OF INDEPENDENCE DAY AND BLOODSHED

So ! we are finally into our 60th yr of independence. Its past midnight and all the I-day enthusiasm and hullabaloo seems to have faded. Looking from the terrace I see lights ... a bright metropolis , the high rise buildings indicative of aspirations of the people of this country.But things aren't as serene and placid as they seem.

Mumbai is a city living each day under the darkness of terror.The recent blasts have left a deep scar on every mumbaikars's (or for that matter every indian's) soul.Our "'leaders"" yell rhetorically after such blasts , but i seriously doubt if any of them has a conscience at all. Have they realised that these blasts have much more meaning hidden than just terrorise people and kill innocent citizens? I happened to watch Black Friday recently and it has spawned up many a questions in my mind.These blasts are symbolic of the anguish one communtiy faced ...its a way(as they believe) to vent out steam, to hit back and equalize in this grim communal vendetta




But what neither of the groups realize is that there are innocent people at the receiving end.Be it babri masjid - mumbai 93 blasts, gujarat diabolical or the recent Mumbai blasts.Thousands have suffered. Hindustan Times has been publishing the profiles of the dead eversince the blast, and believe me there can be nothing worse than starting the day with all this.We always see a very small picture of the entire story. We know what happened in gujarat. We know that the contrite Indian state boasting to be a secular identity has reneged as far as the security of the minorites is concerned. The babri masjid issue... how on earth would it matter if a mandir or a masjid is constructed on that place? Our ""leaders"" sure need to look beyond vote-bank politics.






Even in the context of the western world , the appaling incidents that have been taking place,be it 9/11 london blasts or for that matter Afghanistan issue ... all indicate that we have not acted responsibly in the past.Only when an individual learns to respect another in ""totality"" would earth be a better place to live in.Coming back to India, I see a very disturbing trend with regard to the minority community,Very often the perpetrators belong to the mainstream.We have had a doctor , a professor and young lads running small businesses.Does this mean that the discontent has penetrated deep into the mainstream and educated people are taking these initiatives?If yes,then we are in deep trouble! This certainly is not the kind of India our freedom fighters envisaged and laid their life for.


My ramblings might seem highly incoherent but whenever i think of this issue I am filled with so much rage and discontent that i tend to ponder hours upon this issue.Both sides need to clearly behave in a more responsible and restrained manner ... we can never understand the agony of a person who has lost his beloved but death brings grief and pain equally to both sides....be it a Hindu or a Muslim."Mumbai is back on its feet !" quipped a news reader the day following the blasts.. excuse me its not ..that Mumbai nagariya rukti nahi nahi , people actually don't have any choice, especially when u have a family to feed, kids to educate, parents to look after. These people are living death everyday !


The need of the hour is that instead of gaining political mileage (like the BJP who sent in Mr Modi to Mumbai immediately after the blasts ... c'mon could anything be more exasperating than this?) our ""leaders"" need some introspection ... a realization from within, that if they want their children to be born in a world free from terror, there is a lot of work they need to do. Also, Mumbai lacks a strong political leadership ... a Rudy Giuliani ...who can rise to the occasion ..someone people can look upto for strength and courage.Mumbai is the face of India . It is the city of dreams .. a melting pot ..a foundry where the India of tomorrow is made.It was a city the nation was proud of .... its now a city sitting on communal bomb waiting to explode.


Finally I wish everyone gives this issue a serious thought as i remember the lyrics of the theme song from Black Friday... "arre ruk ja re bande ...are tham ja re bande""



ps: Also up at http://www.ndtvblogs.com/ramblings