Friday, November 26, 2010

It's been Another Year

It was two years ago [26/11/08] that the Mumbai Terror Attacks happened. A lot has been done since then, and a lot more still needs to be done. To prepare for this post, I was reading my own posts from this day in the past years:

Now, I too, like a lot of fellow Indians, want to chide the government for the lack of action since then. After all, Kasab, the lone terrorist we caught alive, is still alive (though sentenced to death, but appeals are still possible), and those we believe actually planned this attack are still free in their havens in Pakistan.

But then, I find myself stopping short of doing the above, especially when I ask myself "What have I done as a reaction of this event, to prevent future occurrences of this?" [well, in addition to keeping my twitter and blogger profile pic the same for over a year now as a memory of 26/11].

Sadly, I have nothing to say for this. Never Forget, as a commenter recently pointed out on my blog, has sadly been rendered defunct, with no progress for over a year.

That said, I refuse to give up. I still believe in the core idea of NF, that being held accountable for their promises is what will get our dear leaders to actually perform their duties, which will in turn keep us safe. My dear friend B has given some new ideas during her recent visit to Paris, and I intend to put them into action.

Perhaps what scares me is something I wrote in 2008 (and still believe to be true):
Of course, our collective reactions over the next few weeks will determine whether we have learnt our lessons and will start demanding performance from our politicians, or keep up with our usual chalta-hai attitude and deserve another attack.

Yes, I said ‘deserve’. I am mad, at us :-| .

I sure hope that we, the Indian people, wake up before we get what's coming for us.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:56 AM

    Glad to know that you still carry the same passion to fix the wrongs. Out of all the solutions I have been reading from the various experts, I find B Raman's suggestion to have vigorous victim activism as a solution to make the perpetrators pay for their crime. This can act as a deterrent as in the case of Lockerbie.
    http://ramanstrategicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/07/lockerbie-mumbai-2611.html

    Shiju

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  2. The very fact that you have the spirit of "never Forget" alive Animesh shows that we have hope. While we may have not done anything against 26/11 but I think we are far more mature as a society today that we ever were.

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  3. @Shiju: Thanks. But didn't justice take 20+ years for the Lockerbie incident?

    @Anshul: I hope so too. However, when I read the comments on ToI or youtube from our fellow desis, the "more mature now" point seems doubtful :-\.

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  4. @animesh - i am one of the not so mature people from ToI comments section.

    I still believe there should be a public assassination of kasab.. I dont think we achieved anything in the past 3 years by sitting on riverside and lighting candles or by "talking"..

    few more years of the "talks" and heavens forbid - one more incident - then i guess someday, you will also see my point of view

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  5. @Khanna: Although I do not agree with the public execution idea, I respect your right to have that opinion. But more importantly, this is the question:

    "What have _you_ done in the past 2 years to facilitate the course of action that _you_ wish was taken?"

    apart from, of course, sitting on riverside/lighting candles/talking etc., which I agree does not amount to anything unless followed up by more.

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  6. nothing, because government wont do anything till its election time..

    they will sit on his case and give him life time in jail when the next Lok Sabha elections arrive, and reopen the case every 5 years..

    big political gimmick.. and some nice story for the movie.. sorry, but thats how India works...

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  7. May be what I have done is to have a resolve to ensure that those who brought in this situation---our leaders--must be thrown out of the office.
    Once, I vote a Govt. in, My need is that the Govt. governs, which this Govt. has failed to do.
    In my opinion, A LOT more has to be done before we are safe.

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  8. @Khanna: So you won't do anything today since the govt. won't do anything till election time. I understand that. But then should I expect you to do something at election time? What exactly?

    @BKChowla: Sir, an idea similar to your thoughts was behind the creation of www.neverforget.in. Please have a look.

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