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Mumbai Part II (Friday, 28th Nov. 2008)

Forty two hours have gone by. And the nightmare continues. 

Spouses, relatives and friends wait outside the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels, in what can be termed as desperate anxiety. They don't know if their near and dear ones are alive or not. Every moment of that wait being painful.

The media camps at a safe distance from the place of the real action. Communicating meaningless reports. Speculating. And then a hoard of them - reporters and camer persons alike pouncing upon any VIP who happens to visit the scene of action. "Was there a massacre?" or "Didn't you have any clue that the terrorists would come by sea?" they ask...

More than a hundred innocent people are dead. Hundreds have died earlier - in Mumbai itself.
Yet, India - the magnanimous India, wants to forgive and forget every time. Proud in the thought that the terrorists are dead and democracy has won. 

So are the hundreds of people.

Don't those hundreds of lives mean anything to the wise old policy makers and implementers of this Country?  

When 9/11 happened in the US, we all know how that Country responded to eliminate terror possibly from the face of the Earth, and to make its own citizens feel secure. 

When the current crisis in Mumbai came to light, the currently touring English cricket team immediately cancelled the rest of their tour. Some laughed at this. But England cares for the lives of every single man on that 16 member squad.

But India has a billion people. She does cannot afford and so does not want so many. Doesn't matter then, that a few die in terrorists attacks. It's natures way of controlling and reducing the growing population - some joke.

Its time that the policy makers of India - the wise old men took a tough stance on the most blatant and defiant attitude displayed by its neighbour - Pakistan, in perpetrating trouble within our Country. And respond in a manner that the World will see as exemplary. 

Many in the World will be surprised and shocked. What happened to non-violence and all - they will ask. But India owes it to her own citizens. Every Indian has a right to walk freely and without fear within his own Country. And those entrusted with the responsibility of running this Country have a moral responsibility to grant this right to every single citizen.













 

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