Anger into Action: Mumbai, ideate & act now

Alyque Padamsee has called angry Mumbaikars to turn their rage into action. A massive rally will be held at the Gateway of India, on Dec 3, to ideate and come up with an action plan for a city that’s bleeding: an exclusive interview.


CJ: Arindam Roy , 2 Dec 2008 Views:6667 Comments:6


ALYQUE PADAMSEE, winner of the Karmaveer Puraskaar, a year back, for ‘lifelong fight for social justice and action,’ has once again taken up the cudgels for Mumbai. In an exclusive telephonic interview to merinews.com, he said that thousands of angry citizens would gather at the Gateway of India, on Wednesday (Dec 3), evening.

“It would be a rally with a difference. There would be no speeches or candlelight vigil. We don’t want to waste the anger of the people. The rally called ‘Anger into Action’ will start with a condolence of two minutes for all those who laid down their lives in the recent terrorist attack,” he informed.

Padamsee added that thereafter it would be an open session, when the discussions would be thrown open to the people. “Each speaker would be given two minutes to speak. One minute to come up with the ideas and the next minute for detailing how it could be transformed into action,” said country’s top adman and theatre personality.

He opined that sometimes people come up with ‘good ideas’. “The Greek call it ‘cathartic experience’. All pent-up feelings need to be channelised. It’s like psychotherapy.”

Informing about the action plan, Padamsee said that a committee would be set up, which would collate the ideas in the rally. “The committee would screen all the ideas, which are implementable. We will call them once again after 30 days and form a forum of the citizens.”

Replying to a question, Padamsee, the social activist said, “No one has done anything for the city. The people of this city need to come forward and decide what they want to do for it.”

His anger against the politicians (though he did not name them) was palpable. He confided, “We have thousands of ideas ourselves but we want the people to take the first step forward.”

Meanwhile, an SMS has been doing rounds for a few days in Mumbai. Sample it here:

Come with angry friends to Citizens Action Rally this Wed 6pm at Gateway of India… “Anger into Action.” Your fellow Mumbaikar, Alyque Padamsee. PL PASS THIS ON.

The Anger into Action rally is being organised, exactly a week later, at the very place, which witnessed the worst holdup between the terrorists and security personnel. Mumbai iconic hotel Taj was in shambles, after it was sanitised of the terrorists after 59 odd hours.

(Link: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=151436 )