Mr. Terrorist I am alive, what more can you do? Mr. Politician I am alive despite you!
This was forwarded to me by a friend… It was posted in the comment section of
http://boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/mumbai_under_attack.html by Mr Arjun Dutta..
This is an edited version of the original comment…. I am putting it up here because it is something that needs to go out and propagated as much as possible…. It is a comprehensive comment on the situation and mood of India after these attacks… Above all it’s the heart felt view of an Indian citizen
1768.
Mumbai: A kaleidoscope of hues against a strife torn canvas
What kind of a mind would willingly turn its body into a grave? What kind of a twisted but exalted motivation is at work in a suicide mission, where marksmen and target both are annihilated to charred shreds. Some call them Satan's agents, others, martyrs! It is the world of guns, light in the heart of darkness.......
To quote Othello's tortured lines as he stands above the beautiful Desdemona to strangle her for perceived infidelity; "It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul." Ajmal Amir Kasib must surely think that when he states that "I was right and I have no regrets."
India as a nation has been ravaged by terror time and again. Be it in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, the north-east, the naxalites or perhaps individually in Akshardham in Gujarat or Ayodhya in U.P., in the Malegaon blasts or more visibly in the Parliament in New Delhi, in the bombs in Mumbai locals, in market places time and again in New Delhi as well as
numerous incidents over time in various places and now Mumbai, November 26th, 2008. I even shudder to comprehend a true listing of all the events. The Big question now what? How do we handle this predicament? The time for florid rhetoric is now over. Public reaction panned
universally is very clear in it's intent that political posturing will not be tolerated one bit, be it the sheer absurdity of Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil stating, "bade sheron mein aisi chotti batein hoti rehti hain (in the big cities small incidents like this keep happening)", is simply asking for being lynched by the mob, or else, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi standing in Mumbai and screaming hoarse his despicable political agenda. To quote an of quoted phrase in recent times "enough is enough".
With evidence mounting of strong Pakistan links in the matter, the level of jingoism in the vast public rising and an increasing chill setting in Indo-Pak relations in the terrorist's agenda,
the final triumph is achieved. If as a result of all this crisis the Indian Government does decide to mobilise forces on the LOC a severely hampered Pakistan, already embattled on one front handling a war against terror in F.A.T.A. and Afghanistan border, a shaky democratic governance structure, a very steady national disintegration taking place and only after managing a 7.5 billion dollars loan from the IMF barely managed to stopper her alarming fiscal deficit. I fear a troop build-up and cross border standoff in such a scenario may turn out to be the last straw and consequently a complete destabilisation of Pakistan is certainly not in India's best
interest at all. A stable Pakistan is a lot less headache for India and that is fairly logical sense. The Government of India while taking stringent efforts ensuring that those responsible for the acts of November 26 be completely brought to book, must yet, temper its over anxiousness in
the heat of the moment in nudging the boulder off the cliff. Very importantly the Indian public must become aware and conscious that in current times the most dangerous of practice that people with their sanity restored to them refer as do the politicians and the media all this
barbarism and coin it as "Muslim Terrorism".
Rhetoric is a powerful weapon in any conflict. We cannot hope to convert Osama Bin Laden from his vicious ideology; our priority must be to stem the flow of young people, who join or sympathise with and at times assist organisations such as the Al-Qaeda, the LeT etc, instead of alienating them by routinely coupling their religion with immoral violence. Incorrect
statements about Islam have convinced too many in the Muslim world that the West and India are an implacable enemy.
United States after effects of September 11, 2001 has been a stringent spate of activity, policy and most importantly decisiveness and the political will to get the house back in order. A unified political order backs a very clear cut agenda to neutralise the aspect of terror as
regards American lives. The result, although being by far the most high profile and sensitive target in the sightlines of terrorist outfits, yet the US so far has not faced a similar situation ever since. So the questions arise if they can do it, why not us? What's to stop us from taking such wilful action? Why can't we have the political gumption to undertake such initiatives in our homeland? Why do we need and realise the existence of our armed forces only after the deed is done? Why are we allowed to sit back and only hope that things will possibly take care of
themselves if we entrust our responsibility in the hands of hooded criminals who by a certain dint of misfortune happen to be the nation's leaders?
A proper framework of well thought of and well enacted anti terror laws, more and easily accessible emergency response teams outfitted with the best equipment, a well placed and clear intelligence network coordinating and collating all information and ensuring it reaches the organisations concerned, all being sourced through one federal agency run outside of
political interference and solidly backed by a unified political order. A strange, however welcoming silver lining in this horrific dark cloud has been an increasing din of the citizens demanding action, explanations and accountability. This revolution simply must not be allowed to die down. We owe it to no one save ourselves to ensure that we continue to lead a
consciously responsible existence.
I conclude thinking of a 31 year old incredibly brave Major who was martyred simply because he believed in a sworn sense of Duty, a superb belief in patriotism and who believed in his country and his responsibility towards it. We must owe him and all the others like him not only for the
lives they saved but also for giving us the opportunity to sense an afterthought.
