Getting up after a long-long time...

It has been a week to Mumbai attacks. Though I was sitting with my laptop all this while, reading news and hoping everytime I logged in that it would be over, I hadn't written anything about it. I couldn't. I was enraged at the whole thing. How can someone enter our country and attack us so brutully? Ofcourse, they are the terrorists and they are supposed to do so. But, our leaders? How can they be so insensitive? Why couldn't the Patils react responsibly? Why wasn't our Prime Minister strong and convincing enough?

Are we, the citizens of India responsible for this situation? I have recently read Dr. Narendra Kohli's 'Yudhh', based on Ram-Katha, which describes the famous Ram-Ravan war. Towards the end, when it became evident that Ravan would be defeated in a matter of few days, a group of common man 'Aam Janta' from Lanka comes to visit Ram. Their leader tells Ram that they are innocent people who are not involved in politics and so it does not matter to them whether their ruler is Ram or Ravan. All they want is peace and the assurance that they wouldn't be harmed or robbed when Ram wins and Lanka's current king is overthrown.

Now, my favourite part is Ram's reply. Very patiently, he tells them that his army is people's army and a disciplined one. So, even after the victory, it would not indulge in looting and troubling people. "But, it is not a matter of pride at all to say that you are not involved or interested in politics. If you cannot differentiate between Ram & Ravan, it is not due to your peacefulness, but due to your cowardice and selfishness".

I feel it is very true and relevant even in today's scenario.

How many times sitting comfortably in our living rooms, have we discussed that we don't care about who is elected as long as our life continues the way it is?

How many times instead of going to cast our vote, we have elected to go for picnic to make use of that holiday?

Who has given these leaders the guts to behave so irresponsibly in a crisis situation like this?

Who has given them the freedom to show inactivity & take our security so lighly?

I believe this attack by Pakistan supported terrorists in the heart of our country's commercial capital was a wake up call for all of us. Even if the international community is showing concern and support, the truth is that all the countries have their own interests and priorities.
This becomes clearer if we analyze the dynamics of our position on the global platform from our independence till date.
Its time we realize that our nation's security is not only our responsibility but our right too. I wish our leaders could take a strong stand in a grave situation like this. What angers me is the urgency with which our PM had assured Pak that we would not attack it. Yes, we wouldn't but why open all our cards? I think we could have used this situation and have opted 'give and take' policy by saying that our decision would depend on the keen-ness (real) Pakistan shows in helping India solve this case.

Having said all this, I know that the time for inactivity is gone. We have to constantly keep our politicians on their toes and make them do some REAL work.

PS: I write this on December 3, the day on which 24 years back, Bhopal Gas Tragedy took place, killing thousands of people and affecting many others due to exposure to toxic gases.

This was the result of the use of poor maintenance and insufficient safety equipments/techniques in the Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide (a US based pesticide company) unlike its plants in the USA.The then chairman and CEO of UC- Warren Anderson was declared fugitive from justice by Indian Courts in 1992 and attempts for his extradition from US have not yet strongly made by our government.