The Mumbai ordeal
Monday, 1. December 2008, 15:23:20
In rememberance of the victims of the terrorist strikes in Mumbai.
The dust settles on this ordeal, we clear the tears from our eyes, unknot our choked throats, wait for the cliches to be told ad nauseam, and watch in absolute horror the body after body being dragged out of the hotels and houses.
Most of you must have seen the recent attacks in Mumbai unfold bullet by bullet in news channels and print media. So, I will not dwell on what had already been stated. Moreover, it is unlikely that any of you will be interested in the analysis and opinions of a whiny, precocious 'young adult'.
Here is a set of vivid and morbid taken by various news agencies.
What is shocking, is that the captured terrorist is only 18. And the rest are between 18 and 28.' Young, highly trained and educated', is what the police have said in their released statement. It is a shame that such young and educated men could be brainwashed so easily; could be led to believe that their random, senseless and inhumane acts of violence could lead them to paradise (and apparently, sex with 72 virgins). How they could be made to believe that such despicable acts would lead to carnal pleasures, is beyond me.
The collective anger of the Indian public is directed at the politicians of the country - the ones in power and the ones in the opposition. This isn't the first time we've come under attack. There has been, and in disturbing regularity, series of bomb blasts almost every 3 months. This would be followed by a brief public outcry, empty promises by the leaders and then we'd shrug our shoulders and carry on, by compulsion, to the daily task that gives us bread. Well, this time it would seem that we're tired of shrugging shoulders. We're angry at the apathy of the ruling state government (a congress government); we're angry at the opposition (BJP) for insensitively using these acts for their political betterment and for sullying the name of the chief of the ATS (anti-terrorism Squad) before he, so bravely, gave up his life protecting ordinary citizens; we're angry at the MNS and Shiv Sena, who by using 'region' politics had polarized the city - and attacked 'outsiders', but during this crisis they seem to be conspicuously absent, never once coming out to pacify the city, or even offer condolences to the victims. We are angry and we want answers. We want assurances that we would be safe in our own country.
But, this incident has united the country against common enemies (terrorists and a lackadaisical political establishment). When the wife of the slain ATS chief, Hemant Karkare, rejected Modi's compensation (The BJP - Hindu right wing, him included, had belittled the chief, accusing him of torturing an arrested Hindu extremist) the nation seemed to stand by her. When Mumbai congratulated the NSG's (National Security Guards who conducted the anti-terrorist operation) and shed tears during the funerals of those commandos who died, they seemed to shun the politics of Raj Thackeray (MNS chief. Conducted a violent drive against those from other states, North Indians in particular who have settled in Mumbai. As most of the commandos are from North India, his type of hate politics will ,hopefully, fade away).
So, I conclude this rather long article, in the hope that a stonger, more united India would emerge from all this.
The dust settles on this ordeal, we clear the tears from our eyes, unknot our choked throats, wait for the cliches to be told ad nauseam, and watch in absolute horror the body after body being dragged out of the hotels and houses.
Most of you must have seen the recent attacks in Mumbai unfold bullet by bullet in news channels and print media. So, I will not dwell on what had already been stated. Moreover, it is unlikely that any of you will be interested in the analysis and opinions of a whiny, precocious 'young adult'.
Here is a set of vivid and morbid taken by various news agencies.
What is shocking, is that the captured terrorist is only 18. And the rest are between 18 and 28.' Young, highly trained and educated', is what the police have said in their released statement. It is a shame that such young and educated men could be brainwashed so easily; could be led to believe that their random, senseless and inhumane acts of violence could lead them to paradise (and apparently, sex with 72 virgins). How they could be made to believe that such despicable acts would lead to carnal pleasures, is beyond me.
The collective anger of the Indian public is directed at the politicians of the country - the ones in power and the ones in the opposition. This isn't the first time we've come under attack. There has been, and in disturbing regularity, series of bomb blasts almost every 3 months. This would be followed by a brief public outcry, empty promises by the leaders and then we'd shrug our shoulders and carry on, by compulsion, to the daily task that gives us bread. Well, this time it would seem that we're tired of shrugging shoulders. We're angry at the apathy of the ruling state government (a congress government); we're angry at the opposition (BJP) for insensitively using these acts for their political betterment and for sullying the name of the chief of the ATS (anti-terrorism Squad) before he, so bravely, gave up his life protecting ordinary citizens; we're angry at the MNS and Shiv Sena, who by using 'region' politics had polarized the city - and attacked 'outsiders', but during this crisis they seem to be conspicuously absent, never once coming out to pacify the city, or even offer condolences to the victims. We are angry and we want answers. We want assurances that we would be safe in our own country.
But, this incident has united the country against common enemies (terrorists and a lackadaisical political establishment). When the wife of the slain ATS chief, Hemant Karkare, rejected Modi's compensation (The BJP - Hindu right wing, him included, had belittled the chief, accusing him of torturing an arrested Hindu extremist) the nation seemed to stand by her. When Mumbai congratulated the NSG's (National Security Guards who conducted the anti-terrorist operation) and shed tears during the funerals of those commandos who died, they seemed to shun the politics of Raj Thackeray (MNS chief. Conducted a violent drive against those from other states, North Indians in particular who have settled in Mumbai. As most of the commandos are from North India, his type of hate politics will ,hopefully, fade away).
So, I conclude this rather long article, in the hope that a stonger, more united India would emerge from all this.
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WIDGETIZE
Shaunak De # 21. December 2008, 09:50