One year since Mumbai was hit by Pakistani terrorists showed us a lot of things. Mainly it became clear that we live in very strange times. Every time is " showtime". So you have half of bollywood singing and mouthing meaningless dialouges from india gate .Well meaning and decent People got together with a candle in hand at several places . The setting sun casts an interesting shadow during such ceremonies and the glow from the flame certainly makes for a pretty picture. Moreover it is easy to do , it can get you a fleeting moment of fame on the evening news and will certainly wipe any sense of guilt that you may feel for not having done anything substantial. So all you good citizens ; a lit candle can stop terrorist from striking again! Right?
Wrong ! absolutely Wrong ! In fact such shallow demonstrations only make the terror planners stronger since they see their strikes as powerful enough to leave us bewildered , confused and deeply hurt. This kind of impotent chest beating only emboldens them to make another strike since it is very cost effective for them . Look at the stats for this one in their favor. Their 9 for our 180 plus a bonus of one billion people stunned into inaction. 26/11 is not the first . Even if you take just Mumbai alone you can not forget the coordinated serial blasts a couple of years ago. If you remember, similar candle vigils were undertaken then ; similar posters and banners had appeared then too . We all shouted same kind of slogans. Our leaders told us that India will not tolerate terrorism anymore. We all heard the same standard statements about the undying spirit of the city and how nobody can break our unity. I will not go into everything that has happened since then Events that have given all that a lie; but you know 26/11 happened still . it is not my imagination or interpretation of events; it has happened!
One thing we should have learned years ago is that candles actually do not work as an anti terrorism device. We should have realized by now that making vain , stupid and stereotyped bollywood movies in which we try to sympathize with the terrorist ; will not change a single terrorist's heart. We should know that media apologists justifying terrorism on TV as a result of communal violence in India is not entirely correct. We should have realized that bringing Sharukh Khan in the media to teach people about Allah's Islam vs. Mullah's Islam is only good copy writing . His reading patriotic dialogue from a sheet on India Gate lawns is not going to cut it . Specially with the kind of forces that spawn Islamic terrorism. It does nothing and I repeat nothing to help people stop the terrorist menace except give them a colorful star studded evening and give them a false sense of well being .
Do you think terrorists in their Muridke camps are shaking in their boots with fear now that you held your rallies or do you think they are laughing their guts out at our sissy response ? This is nothing but the worst kind of sucidal tokenism. Who are we trying to fool here if not ourselves? Are we going to defend ourselves with burning candles , lighting incense sticks in front of the pictures of our innocent dead and singing songs from India gate?
When evidence has been piling upon evidence for years on end we should have learnt that closing our eyes to the problem will not solve it. We have to crush them with force in their home or be prepared for another bloody nose.
How hard is that ? Or is it really beyond us?
Actually there is a very good use for a burning candle ; but only after you capture a terrorist alive.
I am afraid historically we have fallen over each other to feed them biryani instead !!!
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