TERROR IN INDIA

Jai HIND, Jai BHARAT
They say Mumbai never stops.Well today I saw Mumbai being stopped.Yes, Mumbai was on it's knees today and we Indians were helpless. It is a city that is always on the run. But today a Marathon runner city was forced to stop midway and I am afraid it may loose the race.

I heard of the news of Fidayen attack on the city on previous night,and immediately decided to go there, South Mumbai- where my office is,the next morning. But with the first rays of sun, my phone started ringing. All my well wishers from everywhere I have them, started asking me a lot of questions and gave the customary statutory warning to stay away from the mess. I was reluctant , but I had to give in to their demands. But you know what has been written has to happen, come whatever may. At around 9 am my friend Rakesh called me to come to the office as he too was coming. And despite all the promises given to my kith and kins, I promised him that I will come and I kept this promise. One may ask why I wanted to go there when there might be danger hidden in some LOCAL train or the fellow passenger might turn out to be one of the Fidayen's who are untraceable as yet. Yes it is true there was danger but I decided to face it. Actually , to tell the truth I had gone there to catch one of the terrorists and at least waste one bullet of those bloody bastards. Yes, it is utterly foolish but when you have anger seething beneath your ribs you don't care for the consequences or check whether your decision is rational or not.Had I faced those bastards I would have killed at least one of them and my life would have got some meaning. But unfortunately I could not go no where near the area where the fighting was still on, neither I could get any of them to use my hands or chest on.

Starting from the CGS quarters where I live up to CST or VT station, there was eerie silence and enough signs of the impact of the sinister happenings , that started last night and are still on. There were very few passengers in the LOCAL and for the first time since coming to Mumbai I could get a seat from my boarding station itself. But this was not a pleasurable moment. Today I was looking all around for the same crowd that I used to hate so much.

When I reached the VT station there were around hundred people in all at that time against usual 10000. I went to look for the waiting hall where the terrorists had sprayed bullets on innocent Indians. There was no blood on the floor , no stray bags , no signs of last night massacre. Everything had been wiped out. Authorities had tried their best to make things look normal as if nothing had happened. But they didn't know how drastically they failed.The horror was there on the faces of people, the blood was all spread on the hearts of people and some 200 hundred odd eyes were asking questions which no government , no authority would like to provide-- are you sure you will save me in future from such maniacs? can you give me the guarantee that it will not be me-next time? should I run away from Mumbai, from India, from this world to escape from these enemies of humanity? And finally, do you treat me as a human being at all? On the road to my office there were lesser and lesser people. In the office there were just 30 odd die hard guys. And the Marine Lines area which is always abuzz with activities was just deserted. One who has seen Mumbai at 10 in the morning, wouldn't have been able to recognise this as one of the most busy parts of Mumbai. That's why I say Mumbai has been stopped and how! This is unforeseen. I returned empty handed-- no terrorist's blood on my hands -- in another empty LOCAL.

This is not the first incident when a few radicals have brought a whole nation and it's citizens knee down before them. And this will not be the last. The details change, the names change , the dates change but the crux remains the same--- to quote the 'common man' of A Wednesday --- we will kill you in the same way, let's see what the hell you can do to stop us? It is really painful to say such things but truth is always bitter. My country , my beloved Bharat that is India, is suffering. And looking at the leadership and intelligentia that is available today I am afraid there is no early respite from these proxy wars.

Why I am so unhappy and so restless? It is simple. I love my country .I love it's citizens. I love all it's states. I love all it's towns and villages. I love it's birds and animals. I love it's rivers and mountains. I love it's diversity-- it's different religions, different languages, different rituals, different festivals, different foods,different colours, everything. I love my country as a whole. And I don't want it to convert into a homogeneous lump of people, a cage where all the birds sing the same song- under force. And to ensure this I am ready to give the last drop of my blood.Now it is for the people of India to decide whether they want to live in 21st century or go back to those medieval days where any dissenting voice was doomed to be murdered.

What we can do? Yes, very important question. There are many ways. Put pressure on the government to take guarantee of our lives. Go for Peaceful candlelight processions. Discuss the matter of national safety with your friends,relatives and neighbours. Use your vote to best use -- elect those who are worth their salt, who have impeccable records of honesty and nationalism. If there is no such candidate ,you raise yourself up to be one such candidate -- path to freedom goes through jungles, hence be ready for sufferings. Educate your illiterate brothers, so that they can make righteous choices. Look that you too remain honest to the nation in all your acts because sweeping starts from home. And finally you can use your own innovative ways to strengthen this beloved country of yours.
Jai HIND, Jai BHARAT