Saturday, December 06, 2008

We The People Demand

Listen. I pay my taxes to the government, year after year, no default. Surely I am not committing a mortal sin in expecting the government to take care of my security? What are you doing for the country, some wise men ask. Well. I pay my Taxes. I abide by the law of the land. That’s good enough, I should think. Good enough to ensure that the bullet proof vests that our policemen wear when facing AK 47/56 are truly bullet proof; to ensure that our policemen don’t go around chasing terrorists with sticks: to ensure that our coastal guards have at least enough kerosene to operate the dilapidated prehistoric boats; to ensure that the coastal policing agencies have enough hands to at least push these catamarans into the sea.

I have a right to expect that my coast is not left porous, welcoming with open arms LTTE and Jihadis and drug peddlers and smugglers and God knows what.

And today, there goes our leaders blustering about Pakistan all over again. Do they think we are such fools that we can't see that they are trying to deflect attention from the unpardonable mammoth lapses that led to the massacre of innocent citizens and tourists who paid their bit to get protection for their lives from the Government of India?

We, the citizens are still reeling under the shock and baying for blood of the political leadership which let us down completely. But is the so called leadership concerned? They are back to their old games. The whole gang in Delhi (including the Defence Minister) gets closeted for three days discussing -- - - emergency ways and means of beefing up internal security?? No. NO NO and NO. It’s Party matters, please. They have to find a political heir to Deshmukh, an heir who will make the party position safe in the next elections. In the meanwhile, the NCP made its position safe for the next hustings by picking as deputy CM a person who should be behind bars for corruption. And a footloose CM aspirant, totally impervious to the feeling of the nation, rebels against Delhi. What timing! What sensitivity! Amazing. Unbelievable.

And then today the PM goes ranting against Pakistan again.

Ha! All this-excellent stuff for a slapstick comedy.

Mr. Prime Minister. You do your bit and then ask Pakistan to do theirs.

We, the citizens, demand that you take our security seriously. For a change, take your eyes away from the vote bank and listen to us. As tax payers and law abiding citizens, we demand that you get your act together. Create a ministry for internal security if you have to, and undertake the task of tightening security on a war footing. Immediately.

And the members of the ruling party, stop behaving as though sitting in the opposition will cause blisters to break out on your seats.

14 comments:

  1. seems to me that the whole nation is thinking the same way ... except the political class ... haaa kashtam. common man may not have the right to live without fear. a mentally unstable so called jihadi will decide by the press of a button - how long the common man shall leave ...

    PS: i'd been following ur blog for a while now. thnx for so many thought provoking articles

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  2. So well articulated.
    One or two days back we heard a lot about a federal agency in the lines of FBI.

    What about the various state police departments? What about their weapons and safety? What about protecting our long coastline?

    Nothing.
    I don't understand why it should be difficult to make these decisions immediately. Govt. seems happy to play oneupmanship with the Pak govt.

    Terrorists must be laughing their a**** off saying.. "Arre yaar.. same old story.. India blames Pak.. Pak blames India.. US intervenes.. Pak bans LET/JEM.. it comes up under another name.. and there we are.. back to square one"

    Mr. prime minister, are you listening??

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  3. I sat and nodded my head ... Well said.

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  4. Whole nation is not feeling the same way.Atleast not me and I believe I am still in India.
    I want to write a lot about this politician bashing game.May in a blog post.Let me see if I have time

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  5. count my vote for what you said so well.

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  6. I could not resist a post. Read and comment
    http://mytake-charakan.blogspot.com/2008/12/mumbai-terror-attackwhy-blame.html

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  7. Nice one.All the states should act now without fear or favor. Unfortunately its state sponsored terror in a few states in India esp in the state where you live. It is the home for many of the deadly terrorists. You know the amount of ammunition smuggled to the northern coasts of Kerala? Around 60 arrests/detains have been made in Kerala alone. What are we going to do with them? Will they face any trail?

    We are speaking of terror camps in POK ,but we which home minister will dare to speak about camps in Kerala and else where in this Country.

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  8. @ easwar
    terrorists camps in a state does not mean it is state sponsored terrorism. The security lapses in the state caused the establishment of terrorists camps, true. but that is not state sponsored. action is being taken in kerala. arrests were made. raids are happening.

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  9. @ sandeep unnimadhavan
    thanks for visiting my blog
    @ deepak
    our govts are so busy with party politics, political oneupmanship that they have no time for governance & security of the citizens!

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  10. read for a different view
    http://mytake-charakan.blogspot.com/2008/12/mumbai-terror-attackwhy-blame.html

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  11. You hit the bulls eye...!!!
    I think the entire nation is thinking the same way, and the only one left out is our GREAT POLITICIANS. i think they r still believing in th funda, "When more important things come, we will forget this". But guess it will take a long time for the public to forget the tragedy and ofcourse the later dramas.

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  12. i was reading that the "aam aadmi" didnt get as much coverage as the elite did...the shooting started in CST and then the hostage situation was in the 5 stars,but there was a completley lopsided coverage of that...
    are people now angry and organizing candle lights since the "elite" feel that they can be targets too?why didnt they do it when trains were bombed?markets were bombed?

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  13. @ renu
    true about aamaadmi getting a second class treatment from the media.
    but i wonder if there r reasons for this. to begin with both in CST & leopold, the action was over-while in the three other buildings it went on.
    secondly, even today the media shows only sanitised version of the carnage in CST. most of the pics i saw are from the net.terrible.
    but u r right about one thing. when the insulated creamy layer was hit the reaction became high profile. u should have seen simi garewal in a discussion held outside taj organised by ndtv. who'd ever have thought that the eversmiling simi had a side like that to her?

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  14. Well said... I am sure almost all us feel this way... Thanks to media, all of us -- even politicians -- now know what terror actually means. Hopefully it will not be the same story again.

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