Saturday, November 29, 2008

Mumbai Terror Attacks: Our collective heads are hanging in shame…

Where was the Crisis Management Group, and, what was it doing all this while? If popular Delhi FM radio station is to be believed, it took precious 9 hours for CMG to assemble and decide about sending NSG team to Mumbai. When it reached there, same source revealed, how they were brought to the venue of their action? No prize for guessing – in BEST buses, no less!

To break the somnambulistic lethargy emanating out of sense of being in power is provably the toughest challenge which Nation faces! Facing the terrorism or hostile nation is consequent and easier!! Leadership changing the dresses and changing the words still spewed same rhetoric! Not only the concerned ministry but the whole country takes the concerned Minister as a liability. ‘Address to the Nation’ with Zombie like glazed looks and monotone - devoid of feelings and emotions can not instill the trust and confidence of the citizens in the national leadership.

Where are the tough anti-terror laws they have been talking about? Where are the tough actions promised time and again?? When police from one Indian state can not enter other state on hot-pursuit then how doctrine of hot pursuit can be practiced when terrorists come from Pakistan and run back to it? Our leaders shy away even naming Pakistan as country behind terrorists activities and on sly name it as ‘neighboring country’ when actually they should name it as Pakistan. Terrorism can not be eliminated by tough talks; it can be eliminated only by tough actions. Taking decision is the most difficulty part; actions are easier for politicians and police forces respectively.

How one redeems his name, ask Hemant Karkare who led from front and sacrificed his life? Till few days back his name was being maligned and now he is a martyr! The political appointment – Director General of Maharashtra Police chose to issue statements from the comforts of his office using brave words when other Director General – in this case – of National Security Guards was in battle fatigue and supervised the whole operation rushing from place to place wherever his guidance was needed. He did not forget to introduce his team of officer involved in operation when he addressed the media. But when a local congress leader faced the camera, not only his followers chanted slogans in his favor as if he was addressing election rally, he himself made it a point to credit his leadership for planning to formulate ‘tough anti-terror law’. Hollow words, all these!

Security personnel and law enforcing agencies are routinely rubbished for being utterly unprofessional, criminally lethargic, poor in intelligence and shabby in action! There have been routinely departmental cases and guilty are punished. What about punishing the leadership? To whom they are answerable?

Some terrorist apprehended will be put through the long drawn legal battle. They might not get punishment, and, even when that happens there is no guarantee that the Government will not dither? Has Afzal been hanged so far? The family members of security personnel who laid down their lives defending the Parliament are still waiting the final decision on Afzal. The Top Executive of the country takes ages deciding on a ‘non-issue’ related to a dreaded terrorist but is always ‘pleased’ to punish some ‘Babu’ coming late to the office!

Those talking bravely about removing ‘North Indians’ from their Land had lapsed in tongue tormenting paralysis and are yet to speak even a single word condemning the terrorist attacks and about their plans to remove the terrorists from their Land. There were already two ‘Senas” in Mumbai specially trained to bully and tormenting the innocents and vandalizing the public and private property. Surely these ‘Senas” could have handled the ‘terror situation’ in Mumbai without the help of ‘outsiders’ for this would otherwise sully the ‘Asmita’ (self dignity) of ‘Marathi Manoos’! Why was it not done remains a mystery! In fact other mystery is what were the ‘Senapatis’ doing at the time of crisis if not hiding in some bunkers?

When India demands America to declare Pakistan as ‘Rogue Nation’ or ‘Terrorist Nation’ it becomes laughing stock as it is same India which has accorded Pakistan the status of ‘Most Favored Nation’. We don’t have to present so called clinching evidences to USA for Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism in India. If we are so convinced about them, what stops us taking drastic actions? Super Power a country doesn’t become by pretensions, one only becomes by tough actions. Time for tough action is now, if there ever was any!

Our collective heads are hanging in shame for the way country’s leadership so irresponsibly and callously handled the situation in Mumbai! Those who know little Greek mythology will understand that cutting the snakes was never a solution as solution was cutting the head of Medusa! We can eliminate terrorism only by eliminating its breeding and feeding ground which is Pakistan.

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