On 12-Jul-2006, on the way to office, as we were stuck in innumerable traffic jams, I was wondering when we'll get to office and the evening before it had been "when will I get back home"...and so on..and this instantly steered my mind to the Mumbai incidents of 11-Jul...as anything these days does....so here goes wht I managed to key in amidst my wrk so far..
I got thinking how little we do vis-à-vis the big things we think about. We do speak aloud why we are so quiet, why we are so tolerant and why India can't launch a strong offensive against these terrorists. But when it comes to doing something, we stay back…we just don't pressurize the Govt. enough in such situations…and this includes not just the media, but also the victims and their friends, the general public and even the students who are supposed to be the fiery and proactive face of the country!
At times like this, media no doubt is giving coverage and organizing SMS polls etc but is it enough...Where is the collective "voice of the nation", why haven't the stirs and demonstrations started as yet demanding the Govt. to get offensive at least NOW...asserting that its been too long we have borne and tolerated the havoc wreaked over us time and again...
The media was teeming with views, counterviews and forums galore in cases like Jessica Lal's murder and the AIIMS strike against reservations etc., which were no doubt important and justice needed to be done...But isn't this longstanding, imminent and dangerous threat to our entire nation and its millions as important, if not more?! We shook a whole city when someone desecrated a statue of a mother figure in politics but we utter no word and shake no limb when someone does the same to our motherland? What resilience indeed!
Isn't it time for the people of India to raise their voices together, once more, for someone to spearhead the struggle once more and lead the masses to shake the govt. out of its peaceful slumber…? There are several courageous and affected souls out there who do want to act you know including you and me too but we need leaders who'll show the way.
But WHO are those leaders...I shudder to think they are those Govt. reps who stroll down the aisles giving "we condemn the act" statements, hovering in meetings perhaps discussing how many more commandoes they would need for themselves and irking the public further by their long motorcades. So then why aren't we, the people who have elected these so-called leaders, urging them to look up for while from their scams and money & power-hungry races to do what they were meant to do in the first place?!
And then I realized suddenly how vague (for lack of a better word) we are…we run around and raise our voices for almost everything under the sun, from rise in tomato and diesel prices to a power plant construction, to changing laws to reducing pollution etc., but there’s just not enough focus on the matter that ought to matter most to all of us...aren't we tired of this inaction or are just being plainly and lazily foolish?
We have been espousing ideals of non-violence and tolerance since time immemorial but absolute non-violence in the face of such fanatic terrorism seems nothing short of foolhardiness. Forget proactive, we are not even a reactive nation as of now- 12 years since the Mumbai blasts but not an ounce of action against anyone. The July blasts were just waiting to happen, weren’t they?
No other country in the world has exhibited such a level of patience but what worth is it than a couple of peace awards and some international acclaim for our “exemplary” behavior! But there’s got to be a limit to this, coz how long are we expected to be struck, fall down, rise back again, only to be struck once more. Amazing resilience indeed but of what use is it after all when it won’t save us and our dear ones from death.
Every time a tragedy strikes, our PM keeps telling us "we shall always stand up, we shall not be defeated by the terrorists”, no sir, we shall not be defeated by them, only massacred mercilessly and dead people don’t get defeated anymore…Its time Sir, to gather up all our guts, oil the tanks and guns, shake up the armed forces and launch a brave, bold and big-time offensive against those who dare to kill us and violate our lives time and again!!
Hope better sense and actions louder than words prevail this time around!
I got thinking how little we do vis-à-vis the big things we think about. We do speak aloud why we are so quiet, why we are so tolerant and why India can't launch a strong offensive against these terrorists. But when it comes to doing something, we stay back…we just don't pressurize the Govt. enough in such situations…and this includes not just the media, but also the victims and their friends, the general public and even the students who are supposed to be the fiery and proactive face of the country!
At times like this, media no doubt is giving coverage and organizing SMS polls etc but is it enough...Where is the collective "voice of the nation", why haven't the stirs and demonstrations started as yet demanding the Govt. to get offensive at least NOW...asserting that its been too long we have borne and tolerated the havoc wreaked over us time and again...
The media was teeming with views, counterviews and forums galore in cases like Jessica Lal's murder and the AIIMS strike against reservations etc., which were no doubt important and justice needed to be done...But isn't this longstanding, imminent and dangerous threat to our entire nation and its millions as important, if not more?! We shook a whole city when someone desecrated a statue of a mother figure in politics but we utter no word and shake no limb when someone does the same to our motherland? What resilience indeed!
Isn't it time for the people of India to raise their voices together, once more, for someone to spearhead the struggle once more and lead the masses to shake the govt. out of its peaceful slumber…? There are several courageous and affected souls out there who do want to act you know including you and me too but we need leaders who'll show the way.
But WHO are those leaders...I shudder to think they are those Govt. reps who stroll down the aisles giving "we condemn the act" statements, hovering in meetings perhaps discussing how many more commandoes they would need for themselves and irking the public further by their long motorcades. So then why aren't we, the people who have elected these so-called leaders, urging them to look up for while from their scams and money & power-hungry races to do what they were meant to do in the first place?!
And then I realized suddenly how vague (for lack of a better word) we are…we run around and raise our voices for almost everything under the sun, from rise in tomato and diesel prices to a power plant construction, to changing laws to reducing pollution etc., but there’s just not enough focus on the matter that ought to matter most to all of us...aren't we tired of this inaction or are just being plainly and lazily foolish?
We have been espousing ideals of non-violence and tolerance since time immemorial but absolute non-violence in the face of such fanatic terrorism seems nothing short of foolhardiness. Forget proactive, we are not even a reactive nation as of now- 12 years since the Mumbai blasts but not an ounce of action against anyone. The July blasts were just waiting to happen, weren’t they?
No other country in the world has exhibited such a level of patience but what worth is it than a couple of peace awards and some international acclaim for our “exemplary” behavior! But there’s got to be a limit to this, coz how long are we expected to be struck, fall down, rise back again, only to be struck once more. Amazing resilience indeed but of what use is it after all when it won’t save us and our dear ones from death.
Every time a tragedy strikes, our PM keeps telling us "we shall always stand up, we shall not be defeated by the terrorists”, no sir, we shall not be defeated by them, only massacred mercilessly and dead people don’t get defeated anymore…Its time Sir, to gather up all our guts, oil the tanks and guns, shake up the armed forces and launch a brave, bold and big-time offensive against those who dare to kill us and violate our lives time and again!!
Hope better sense and actions louder than words prevail this time around!