Arjun Dutta
(The writer is a citizen of the Union of India and confirms to no other designations)
http://boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/mumbai_under_attack.html by Mr Arjun Dutta..
This is an edited version of the original comment…. I am putting it up here because it is something that needs to go out and propagated as much as possible…. It is a comprehensive comment on the situation and mood of India after these attacks… Above all it’s the heart felt view of an Indian citizen
1768.
Mumbai: A kaleidoscope of hues against a strife torn canvas
What kind of a mind would willingly turn its body into a grave? What kind of a twisted but exalted motivation is at work in a suicide mission, where marksmen and target both are annihilated to charred shreds. Some call them Satan's agents, others, martyrs! It is the world of guns, light in the heart of darkness.......
To quote Othello's tortured lines as he stands above the beautiful Desdemona to strangle her for perceived infidelity; "It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul." Ajmal Amir Kasib must surely think that when he states that "I was right and I have no regrets."
India as a nation has been ravaged by terror time and again. Be it in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, the north-east, the naxalites or perhaps individually in Akshardham in Gujarat or Ayodhya in U.P., in the Malegaon blasts or more visibly in the Parliament in New Delhi, in the bombs in Mumbai locals, in market places time and again in New Delhi as well as
numerous incidents over time in various places and now Mumbai, November 26th, 2008. I even shudder to comprehend a true listing of all the events. The Big question now what? How do we handle this predicament? The time for florid rhetoric is now over. Public reaction panned
universally is very clear in it's intent that political posturing will not be tolerated one bit, be it the sheer absurdity of Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil stating, "bade sheron mein aisi chotti batein hoti rehti hain (in the big cities small incidents like this keep happening)", is simply asking for being lynched by the mob, or else, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi standing in Mumbai and screaming hoarse his despicable political agenda. To quote an of quoted phrase in recent times "enough is enough".
With evidence mounting of strong Pakistan links in the matter, the level of jingoism in the vast public rising and an increasing chill setting in Indo-Pak relations in the terrorist's agenda,
the final triumph is achieved. If as a result of all this crisis the Indian Government does decide to mobilise forces on the LOC a severely hampered Pakistan, already embattled on one front handling a war against terror in F.A.T.A. and Afghanistan border, a shaky democratic governance structure, a very steady national disintegration taking place and only after managing a 7.5 billion dollars loan from the IMF barely managed to stopper her alarming fiscal deficit. I fear a troop build-up and cross border standoff in such a scenario may turn out to be the last straw and consequently a complete destabilisation of Pakistan is certainly not in India's best
interest at all. A stable Pakistan is a lot less headache for India and that is fairly logical sense. The Government of India while taking stringent efforts ensuring that those responsible for the acts of November 26 be completely brought to book, must yet, temper its over anxiousness in
the heat of the moment in nudging the boulder off the cliff. Very importantly the Indian public must become aware and conscious that in current times the most dangerous of practice that people with their sanity restored to them refer as do the politicians and the media all this
barbarism and coin it as "Muslim Terrorism".
Rhetoric is a powerful weapon in any conflict. We cannot hope to convert Osama Bin Laden from his vicious ideology; our priority must be to stem the flow of young people, who join or sympathise with and at times assist organisations such as the Al-Qaeda, the LeT etc, instead of alienating them by routinely coupling their religion with immoral violence. Incorrect
statements about Islam have convinced too many in the Muslim world that the West and India are an implacable enemy.
United States after effects of September 11, 2001 has been a stringent spate of activity, policy and most importantly decisiveness and the political will to get the house back in order. A unified political order backs a very clear cut agenda to neutralise the aspect of terror as
regards American lives. The result, although being by far the most high profile and sensitive target in the sightlines of terrorist outfits, yet the US so far has not faced a similar situation ever since. So the questions arise if they can do it, why not us? What's to stop us from taking such wilful action? Why can't we have the political gumption to undertake such initiatives in our homeland? Why do we need and realise the existence of our armed forces only after the deed is done? Why are we allowed to sit back and only hope that things will possibly take care of
themselves if we entrust our responsibility in the hands of hooded criminals who by a certain dint of misfortune happen to be the nation's leaders?
A proper framework of well thought of and well enacted anti terror laws, more and easily accessible emergency response teams outfitted with the best equipment, a well placed and clear intelligence network coordinating and collating all information and ensuring it reaches the organisations concerned, all being sourced through one federal agency run outside of
political interference and solidly backed by a unified political order. A strange, however welcoming silver lining in this horrific dark cloud has been an increasing din of the citizens demanding action, explanations and accountability. This revolution simply must not be allowed to die down. We owe it to no one save ourselves to ensure that we continue to lead a
consciously responsible existence.
I conclude thinking of a 31 year old incredibly brave Major who was martyred simply because he believed in a sworn sense of Duty, a superb belief in patriotism and who believed in his country and his responsibility towards it. We must owe him and all the others like him not only for the
lives they saved but also for giving us the opportunity to sense an afterthought.
Arjun Dutta
(The writer is a citizen of the Union of India and confirms to no other designations)
Comments