Y'know, we need to change ourselves first. Put our own house in order. There are people among us who are guilty of worse crimes against humanity than all these Fidayeen put together. Some of them even occupy positions of power. After the riots in '93 I was talking to a relative who lives at Nesbit Road in Mazagon and he described to me how Hindu death squads went house to house with swords and choppers looking for Muslims to kill. One story was particularly moving - of the night a family with two children running for their lives appeared at their door imploring of them to hide them in their house, which they did - under the beds and in cupboards, risking their own lives. They were even killing children. If you were Muslim you had to die. And the cops positioned just down the street did nothing. He told me he even saw some policemen telling the death squads where they could find Muslims to chop up. The Srikrishna Commission brought many of these cops to justice, but we as a people have not changed. And that is the first thing we need to do to make this country better.
I didn't see the media out day and night when our Christian brotheren were being massacred in Orissa. Why?
We need to change ourselves first.
***
I will not get into debates or discussions on who is right or wrong or who is to blame. Sure, it is the job of the government to ensure the safety of all its citizens and here our government has failed us time and again, but when its citizens themselves are divided that job becomes so much harder. I'd say the main reason the United states has not had a large scale terror attack after 9/11 is because its people are united - in spirit and in purpose. But travel across to Baghdad and the same mighty United States has struggled to maintain law and order and control insurgency. Internal divisions are what kills a country.
The city of Mumbai as they say will bounce back. But in order to bounce back one thing is very essential - the need to forget. And that's something we Indians have become very good at. To my knowledge there is not a sinlgle memorial to the victims of past terror attacks anywhere in the city like there is in New York. Why? Because in spite of everything we tell ourselves the truth is that we as a nation just don't care.
I didn't see the media out day and night when our Christian brotheren were being massacred in Orissa. Why?
We need to change ourselves first.
***
I will not get into debates or discussions on who is right or wrong or who is to blame. Sure, it is the job of the government to ensure the safety of all its citizens and here our government has failed us time and again, but when its citizens themselves are divided that job becomes so much harder. I'd say the main reason the United states has not had a large scale terror attack after 9/11 is because its people are united - in spirit and in purpose. But travel across to Baghdad and the same mighty United States has struggled to maintain law and order and control insurgency. Internal divisions are what kills a country.
The city of Mumbai as they say will bounce back. But in order to bounce back one thing is very essential - the need to forget. And that's something we Indians have become very good at. To my knowledge there is not a sinlgle memorial to the victims of past terror attacks anywhere in the city like there is in New York. Why? Because in spite of everything we tell ourselves the truth is that we as a nation just don't care.
5 comments:
Taking off from where you left..
We probably do care as individuals.. at least for the time being. But we as a nation? I doubt such a thing exists.. u really hit the nail on the head when u said citizens here are divided.
Is free speech all we have?
blues....werent the riots also perpetuated by the govt? a leader can make or break a team....its simple knowledge followed in all our aspects of life.
yes...we can protest and change our govt but then select who....another bunch of jokers???
bips
u know it hurts to hear them b called 'Islamic' terrorists as much as it hurts to hear of 'Hindu' death squads 'coz if religion was truly as much a part of terrorists' lives, they won't be doing what they do.They'd be doing social service or chanting their heart out to save the world!!!
v use Hindus and Muslims in the same line as terrorists, letting other Hindus, Muslims and Christians be linked to something so evil that it sees no difference - terrorists have NO bloody religion. I am feeling ashamed of being a Hindu these days as much as my Muslim friends are ashamed of being Muslims. but seriously now, do u really think there are any Hindu or Muslim terrorists or these are some brainwashed, illiterate, poverty-stricken,politically motivated, ill-fated lost souls who are trying to hide behind the shroud of religion??? i think v wud be less divided if v dissociate religion from terrorism in our hearts and minds.
PS: sorry for the long comment. u got me rambling.
ure right..I too think tht our nation's unity is what is being aimed at. And if we give in to their scheme of things, we will play right into their hands. The people who terrorised an entire nation for 60 straight hours are of no religion. They called themselves Muslims, but their own fraternity refused to bury them according to Islamic rites...and rightly so! They deserved a worse death. I hope we can get past the religious divides or else the future is definitely bleak!
Sir, are Muslims and Christians the only people targeted in India?...What about the scores of Hindus who have died in those riots too? Enough of saying 'Hindu terrorists'....imagine the plight of this country and the minorities if Hindus had such a terrorizing mentality.
And yes, tell your christian missionaries to go and convert muslims as they are more impoverished than hindus, let us see what will happen.
It is high time they respect Hinduism and stop converting people promising a 'better' life.
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