Thursday, November 27, 2008

In wake of the unthinkable events unfolding in Mumbai

ऐ दिल है मुशकिल जीना यहाँ.....

याद होगा आपको CID से यह गाना :

ऐ दिल है मुशकिल जीना यहाँ
ज़रा हट के, ज़रा बच के, ये है बम्बई मेरी जान।

कहीं बिल्डिंग, कहीं ट्रामें, कहीं मोटर, कहीं मिल
मिलता है यहां सब कुछ, इक मिलता नहीं दिल
इन्सान का नहीं नामों-निशान
ज़रा हट के ज़रा बच के, ये है बम्बई मेरी जान।

कहीं सट्टा, कहीं पत्ता, कहीं चोरी, कहीं रेस,
कहीं डाका, कहीं फ़ाका, कहीं ठोकर, कहीं ठेस,
बेकारों के हैं कई काम यहाँ
ज़रा हट के ज़रा बच के, ये है बम्बई मेरी जान।


Those are the problems of the past. Long back, the rich in Bombay had it easy and the poor were the only ones feeling the brunt of the ruthless efficiency of the city of dreams. The people of Bombay were accused of being unhelpful and uncompassionate. Well, may be you see some of those problems even now. It is so very often that roadside accidents, daylight shootings in public places, and alike events, draw out curious onlookers, not good Samaritans on the streets of Mumbai. However, by now, the Mumbaikars (not "Marathi Manoos") have acquitted themselves of such accusations with display of great character in times of distress.

Of late, the character of people of this great city has been tested once too many. In the Mumbai floods of 2005, civilians helped each other while government helped itself to another gold star incapability medal to bolster its already impressive tally. In the several bomb blasts since 90s, people have helped the persons on site and senior cops have put their lives on risk. The problems of old, still exist - the angry unemployed, the efficient underworld machine, the poor children, the unimaginable employment conditions and appalling infrastructure... However, now more important dangers to the city's lifeline have emerged. Long back the challenge was to make it to an apartment in the affluent South Bombay. The present day challenge is to make it to your natural death! 

4 people die on Mumbai's train track's everyday. 1.6 (8 out of every 20 such deaths) of those people fall off the train. 1 crashes himself onto the poles. The number of terror attacks on Bombay make you wonder why are the people in London and NY so pragmatic when they have suffered just one each. The British government has taken away any garbage bins in densely populated areas of Central London. There is a fear that the "terrorists" might leave a bomb in the bin. So, you throw your trash on the street and one of the hundreds of cleaning staff will pick it up. I can't see that as a solution in Mumbai. The city doesn't have garbage bins since even before the terrorists started appearing as often as the full-moon.

बुरा दुनिया को है कहता, ऐसा भोला तो ना बन
जो है करता, वो है भरता, है यहाँ का यह चलन

The cue to our problems is in the above lines. Since the 1980s Pakistan has been trying to pry on the emotions of the Indian Muslims and international terrorist organisations using the Kashmir issue. It didn't have much success until we messed up the minority confidence in the rest of the country. State sponsored, mob enacted blunders like Godhara, Ayodhya have left a lot of angry souls among the minorities. International terrorists used these angry, frustrated people to set up sleeper cells, now the biggest threat to India's internal security. The presence of sleeper cells means that now acts of terror can be committed in and managed from smaller centres like Jaipur and Lucknow with a frightening ease. India has a 150 million strong Muslim population. Even if a 1000 of them (0.0007%) join these hate-mongers, that is quite a lot for intelligence agencies to handle from among its own people. We could not have afforded to let our own people join the ranks of such insidious organisations, but we still let that happen. The rise of RSS, VHP, Bajrang dal, Shiv Sena and Modi has only hastened the process of radicalisation of local Muslim youths. Foreign terrorists have allies in India, from India. Now these terrorist organisations have internal routes on Indian soil that are difficult to monitor. Did we created the monster?

The Americans and British, who have been chased single-mindedly by the terrorists in the recent attack are also facing the consequences of decisions that their governments made. Osama has the unique distinction of being created by CIA and being chased by FBI. Pakistan's ISI is not far behind. In the Afghan war against the Soviets, the US bolstered the capacities of ISI to aid itself in gaining a foothold in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, by late 80s, India started facing problems from ISI managed terrorism on Indian soil. US turned a blind eye to it. Even when they knew that the claims were right, they did not bother to purge or pressurise the extremist elements in ISI. They were a strategic ally after all, so what if they were killing a few Indians. Now, Osama has come to haunt US as a monster it created. ISI is not far behind, once again. There is a strong and growing evidence of the hand of ISI and international terror groups in the recent attack. Bombing certain sites on Pak soil and sending polite requests of improving conduct to ISI are not going to work. US will have to excercise its strategic muscle on Pakistan.

Meanwhile, India has to remain sure that it does not get washed in an extremist agenda. There will calls for divisive politics immediately after the situation is resolved. Some Hindu extremist elements will try to ration their jungle justice to innocent Muslim folk. The government will have to show vigilance to not let such anti-social elements to have their way. Mobs should be kept out of imparting justice in this case. The opposition and government alike will have to show an uncharacteristic restraint in not trying to spark riots. Out of the close to 80 Indians that have lost their lives in this attack, there are also a close to 10 innocent Muslims that lost their lives as well. Terrorism has no religion except hate. Two Turkish Muslims got their lives reprieved on account of their religion but the Indian Muslims lost their lives in an act of indiscriminate firing. 

A Hindu retort to this tragedy will be an act of terrorism as well. India has to realise that it does not have the luxury that US and UK enjoy in the fight against terrorism. UK is an island. US is too far away from the centres of terrorism. There isn't enough population potential to be radicalised in comparison to India. Both these countries have the financial muscles to invest a lot on defence. India, will have to think a solution for itself, something original and innovative. It should be based on restoring communal harmony through education, taking down divisive politicians, improving security infrastructure and above all uniting ourselves against unworthy villains such as hatred.

These perpetrators of hate should know that:

दादागिरी नहीं, चलने की यहाँ
यह है बोम्बे, यह है बम्बई मेरी जान


खुदा हाफ़िज़।

May lord give peace to the victims of this tragedy and my great nation.

जय हिंद!!!

1 comment:

$@tt! said...

Nalle, You got good at writing... you got to be writing more.