Ever wondered why all the recent terror strikes have only been in BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) ruled states in India? Is it to destabilize the BJP governments there or is it part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize the Govt. at the Center which is led by Congress (I)? No matter which school of thought you subscribe to, you are essentially hinting at Government (read politicians) led terror strikes and that is what makes me very worried.
If there is even an iota of truth in this thinking, it is a scary thought because then there is no way that we can induce a sense of safety amongst the common man. Suddenly the whole defense mechanism of the country has to look inwards and that too without the active support of the powers-that-be and, that in itself, compromises the security of the country from the evil designs of the anti-India forces.
The Fear Factor normally alters the reaction mechanism in human beings. The Fight-or-Flight mechanism sets in. A heightened sense of mistrust and fear starts affecting how we deal with our neighbours and our friends to an extent that it could mar perfectly nice relationships, cultured and cultivated over years, for ever. I am already sensing an eerie aloofness in people I came across at the airport after 18 bombs were found in Surat in a single day!
I feel appalled at the thought that the guy sitting next to me in the plane could be planning something sinister as he gazes blankly outside the window. For all you know, he may perhaps be trying to reason out why he shouted at his wife this morning just because the omlette was a bit overdone, or wondering what could he do to ensure the success of his ensuing meeting and clinch the deal so critical to his company. Or even worse, he could be pondering on what sinister plans I have in my mind which is making me restless!
I am not happy at the prospect of trying to explain to my wife why I have to go to the same very cities for business which have been put on a High Alert. I am not happy to be stuck in a hotel room for the better part of an evening because there could be a bomb planted on the same very footpath I have to walk on or in the shop which I might be tempted to enter. I am not happy to be living amongst fear-struck and gloomy faces. I am not happy to
I hope the powers-to-be will see reason soon enough and will do whatever they can to stop this madness, whether or not they are involved. After all, who ever wanted to govern a People who have been paralyzed by fear?
Let the sanity return. Let us also renew our pledge to fight this menace with our tenacity, alertness and combined mental strength and resilience of a nation which has survived much more over thousands of years.
Long Live India. Long live its people. Amen.
About Me
- Amit Sharma
- I believe in the motto of Live Life Kingsize. The Past was beautiful, the Future looks attractive but I live for the amazing Present. I am a Chemical Engineer working as a General Manager for Sartorius Stedim Biotech(www.sartorius-stedim.com)in India. I have two growing up children and a lovely wife and we live with my parents in Bangalore. Sharp Wit, Humour and Analytical Thinking are some of my qualities which inevitably land me in trouble.
Wednesday 30 July 2008
Monday 28 July 2008
The Spirit of Survival
Happily sitting in Mumbai and reveling in the fact that I finally found a perfect medium to pursue my passion about writing and commenting through blogging, I received a call from an ex-colleague, and a competitor of sorts now, who asked me in a very concerned voice where I was and whether my family in Bangalore was okay. I wondered at his concern and sat stunned after he hung up telling me that Bangalore had been rocked by serial blasts. Shortly afterwards I had a deluge of phone calls and text messages from friends and relatives all over to enquire if all of were safe.
The first reactions I had were typically that of a selfish family man. I called home to find out if my wife and parents were at home and whether the kids had returned from the school. Once I established that all were safe, I heaved a sigh of relief. Then the though struck me –how selfish a man can be. I was not in the least bothered at that moment of the possible loss of lives of unknown people, who incidentally may be as important, or more, to their families as the members of my family are to me.
It was obvious that the minor ethnic scuffles that happened a few weeks back were an epilogue to this tragedy. I am sure the security agencies, the police and the political leadership of the state, both in the ruling party and the opposition, could read as much into those incidents as an ordinary mortal like I can but did practically close to nothing to prevent it from happening. You don’t need to gaze in a crystal ball or be an expert criminologist to understand who is behind such dastardly acts. Of course I am not talking of who would have planted these bombs so meticulously and strategically to cause maximum fear but minimal loss. I say minimal not because I disrespect the loss of a few lives as insignificant but because having got the resources they have at their disposal to conduct such an operation, they could easily have planned a much bigger damage. I am talking of people who have planned and Okayed a proposal as cowardly as this. This is a clear nexus between politicians and criminals who have joined hands to destabilize the already stressed economy for their personal gains.
What they may have probably overlooked is that their personal gains may be at the expense of losing the sovereignty of the country and its people by playing into the hands of the divisive forces that conspire against the happiness and the prosperity of this country. Am I being Patriotic? Not really but in times of distress, I am sure such thoughts do get born in every conscious citizen of any country irrespective of their level of education.
How I wish that the political parties that wish to remain or come to power would do so by working hard and sincerely to formulate and implement policies that will ensure that we vote for them because they enabled us to get clean and safe water, uninterrupted power, motorable roads, education to underprivileged, opportunities to practice our ideas and exploit our latent potential than to force us to vote for them because we fear political instability, terror threats and a sense of insecurity.
Tragedies tend to trigger lowest common denominator of common bonding and sense of belonging amongst the human beings. They also appeal to the most basic instinct of the human race Рthe spirit of survival. Clich̩ it may be, but I strongly believe that the people of Bangalore will overcome this tragedy, renew their pledge of marching forward to a better tomorrow and cock-a-snook at those rascals who are trying to attack our inherent weakness of love of the lives of our loved ones.
The first reactions I had were typically that of a selfish family man. I called home to find out if my wife and parents were at home and whether the kids had returned from the school. Once I established that all were safe, I heaved a sigh of relief. Then the though struck me –how selfish a man can be. I was not in the least bothered at that moment of the possible loss of lives of unknown people, who incidentally may be as important, or more, to their families as the members of my family are to me.
It was obvious that the minor ethnic scuffles that happened a few weeks back were an epilogue to this tragedy. I am sure the security agencies, the police and the political leadership of the state, both in the ruling party and the opposition, could read as much into those incidents as an ordinary mortal like I can but did practically close to nothing to prevent it from happening. You don’t need to gaze in a crystal ball or be an expert criminologist to understand who is behind such dastardly acts. Of course I am not talking of who would have planted these bombs so meticulously and strategically to cause maximum fear but minimal loss. I say minimal not because I disrespect the loss of a few lives as insignificant but because having got the resources they have at their disposal to conduct such an operation, they could easily have planned a much bigger damage. I am talking of people who have planned and Okayed a proposal as cowardly as this. This is a clear nexus between politicians and criminals who have joined hands to destabilize the already stressed economy for their personal gains.
What they may have probably overlooked is that their personal gains may be at the expense of losing the sovereignty of the country and its people by playing into the hands of the divisive forces that conspire against the happiness and the prosperity of this country. Am I being Patriotic? Not really but in times of distress, I am sure such thoughts do get born in every conscious citizen of any country irrespective of their level of education.
How I wish that the political parties that wish to remain or come to power would do so by working hard and sincerely to formulate and implement policies that will ensure that we vote for them because they enabled us to get clean and safe water, uninterrupted power, motorable roads, education to underprivileged, opportunities to practice our ideas and exploit our latent potential than to force us to vote for them because we fear political instability, terror threats and a sense of insecurity.
Tragedies tend to trigger lowest common denominator of common bonding and sense of belonging amongst the human beings. They also appeal to the most basic instinct of the human race Рthe spirit of survival. Clich̩ it may be, but I strongly believe that the people of Bangalore will overcome this tragedy, renew their pledge of marching forward to a better tomorrow and cock-a-snook at those rascals who are trying to attack our inherent weakness of love of the lives of our loved ones.
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