YSR's death

It did start off in a comical note - 'Andhra CM missing' (Tamil note even more rib-tickling) but I, for one, didnt expect AP CM YSR to die. Neither do/can I vote for him nor I support Congress for that matter. I think the 'suddenness' of the end to someone's life does shock me atleast. I am not of the 'emotional' kind but maybe it is wired into nature that I am shocked by 'sudden death's. I had a similar feeling when actor Soundarya died in a similar crash. When the news about his non-availability was coupled with some reports that he was sighted in some village, I thought that either he went to some place without informing others or there was some communication problems, especially when there was also news of heavy rain. Even if the helicopter was going to crash because of rains, my brother-in-law who flies helicopters used to say that helicopters are typically low-altitude carriers, I thought the helicopter should have crashed from a pretty low height and if it fell into some trees, he may have broken some leg or hand. Death didnt have a high probability, atleast in my mind.

I am member of one online community in Orkut (Tamil Nadu Politics) and I was surprised AND sick to see posts where people wished that Karunanidhi, CM of TN, was in that plane or that YSR indeed dies :o I may not cry for any death whether it is relative or others, but still I am not so insensitive or so single-minded to wish so or to indulge in low grade comments. In some sense, it puts into perspective what Joseph Stalin had remarked - one death is a tragedy; one million deaths is just a statistic. He was probably referring to 'exaggerated' reports of casualty in some project - say underground railway work. I think now it is a case of where even one death is a statistic. Looking back, I cant help contrasting how people were to how people are. My grandmother cried when MGR, CM of Tamil Nadu died (I was 9 yrs then). Her husband was a Congress (Kamaraj) loyalist but still death of a human being, who she may not have seen directly even once, moved her. MGR's death was also not totally 'unexpected' given his age, medical history, hospital admissions etc. When she died, I didnt cry and I think it is my mental make-up. Next 'sudden death' was Rajiv Gandhi's death and it was tense in our house because our family friend, a Muslim had the marriage of his daughter who was a close friend of my sister. Practically nothing could move across the roads in the city and all of us including bride and groom WALKED to the marriage hall and marriage had only minimal attendance. Obviously nobody even thought of Rajiv Gandhi or his family or politics, that day.

The death that probably affected me the most till now was that of my grandmother (mother's mother). Maybe I practically lived with her for years, when her son (my uncle) was abroad on work. Also during bouts of hysteria that she had, she shouted at everyone, but NOT ME. Her last days/months were practically alone - my uncle had gone to US and not to come till date. After that event, any death was just a piece of news for me. At the same time, I never mocked or laughed at some death. It may take some more time still for me to come out of the sickening happiness in some people at someone's death.