'Bindaas' Bombay turning cranky

Rage, it seems, has gotten the better of Mumbaikars. A spate of rage-fuelled incidents over the last few months has shattered the notion that Mumbaikars are easy-going and tolerant. In January, a man in Mahim was stabbed over something as trivial as using a public toilet. A couple of months later, Mumbai’s rage reared its ugly head again. A 16-year-old boy was bashed to death by his friends for dropping a catch at a friendly cricket match early in March and on Sunday a South Mumbai businessman in a fit of pique rammed his car thrice into another car carrying two senior citizens and a toddler.

Are Mumbaikars not being able to control their rage anymore? Have we become so intolerant that a dropped catch or an altercation on the road can lead to such senseless violence? According to city psychiatrists, trends seem to suggest so.
“We are becoming intolerant. There is no doubt about that. What we need to realise is that a violent outburst is not caused by one incident. It is generally an accumulation of stress which finally gives way to aggression and violence. The condition of roads is so bad that driving in the city, especially at peak hours, is really stressful. And as traffic keeps worsening we are going to see more and more incidents of road rage,” says Dr Varkha Chulani, clinical psychologist at Lilavati Hospital.
The increased stress of day to day living seems to be the main reason behind the escalating aggression of Mumbaikars, according to Dr Sajid Ali Khan, consultant psychologist at Kohinoor hospital.
“Most people in India are not aware of their mental health. Lots of people suffer from sub-clinical psychological problems, which manifest themselves in a big way when they’re exposed to stressful situations,” he says.
Dr Chulani points out that the culture of instant-gratification that is so ingrained in Mumbai raises the intolerance of Mumbaikars.