 |
Kathmandu Saturday September 15, 2001 Bhadra 30, 2058.
|
Renewed camaraderie
As a New Yorker myself, I can relate to
Akhilesh Upadhyay’s "New York’s sense of security badly bruised." But
I would also like to point out that the World Trade Centre carnage has awakened New
Yorkers with a renewed camaraderie.
I witnessed the destruction of the Twin
Towers and the way the second plane slammed into the tower. I froze. And the rest of the
scenario was even more painful. I saw people jumping from the Twin Towers. I was horrified
by the sight and cry. My tears were not only for the destruction of a New York landmark, a
symbol of the world economy, but also for thousands of people who were turned into ashes.
Now the city is traumatized. Scary
make-believe stories and bomb hoax have created terror. Police are searching for any
suspicious materials in subways, skyscrapers and public places. Yesterday, I became a
victim of a bomb hoax myself while sitting for my GRE exams. Police told us to evacuate
the building, and I made a dash for my life from the tenth floor as the elevator closed. I
thought I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to my loved ones. Then I fell down feeling
dizzy. A policeman came to pick me up and escorted me. Pleasantly surprised, I gave him a
hug and burst into tears.
This is a new camaraderie I have never seen
in the New York city. Yankees have been known to be very impersonal and rude. But that
image seems to have vanished overnight. "Without the Twin Towers, the Empire State
Building looks lonely in the New York skyline, but nobody can destroy the American
spirit," says my dear friend Catharine Johnson at St Joseph’s College, wiping
her tears and hugging me tight.
As a Nepalese, I hope our people learn a
thing or two from this, especially our politicians. New York’s Mayor Rudy Guilliani
has been working tirelessly. He shares jokes with fire fighters, sheds tears in press
conferences and smiles to heart-broken New Yorkers.
Saru Gurung
Saint Joseph’s College, New York |
