Just as the realization of the deadly nature of the Mumbai attacks began to sink in, the shocked nation rose in rebellion against the systemic failure, especially of the political establishment. The anger against the establishment was brewing for some time. The entire nation was besieged with unrelenting violence. The common man was the ultimate sufferer and was seething from within at the apparent callousness of the law and order machinery of the state to effectively deal with violence and its perpetrators. Mindless ethnic massacre in Orissa and communal violence over it in many other parts of India, a prolonged violent agitation by Gujjar, a dominant caste in Rajashthan, over reservation issues that crippled life in many parts of India as agitators blocked for weeks railway traffic passing through their areas, political brinkmanship and farce over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and the trust vote over it in Parliament, political rhetoric in Jammu & Kashmir creating communal tensions throughout India over first the allotment and later over revocation of allotted land to the Amarnath Shrine Board in Kashmir, communal riots in Dhule, a district in Maharashtra, and scores of other violent clashes in India on regular basis had left people with feeling of helplessness and insecurity. If across India situation spelt dangerous consequences for its pluralistic society and thus democracy in India, in Mumbai, it was worsening law and order situation over insider versus outsider nonsense perpetrated by the founder of a fledgling regional political party formed by the break-away faction of another regional party. Instead of cracking down heavily on such rampaging goons and their leader, the police, seemingly under the instruction of their political bosses, was seen just as bystanders, helpless to do anything to protect innocent citizens of India being thrashed in front of their presence and in front of TV cameras. All these while, terrorists appeared to have free run as they carried out serial bomb blasts killing and injuring innocent people in several cities of India on a mind numbing regularity.
Thus, over the period of past few months, incidences of rioting, vandalism, street violence in which common men suffered physically, mentally and economically were seen as directly or indirectly caused by irresponsible behavior of our leaders or were instigated by petty politicians for their own electoral interests. To the people, it was appearing as though the country was taken over by mobs. It was a pressure cooker-like situation waiting to explode. The Mumbai terror was the ultimate trigger. The people’s pent up anger against political establishment found unprecedented expression on the streets throughout India in the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage. The anger is directed wholesome towards politicians for obvious reasons. After all, we all know who controls police forces, security and investigation agencies. A series of meaningless gestures and irresponsible and insensitive remarks by some politicians in important positions in the midst and aftermath of these attacks added fuel to the already burning flame inside the collective psyche of the people of India.
The anger did not spare even the most composed. How can any one not get angry after watching the chief minister of the state under whose rule the deadly attacks occurred walking in with a group of assorted individuals into the sites of death and destruction, many of whom had no business to be there except to make business over the dead bodies and the monumental tragedy; how can one control the anger when they see no expression of pain or anguish on faces of politicians coming in front of TV cameras. No politician who faced cameras looked a trifle disturbed about the monumental carnage! In contrast, if you had observed minutely, you would have seen shaken expression on faces of common people on the streets.
Given the above circumstances, people’s anger and complete disdain for the political class is thus entirely understandable. In any mass movement, there will always be generalization. And generalization in the case of the rot in the system in India is also the need of the hour in order to pave the way for the much needed improvement in governance and accountability to the governed from those who govern. This general distrust will motivate and compel good among the lot to work in seen-to-be-working fashion to regain the confidence of the people of India and the world. We must at this time remember that among the rot, there are politicians like former finance minister and now home minister Chidamberam who looked and sounded sincere in the press conference he addressed after he visited the sites of terror in Mumbai. So all are not alike and so all is not yet doomed. Only the people of India will have to keep the spirit of the new-found awakening alive and keep pushing for better tomorrow- where there is the rule of law; where we have the system efficient enough to make us feel safe and secure; where people care for each other in the spirit of being true Indians; where nationalism triumphs over petty regionalism and where we have politicians who will wok to deliver than indulge in vote-bank politics. It is possible to see the day when all that said above become reality.
But for that we, the people, will also have to make some improvement in ourselves. Onus is as much on us. We will have to learn to observe rules and regulation, we will have to learn to be self-disciplined, and above all we will have to learn to overcome communal prejudices and form a united front to defeat forces that aim to divide our society. Be these forces in form of terrorists or unscrupulous leaders in communities or politics. If you are angry against politicians, then you should be angry against you as well because you have for long allowed the same politicians to be able to divide and rule you on the basis of caste, creed, community, region and religion. Say firm NO to those who play such communal and divisive politics. And you will have a great tomorrow shining on you.
Thus, over the period of past few months, incidences of rioting, vandalism, street violence in which common men suffered physically, mentally and economically were seen as directly or indirectly caused by irresponsible behavior of our leaders or were instigated by petty politicians for their own electoral interests. To the people, it was appearing as though the country was taken over by mobs. It was a pressure cooker-like situation waiting to explode. The Mumbai terror was the ultimate trigger. The people’s pent up anger against political establishment found unprecedented expression on the streets throughout India in the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage. The anger is directed wholesome towards politicians for obvious reasons. After all, we all know who controls police forces, security and investigation agencies. A series of meaningless gestures and irresponsible and insensitive remarks by some politicians in important positions in the midst and aftermath of these attacks added fuel to the already burning flame inside the collective psyche of the people of India.
The anger did not spare even the most composed. How can any one not get angry after watching the chief minister of the state under whose rule the deadly attacks occurred walking in with a group of assorted individuals into the sites of death and destruction, many of whom had no business to be there except to make business over the dead bodies and the monumental tragedy; how can one control the anger when they see no expression of pain or anguish on faces of politicians coming in front of TV cameras. No politician who faced cameras looked a trifle disturbed about the monumental carnage! In contrast, if you had observed minutely, you would have seen shaken expression on faces of common people on the streets.
Given the above circumstances, people’s anger and complete disdain for the political class is thus entirely understandable. In any mass movement, there will always be generalization. And generalization in the case of the rot in the system in India is also the need of the hour in order to pave the way for the much needed improvement in governance and accountability to the governed from those who govern. This general distrust will motivate and compel good among the lot to work in seen-to-be-working fashion to regain the confidence of the people of India and the world. We must at this time remember that among the rot, there are politicians like former finance minister and now home minister Chidamberam who looked and sounded sincere in the press conference he addressed after he visited the sites of terror in Mumbai. So all are not alike and so all is not yet doomed. Only the people of India will have to keep the spirit of the new-found awakening alive and keep pushing for better tomorrow- where there is the rule of law; where we have the system efficient enough to make us feel safe and secure; where people care for each other in the spirit of being true Indians; where nationalism triumphs over petty regionalism and where we have politicians who will wok to deliver than indulge in vote-bank politics. It is possible to see the day when all that said above become reality.
But for that we, the people, will also have to make some improvement in ourselves. Onus is as much on us. We will have to learn to observe rules and regulation, we will have to learn to be self-disciplined, and above all we will have to learn to overcome communal prejudices and form a united front to defeat forces that aim to divide our society. Be these forces in form of terrorists or unscrupulous leaders in communities or politics. If you are angry against politicians, then you should be angry against you as well because you have for long allowed the same politicians to be able to divide and rule you on the basis of caste, creed, community, region and religion. Say firm NO to those who play such communal and divisive politics. And you will have a great tomorrow shining on you.
And before signing off, a point to ponder: Terrorists are terrorists. They represent nothing; no community, no people, no nation. Don’t let them sow seeds of hate in you for any community or people or any nation. More they strike; stronger should be our resolve to fight them as one people, within and beyond our boundaries.
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