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mid-day editorial: Don't get swept away in recklessness

Updated on: 06 August,2016 07:36 AM IST  | 
MiD DAY Correspondent |

When will Mumbaikars learn to stop playing with their lives? While the monsoon is often associated with romance, there is also a darker side to it, with a slew of drowning deaths taking place year after year

mid-day editorial: Don't get swept away in recklessness

When will Mumbaikars learn to stop playing with their lives? While the monsoon is often associated with romance, there is also a darker side to it, with a slew of drowning deaths taking place year after year. Carried away by their enthusiasm and a sense of adventure, people merrily cavort in the choppy sea, never imagining that the waves will sweep them away just as easily.


Our history and records show us so many fatalities because people have misjudged currents or because they are too busy with revelries to even care. Something similar had happened on Thursday, when a Belgian tourist Bram Ronsse saw two teens drowning off Girgaum beach. Although he was not a good swimmer, he jumped into the water anyway and managed to save one of the boys. The two drowning boys were a part of a group of 12 who decided to spend time on the beach. While their friends were safe in shallow waters, both these boys entered the deep waters and were dragged in by the current. Just a few days earlier, the bodies of three men were found in Tansa lake. They had drowned while celebrating Gatari there.


Why wade into water this season at all? Even worse that people choose to do it after drinking. This is a lethal combination, like drinking and driving. Besides slowing your reflexes, alcohol also gives you a false sense of bravado and confidence, and the line between reality and fiction is often blurred. But it is the selfie craze that seems to be the biggest factor right now. People are simply too busy taking pictures by the sea, to even consider the consequences of their action.


It is specious to put onus on authorities. Firstly, you have to be responsible for your actions. Defying warnings means you are playing with your life. People have also threatened and beaten lifeguards for stopping them from going into the water. The biggest mistake people make is thinking that it cannot happen to them. Do not underestimate the strength of the water and overestimate your ability to swim out of trouble. You are no match for the fury of nature.

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