A viral picture represents the true spirit of India, and of its people, that keeps the nation ticking
Social media is flooded with poignant reactions after a picture of a commuter bowing down in front of a Mumbai local train went viral. As the train services resumed after more than 10 months, Netizens went emotional and poured their heart out. Billionaire businessman Anand Mahindra exalted the moment on Twitter when he wrote: “The soul of India…I pray we never lose it…”. Rightly so; the click represents the true spirit of India, and of its people, that kept it going through thick and thin. No doubt that the suburban local is Mumbai’s lifeline and that Mumbaikars rely heavily on it for their daily commute. From office goers, college and school-going students and small vendors to the world-famous dabbawalas, the locomotive is something of a religion to everyone if not absolute god. These overwhelming reactions on Twitter and other social media platforms show that the COVID-19 pandemic, which inflicted untold miseries on mankind and also brought Mumbai’s lifeline to a grinding halt in March last year, stands nowhere in front of India’s indomitable soul which has been driving it since ages.
For millions of Indians, who have their minds and hearts embedded with the values and principles of a primaeval culture, the Almighty is all-pervasive and there is hardly any difference between god and godliness. In villages, towns and cities across the nation, one of the most common sights is of shopkeepers bowing in reverence before opening the shutters of their stores. India’s primordial culture is reflected in its day-to-day life. Reactions like “Only Mumbaikars will understand the beauty of this action”, “Not without a reason, it is called the lifeline of the city” and “That’s how significant the famous Mumbai local train is to a regular commuter” deluged the Twitter, showing that the train service is no less than a deity for its residents. The sorely-missed Mumbai local is finally back on the tracks after a long suspension of its operations, which was a first in many decades as the suburban locomotive has run uninterrupted for years, apart from a few brief interruptions. However, Mumbaikars must take all necessary precautions to keep the possibility of contracting the accursed virus at bay while commuting in the local trains. If emotion and ardour are our strengths in the face of adversity as menacing as COVID-19, we must also have a keen sense of responsibility in our fight against the deadly virus.
