By IANS,
Mumbai : Shrugging off the trauma of three days of terror, it was a return to normal life in Mumbai Monday morning with students flocking to their schools and people heading to work while the stock market and Bollywood also resumed their activities.
Keeping up with their fabled never-say-die spirit, Mumbaikars left home as usual for school, office or other business.
Though many of the government and private offices were open on Friday and Saturday, only a few people had ventured out of home or made it to work as the operations to neutralise the remaining terrorists were still on.
Private and public vehicles including buses, trains, auto rickshaws and taxis are plying normally on the roads Monday morning.
“The trains were jam packed as usual in the morning” said Sudhir Joshi, who works in private firm J.B. Boda at Churchgate, and commutes everyday from his home in Vasai.
Joshi, who had also gone to his office on Friday and Saturday, said: “There were very few people on Friday and Saturday and the trains were moderately crowded but today it seemed they were more crowded than usual.”
Schools and colleges have also started functioning normally with parents sending their wards to study.
“After a four day break, I have sent my son to school today” said Manisha Boikar, a resident of Dongri in the heart of the city.
“The situation seems to be normal now and so there is no point in keeping our children at home. After all we can not compromise with their career”, she said.
The stock market is functioning normally and brokers are also back to their normal work. Though the stock exchange was also open on Friday, brokers preferred to stay away as the situation was not normal then.
Rakesh Shah, a sub broker, said that Monday was the first day he had come to work after Wednesday. “The market is also showing positive signs and is up by 200 points. I hope the week goes well”, he said.
Shootings of various films and TV serials have also resumed.
Hemal Trivedi of Sankraman studios, said: “There was high tension in the city for last three to four days which led to cancellation of various shoots. But, today everything is in place and we are working as per our normal schedule.”
Film maker Ketan Mehta, who was in Goa for the International Film Festival of India, said that he was in Panaji during the attack and only came back on Saturday. “I was there in my home. But now everything seems to be normal and I am back to work.”
“Life is about struggle and existence, we can not shy away from it,” he added.