Welcome the New Year 2015 – how did
you enjoy the birth of the new year and passing away of the olden one. I had posted on remaining sane, and asked
whether I was too critical or cynical on the way the New Year is partied
!!! Binge : a
bout of excessive indulgence in eating or drinking; spree. English New Year is
just another day to me. It is the perspective of an individual ~ one can
celebrate, make merry in the manner that gives happiness to one; can make
others to be happy on a special day.
At various parts of the globe,
the bubbly was uncorked early as they got ready to usher in the New Year. For some revellers, a vibrant energy infused
the air. At Chennai, more than 15,000
police personnel were on the roads to maintain law and order and ensure the
celebrations were safe and stress-free. The city's beaches were swamped with
revellers. The trend of house parties was also in evidence and most hotels were
fully packed, irrespective of the higher costsl
In Great Britain, millions took to the
streets to celebrate a night to remember as the country ushered in 2015 - and
some clearly enjoyed the occasion more than others. Some of the newspapers wrote that it all got a bit too much for some
party-goers, displaying photographs of drunken people. Young women lying on pavement and elsewhere
was the theme. In Cardiff, there were 90 arrests made by Metropolitan
Police officers working on the policing operation for New Year's Eve. The breakdown is - 27 on suspicion of being drunk and
disorderly, 22 for assault, seven for sexual offences and six for drugs. Meanwhile, West Midlands Ambulance Service
tweeted: 'We've had more than 100 999 calls within the first 30 minutes of
2015.
At Shanghai, merry turned tragic as the
New Year's Eve stampede left at least 35 dead and 42 injured after thousands
'surged forward to grab fake dollars
thrown from a rooftop'. It is
stated that the stampede may have been caused when the crowd surged forward
trying to grab fake money thrown from a building in the square. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency cited
the Shanghai's government in saying that at least another 42 people have been
injured and have been taken to Shanghai General Hospital. The deaths and injuries
occurred in Chen Yi Square, in city's waterfront Bund area, which attracted
300,000 people last New Years Eve and is notorious for causing severe
congestion at major events.
Official news service, Xinhua,
reported that the stampede began at 11.35pm local time, and a witness has
claimed the deathly stampede occurred when people in the crowd rushed to grab
fake money, reported Business Insider.
The poor communication made the relatives of victims go berserk and Security
personnel used chairs to barricade themselves against family members of
the stampede victims. The crowds had
gathered to see the light show themed
'civilisation' themed, decorated with a scheme of bronze, blue and white
porcelain, and terracotta.
While we grieve these deaths, the
Hindu reports that in Chennai city, amid
New Year revelry, five lose their lives in city. Young men and women, children and elders
descended the beach in motorcycles and
cars. Fancy fireworks were set off on Kamaraj Salai opposite the Mahatma Gandhi
statue. The police had a tough time keeping the over-enthusiastic youth in
check. A few young men brazenly carried liquor bottles, consuming them opposite
the office of the Director General of Police. The night, however, turned tragic
for four persons who died in accidents, and one youth who was murdered in
festivity-related violence. Newspaper
reports suggest that the enthusiasm with which city residents, mainly
youngsters on the roads, plunged into New Year-eve celebrations proved costly
for many. At least 300 people were injured
besides those died in separate accidents in the city.
In main roads, reflectors had been
installed on barricades to make them visible from far and to act as speed
breakers. So another new year, nothing much changed than the previous years and
the sordid tales too continue !!
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
2nd Jan 2015.
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