I am Safe. But, for How Long ?

After the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, I called up a friend to ask how is she doing. She said, "I am Safe. But, for How Long"? Her pathos and helplessness found a deep echo within me. Aren't you all optimistic to the core and believe that we should not live in the shadow of fear? But, slowly within we manage to lull ourselves into a sense of security and once again, let life take over.

It actually does not matter the amount of platitudes you may mouth, but the truth lies in watching terror unfold on the idiot box satisfying voyeuristic instincts, similar to a movie. And then you survive with the audacious claim that terror would not touch your lives. Somehow, I have always been astonished with the striking of terror when one expects it the least. We walk in dread and watch every step for ages, and then the one day we least expect, it accosts us. Seeing the pics makes you believe the cryings, the cursings, the ravings and disbeliefs that all the people went through.

So what do we do ? Light a candle, but will it help. I doubt ?

Just because almost all the terrorist acts in recent years have involved Muslims as the perpetrators, and because of the fetish of appeasing the minority Muslim community at any cost, our soft national psyche inherited from Gandhi, our response to terrorism has become a combination of impotence and vote bank politics sought to be covered by rhetoric and pleas for peace. Come on man, give a normal Indian a break. Almost all the terrorist acts that our country has gone through has a collective national response which is reactive rather than active, defensive rather than offensive. Public statements are issued, action is promised. Period. Nothing else really happens.

Why do our politicians wait untill a colossal and unbelievable act of terror paralyses the entire country into a daze? And there's that impractical concern for "guilty beyond reasonable doubt" even in matters of terrorism. If cockroaches had votes and rats had a religion, our politicians would enact a law prohibiting killing of those two living species as well.

When will our country stop having an attitude towards terrorism which is not tepid and timid, castrated and impotent ?