Click to play videoMumbai: Actor and director Anupam Kher, as part of CNN-IBN's Citizen Journalist campaign, spoke on how rains are no more a symbol of happiness and romance.
Kher voiced his concern on the rain deluge and asked Mumbaikars not to fear the rain gods and to keep the spirit of city alive.
Here is what he had to say on undying spirit of Mumbai:
Hi my name is Anupam Kher and I am talking to you today as the citizen of Mumbai city. Right now I am at beginning of Juhu. Behind me is SNDT College.
What separates SNDT college from my acting school ‘Actor Prepares’ is this nala which has a lot of water right now.
We were told when the July 26 happened that we will clean this place. But, nothing happened to this place.
Rains used to always be a symbol of happiness, romance, a little cool weather in Bombay, but now any shower, any kind of rain, big or small is a symbol of fear.
And the worse part is that you get SMS messages on your mobile from the BMC officials ‘Please stay at home. The schools are not opening’ which is frightening.
Why is it that only the suburbs are suffering? I think because government officials live on this side? We can’t make living in the rains as part of our life. I am not here to give a lecture on how one should live, or how one should deal with it.
Through this programme I saw a lot of citizens talking about its out responsibility also. But the only people who are fulfilling their responsibility are the citizens of the city.
Last year, on July 26, my whole office got submerged and all our equipment went haywire and my company made an insurance claim of a certain amount as compared to Rs 10 lakh claim that we had made.
They sent me a letter saying Rs 15,000 is sanctioned. So that’s shameful. Anyway I hope the spirit of Mumbai is alive and people still deal with it a little more courageously because people in the authorities are not helping us.
This is Anupam Kher reporting live as citizen of Bombay on behalf of CNN-IBN. Thank you very much.
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