I have constantly refrained from expressing strong political and religious opinion in my blog here because they are my own and publishing about them only invites everyone else to join in and debate their validity. I like validation of my thoughts & beliefs only when I expressly ask for them and Now is not the time when I would like some.
From last wednesday night, here, till the end of friday there was rampant terror in a important part of my homeland. Until very recently, no one was able to tell for sure why...
Even now its difficult to justify the cause that has lead to so many unwarranted deaths, senseless tragedy and the standstill of a bustling metropolis.
The Media milked the situation for all that it possibly could. I have always been a fan of the television...but crossing the lines is something even the most devout tv lover cannot accept.
Why would you intensively follow the most secretive & elite attack force of the nation and give up to the second coverage on live TV of how many are going in, from where and other such details of the methodology being adopted to flush the militants who are holed up?
Its almost as good as planning escapes for them.
When there is a terror situation and the NSG Commandos are handling it, the secretive nature of their jobs should be protected and press conferences should happen at the end of the day when all the work was done.
Sensationalism should not trod on the feet of the brave people who are trying to save the day.
Get some priorities people!
Now the icing on the cake...the blame game.
political parties blame each other, countries are casting asperations on one another in the most vile and undignified way possible ( this discussion made my blood boil, so there!) and we look like a sorry bunch of imbeciles.
Suddenly India is one of the top 10 dangerous places in the world to visit.
Great! As if New York and London suddenly got deserted by everyone because of the large scale terror attacks that they faced. Then why such harsh measures?
Didnt anyone catch the interview of Johnathan Ehrlich and his message about Mumbai?
"Mumbai is New York, New York is D.C., D.C. is Vancouver and Vancouver is Menlo Park or Toronto. These people don’t have any remorse, it is pure evil. And they need to be stopped. And what we all need to do is get on a plane, go to Mumbai, put our arms around these people. They’re fantastic and beautiful people, they need our support. And we need to go and show these people that we’re not afraid. We need to dust ourselves off, pick ourselves up and get back in the game. "
I may not agree with the man always but MK Gandhi had it spot on when he said - Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.
The people who caused the terror in Mumbai are pure, adulterated evil and to cower and simper is to give them the result they sought. Mumbai has proved its mettle many times before, her people will do it yet again and with panache...
New Delhi, however, is an entirely different picture...If only the politicians would let the law capture and punish perpetrators and their helpers without giving consideration to vote bank politics that highlights the caste, religion and minority-majority aspects...but that scenario is too fantastical to expect; pigs are likelier to take wing instead.
Its time indians learnt the difference between actual secularity & tolerance vs. not taking the stand that is required just to maintain the image of secularity & toleranance...as S Gurumurthy has so correctly stated here.
The neighbours who call themselves "peaceful", probably because no one else will, are helpless to prevent the terror from affecting their cities and are getting the threats from their brothers about take overs (not the organization kind) if they work with NATO. Quite ironical that a parliamentarian lady from that country said to India that "what you sow, so you reap".
How about you say that for yourselves first?
It is an unjust world where London born youth with all the oppurtuinity to make peaceful and educated decisions adopt religious matyrdom as their chosen path to glory and cause the misery to innocents Indian, American or Israeli. But its just another instance of the eternal struggle...its painful and saddening to be on the side of Good, but we will win.
A prayer for all the lives lost and left barely breathing...a wish for the survivors to find their way again.
Sarve bhavantu sukhinah
sarve santu niraamayah
sarve bhadrani pashyanthu
Ma kaschid dukha mapnuyat
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthihi,
Rain
JAI HIND.
