Shame - Shame Part II

The show off of emotion and solidarity is of little use. Lighting candles, holding hands, speaking of togetherness are but just media grabbing acts. Somebody in the ‘candle-group’ said, “If we are together no body can harm us”. I say: What way were we disunited before 26/11 that we got hit? How were we disunited that we have had umpteen number of terror attacks? What way are we more united now? One celebrity was saying “We are Indians first and everything after that. Everyone should feel that way”. I say: Can every one say that, considering the controversy we recently had on Vandemataram? Some pushed the envelope by being too philosophical and all forgiving and suggested anger is not the answer and an eye for an eye makes the world blind. (somebody please stop this nonsense)

These very Mumbaikars (in fact all Indians) lighting candles and speaking before the camera today could not step out and cast their votes to change the govt. So, what right do these people have to show this ‘solidarity’? Their very strong words on camera veil their innate defeatism and acceptance to die in terror attacks. Else, the voter turnout would not have been so low.

The govt is showing off its new procurements of weapons and vehicles which the public did not care for, because they know all this would not help when the terror occurs again. It’s only during such anniversaries the authorities get all charged up with the spirit of advanced policing, planning, tactics, training etc. Rest of the year would be the same old life of filth and corruption.

The nation does not need more weapons. It needs more integrity. Integrity among the police, the coast guards, the customs authorities, the intelligence and of course the common man. In today's corrupt India, all one needs in a $100 bill to get through any checkpoint. Be it the constabulary, the customs or the fisherman by the coast, all one needs is a $100 bill to buy them. When this changes, half the battle is won. When the state security personnel do not take up that job just because they could not find anything better, the nation would be on it's way to win this battle. Advanced weapons and slick uniforms do not necessarily make a better force; this could all be just the instruments but not the soul of the public security force. If at all we need to create a new force, it should be like the MOSSAD. A brute force which can eliminate anything/anyone against the interest of India. An unforgiving force which can strike deep into the enemy’s hideouts and eliminate them. They should be bred on patriotism and the zeal of saving the nation’s interest uncaring of life and other distractions. It should not be difficult to find such brave hearts in a nation of a billion. Such a force becomes so much more necessary in today’s world where going to war in the presence of nuclear weapons is not an easy option.

We speak of the US and how after 9/11, the US could protect itself form anymore terror strikes. We tend to compare India with the US. The fact is, India is just not comparable to the US. Our nation is far too divided to make such a comparison. The US had made the USA PATRIOT Act after 9/11 (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001)
The Act gives a free hand to the intelligence forces to ensure that they get the information they need to foil terror attempts. It’s no surprise then that the leads on David Headly and Rana, the latest catches were from the US. Our guys then went to Chicago and are planning to ask for extradition.

In the case of India, after 26/11, the Govt had made tall claims of making tough laws and creating a new authority called NIA. The truth of NIA is that it was initially supposed to be (and that’s what was told to the public) the National Intelligence Agency. What is finally created is the watered down version of the same NIA by making it the National Investigation Agency. Intelligence is pro-active, meant to foil an attack. Investigation is reactive, you wait for the attack to take its toll, wait for the people to die and start the investigation when sufficient loss has happened. Such is the iron fist attitude of the govt in handling terrorism. Most of the ‘candle-group’ wouldn’t know what exactly the created NIA is.

What a sly use of acronym NIA, the govt has made!! Cool.

We speak highly of how our forces handled the situation and how the police prevailed and won. Won!!!….won what? Could there be any more insulting defeat of the forces. Ten people holding out for 60 odd hours and the state had to bring in marcos and the NSG to fight them. The terrorist could not have won anything more. They had to be killed anyway and even if our forces killed them after say a month (highly unlikely though)..the nation would still have gone ga-ga over the winning of our forces. Did we expect the ten terrorists to kill a lakh people before we accept that we lost?
The state lost the battle the moment these terrorists could sneak into Mumbai.

All the patils and deshmukhs are back to business with better postings now. Does the aam aadmi care? Not a bit. We don’t vote, and even if we do, we elect the incapable. What better can India expect?

Shame Shame Part I http://aditya-rsw.blogspot.com/2008/11/shame-shame-puppy-shame.html