It is the weekend. I think back as to what was the highlight of the week, and no surprises - 'D day' is what comes to my mind. The day when Delhi was shaken by both man and nature. Yet what continues to surprise me is the sort of stupor in which our great leaders continue to remain in.
Apart from a few and rather drowned out calls about national security, nothing was new. Investigations and 'pre-emptive security tightening' measures are taken up after the deed has been done by cowards who don't believe in a democratic way to air their grievances.
The USA today spends more than a few billions of dollars under the name of Homeland Security. And while I am not stating that it is the best thing to do, there has resulted some sense of security for their citizens. Yet, our India government only talks about how secure our borders and citizens are! Really? Are we? Not attempting to be paranoid here. But when unsecured, unmanned large ships can be cast away and land on the beach of India's financial nerve centre, the reason given is gaps in our radar system. Why do we have these gaps? We can afford to send space missions, afford to be one of the biggest buyers of defence systems, yet we have gaps? Something doesn't quite ring right here, don't you think so?
In my previous post, I asked a few questions directly to the elected representatives of this amazing country. A month down the line (yes, I have not been particularly prolific in posting), there is hardly a discernible sense of anything being put into action that could potential improve the safety and security of Indian citizens.
Today is that day when the USA woke up to a vulnerability. It is a large country. It can protect itself from external aggression. But from the inside, there was nothing that could stop the planes from hurtling into the New York World Trade Centres. And the result, in a decade of war on terror, much has been done.
When India can claim to be racing to the world top spot on economic grounds, yet factually remains way below in terms of what it does for its citizens - be it protection from terror or hunger, the question is for how long and how many more deaths would it take for us to change?
I will be among the first to state, that there is a lot of good things that have happened since 60 years of independence, but there is a much longer way to go to make India into what was dreamt by the founding mothers and fathers of this nation.
As a democracy, I do have the right of speech. I am exercising it now. In the hope that somebody on top of the pecking order on the Indian political food chain, is listening and just maybe interested enough to do something about it on the scale required.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Blasted! again and again
Today, I write this with a feeling that is anything but normal. But I am going to exactly express, what I feel. And if any of you who read this, feel the same way and choose to do something...anything, whatever you can, then it is one more step taken in the right direction.
Yesterday, once again Mumbai was shaken by multiple deadly 'Improvised Explosive Device' blasts. Once again the TV channels were running around showing repeated footage of the terrible event. Police were trying to figure out what was going on. Hospitals were trying to save lives. And many others rushed to see what is it like to be blasted! Newspapers have carried the ghastly images bringing them in printed color formats to the numbed senses of millions.
There are many of us out here, who feel a complete sense of outrage. A sense of being uncared for by the very people and the system which we subjugate to, every working minute, the Indian government leadership.
Terrorism of any sort is abominable! How many times do the citizens of India have to take these deadly intrusions into their lives? How many mothers have to cry? How many children have to be orphaned? How many fathers have to bleed in their hearts?
Safety and Security are not some optional check box on the list of living conditions in India. It is a necessity. It is a right.
Why is it that this right, this necessity is not being delivered by our leaders? A friend suggested that they are all corrupted and will not do anything beyond the immediate action of conducting press conferences.
Yes, the usual action of professing sympathy, displaying solemn grief with the victims is all fine. But what are our leaders doing to prevent this farce of security and safety to remain?
I agree that Indian civilians are courageous and continue to live despite the odds. However, our beloved leaders tread the path of indifference, making these very civilians ordinary and insecure and scared and living with the cudgels of fear around their minds.
The American, British, Australian, and more more other country leaders will go to war over its extraordinary citizens. They do not and will not accept that it is okay for their citizens to be targeted repeatedly by cowards who hide behind a the cloak of 'jihad' or 'injustice' or 'religious morals' or whatever it is that they subscribe to.
We all know that no activity takes place without a set of people teaming up. That includes Indian who are support and enabling other Indians and non-Indians to conduct this shameful and sad act of cowardice - killing regular Indians from a distance and more importantly - repeatedly showing how weak and ineffective our systems are in rebutting their attempts.
The point is, what are the Indian leaders going to do???
Do You Have It in you to take on the responsibility of securing our lives?
Do You Have It in you to go after those who commit these dastardly acts and bring them to our courts or deliver justice in any other manner?
Do you?
Yesterday, once again Mumbai was shaken by multiple deadly 'Improvised Explosive Device' blasts. Once again the TV channels were running around showing repeated footage of the terrible event. Police were trying to figure out what was going on. Hospitals were trying to save lives. And many others rushed to see what is it like to be blasted! Newspapers have carried the ghastly images bringing them in printed color formats to the numbed senses of millions.
There are many of us out here, who feel a complete sense of outrage. A sense of being uncared for by the very people and the system which we subjugate to, every working minute, the Indian government leadership.
Terrorism of any sort is abominable! How many times do the citizens of India have to take these deadly intrusions into their lives? How many mothers have to cry? How many children have to be orphaned? How many fathers have to bleed in their hearts?
Safety and Security are not some optional check box on the list of living conditions in India. It is a necessity. It is a right.
Why is it that this right, this necessity is not being delivered by our leaders? A friend suggested that they are all corrupted and will not do anything beyond the immediate action of conducting press conferences.
Yes, the usual action of professing sympathy, displaying solemn grief with the victims is all fine. But what are our leaders doing to prevent this farce of security and safety to remain?
I agree that Indian civilians are courageous and continue to live despite the odds. However, our beloved leaders tread the path of indifference, making these very civilians ordinary and insecure and scared and living with the cudgels of fear around their minds.
The American, British, Australian, and more more other country leaders will go to war over its extraordinary citizens. They do not and will not accept that it is okay for their citizens to be targeted repeatedly by cowards who hide behind a the cloak of 'jihad' or 'injustice' or 'religious morals' or whatever it is that they subscribe to.
We all know that no activity takes place without a set of people teaming up. That includes Indian who are support and enabling other Indians and non-Indians to conduct this shameful and sad act of cowardice - killing regular Indians from a distance and more importantly - repeatedly showing how weak and ineffective our systems are in rebutting their attempts.
The point is, what are the Indian leaders going to do???
Do You Have It in you to take on the responsibility of securing our lives?
Do You Have It in you to go after those who commit these dastardly acts and bring them to our courts or deliver justice in any other manner?
Do you?
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