What a farce....

I have been following Mr. S A Aiyer's articles in the Sunday Times for a long time, but never before have I felt as aggrieved as I felt today. According to Mr. Aiyer we are overreacting on the Mumbai terror attacks (See article ) Not only is this statement callous but it is an exact antithesis of human emotions. This is the probably the last thing we could have expected to hear after our noteworthy politicians saw it as a small incident in a big city. Others had a dekko at the lipstick and powder appearance and still others ridiculed the family members of a martyr who laid down his life in the combing operation.

Some days back I was wondering, what makes us so vulnerable to terror attacks. The answer came today, we just don't give a damn. We have seen a spate of terror attacks in the past six months or so, but we have hardly responded to any of them with vigour and intensity. Our quietitude has often been termed as our resilience, which on the contrary is our oblivion to the cause of those who die in these incidents. We just don't care as long as we are safe. Mr. Aiyar talks about diplomatic measures and strong international pressure as tools to defeat this menace. Don't we know how fickle international pressure is. The only thing that motivates response from the US and other western states is their vested interests, quite evident in the case of Mumbai terror attacks. US citizens were exclusively targeted in these attacks and some of them were killed as well. It is now mounting pressure on Pakistan to take punitive action against those who were responsible for these attacks. We cannot rely on such quarters for support and solidarity for our cause. We have to take strong measures, beef up our security, enhance our intelligence services and above all instill confidence in the people of our country. The Americans castigating Pakistan gives us vicarious pleasure but that certainly not is the harbinger of peace. There are so many home grown terror outfits in our country. Even if the US acts against Pakistan, it is going to have marginal or no effect on these outfits who in turn will get another reason to proliferate their virulent agenda. The solution is in unity and assertive action. Let the entire world know that we Indians value our motherland and our people above everything else and that we are ready to go any length to ensure peace and harmony in our country even at the cost of our lives. Several diplomatic efforts have been in the past to call peace with Pakistan. One such effort saw the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri under suspicious circumstances. Pakistan is not the kind of nation that can be appeased through diplomatic measures. Conservative and radical Islam rules the roost in many parts of the country. Until and unless the country is alleviated of this menace, no political dialogue is possible. However, there is a silver lining in this predicament. The people on the other side of the border are equally troubled by these terrorists. A concerted efforts by the populace of both the countries can do a world of good for both the nations to fight insurgency. But, as is in most of the cases, such efforts can bear fruit only through impassioned and zealous initiatives. I hope I have got my point clear. The answer is action and not longing.....