Author: Kavitha Iyer
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: July 16, 2006
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/iep/sunday/story/8578.html
Introduction: Sheltered the stranded
Looking around nervously at Churchgate station
at 7.45 pm on Tuesday, Amit Narayan, 17, saw a sea of people whose minds he
could read in that instant. ''How do I get home? Are my loved ones safe?''
That one thought made them all kindred souls, he says, and then they all became
roommates the next instant.
An announcement at Churchgate said those looking
for a roof for the night could head to the University of Mumbai's International
Students' House, a hostel with a capacity of 123 students. Over 700 people
spent the night there, thanked officials profusely as they ate dal-chawal-sabzi
and congregated in front of a television set.
''Those stranded, in need of a meal or any
other assistance came in,'' says Dr P C Warke, warden of the hostel and head
of the Law Department of the University of Mumbai. ''I told the canteenwallah
to prepare food-there are NGOs sponsoring the costs later.''
Giant mattresses and dozens of sheets came
out-''even the boys in the hostel cooperated,'' says Warke-and Narayan saw
some families, children in tow, finally sigh in relief.
The hungry kept showing up until 3 am, by
when the stranded commuters were swapping cellphones to get messages across.
Elsewhere, municipal schools opened their
gates, offices at World Trade Centre gave employees from nearby establishments
space to spend the night and South Mumbai families materialised on the roads-with
food packets, bananas, biscuits and water bottles. ''And some words of support,''
says Narayan. ''That was really touching.''
