The light of hope in darkness

I was standing on the rooftop of my house on the night of May 7 near two of the busiest petrol stations on Dakshin Marg in Chandigarh. Both the petrol pumps are always brightly lit with flood lights, besides head lamps and tail lights of cars and scooters 24/7. However, on the said night at 7.30 pm these lights were turned off, as residents of Chandigarh wholeheartedly participated in the mock drill for blackout.

The vehicles on the busy Dakshin Marg and both petrol pumps switched off their lights. The Sector 34 market across the road, the illuminated pillar and building of Sector 20 Gurdwara, all switched off lights with clockwise precision and responsibility. The city became dark but united in darkness. And the true beauty of the City Beautiful shined bright in those 10 minutes, as around 2 million people of the city together rose to the occasion in one united feeling of hope, solidarity and patriotism.

Dr Yash Bala, Chandigarh