me or am I still a stranger here? No offense to anyone, I’m just expressing my pain and frustration that anything can happen here and people will remain mute spectators and walk away. 

Saturday I was on my way back from a lunch outing with one of my colleague. Bangalore with its infamous traffic blocks, as usual we were stuck in a jam in Jayanagar. The car ahead of us jammed a sudden brake and naturally we had to screech to a halt and of course for the vehicles coming behind us in inch difference. Our car got bumped and we were sure that something hit ours. Naturally we got out to check whether there is any dent/damage. What we didn't expect was some stranger pulling my colleagues collar while I had no clue what’s going on.

It seems that because we pulled the break, they hit our car and one bikewala hit theirs.Now they wanted us to pay compensation. It took us a while for the realization to dawn that even if someone is hitting My car, I’m the one supposed to pay compensation. I thought are they had lost it what they are asking. But their behavior was far away from humane. With four Gundas around, we wondered what to do, we tried talking but went in vain, their threatening changed to manhandling my colleague. I called up the people I know, I called police, they asked us to come to police station immediately. But these Gundas didn’t allow going to police station, they just wanted money. Now their threatening style changed, If we take our car, they are gonna break it! All these while I didn’t see anyone coming forward with a helping hand. They could see a girl in the middle of all the fight, I saw curiousness in the bystanders faces like they are watching a movie. I realized that I can’t expect a helping hand. I called the police again to tell our situation, and was informed that someone will be reaching in 10mins. In the meanwhile, one of the family who was watching the entire incident came to our help. They told the mob that the fault is theirs and they hit us and we have done nothing wrong. The Gundas may have realized that they are not going to get any compensation; they took a big stone and came forward to break the car. We tried to stop from every side, my colleague was dragged away by two of them while the other two hit the car and broke the windows and then fled.

We have their Car number, we can recognize them anywhere, a case has been filed. What I don't understand is hasn’t human life got any value here. Is it like anyone can attack anyone for any reason or No reason. Do we have a system where by the time police reach us we could be safe? I'm worried, I thought at least in day light these kinds of things don’t happen. But I was so wrong.  The cars registration number is

KA 03 ME 6222 – Beware of them

I will go out again, but I will not forget this incident. Now I realize the necessity of learning Kannada. I May have handled the situation better, had I known Kannada. But does being humane got anything to do with what language you speak. Some of you will go through a similar situation or may come across. I hope you will “act” next time. I didn’t know whether to cry or beg at that point of time. Thinking now, I don't even know what was going in my mind. The moment I realized I won’t get a help, I hated the people, I hated the place. A request when something happens in front of you; React, Respond, Stop the Violence!