I have spent an entire Thanksgiving weekend glued to the television and to Indian TV channels online watching the coverage of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. We at Uberdesi stopped updating our breaking news post on the attacks because a) It was just too difficult and b) there was so much unverified information out there that it seemed irresponsible to post it until things settled down.
It was difficult for anyone to watch the senseless carnage and the massacre of innocents. For those of us who had a relationship with Mumbai it was even more so. The Taj, the Oberoi and Cafe Leopold were well loved landmarks. When I was growing up the Taj and the Oberoi represented aspirational objectives – someday I wanted to earn enough to afford to have a complete meal at the restaurants in those hotels. We satisfied ourselves by having an occasional cup of coffee at the coffee shops for the outrageous sum of Rs.35 and felt the impacts on our student budgets for days after; yet we felt it was worth it to be able to say that we went to the Taj or the Oberoi. NDTV showed the remanants of the Taj today- the reporters voice cracking with emotion as the camera panned shards of broken glass , shattered windows and soot -stained walls. Within those walls the bodies of around 99 hostages were still being cleared out.
Like the common man being interviewed on numerous channels, the overwhelming emotion I feel in raw anger. Anger at a world in which religion and dogma cause humans to plot, plan and execute murderous rampages. Anger at the Indian government which has allowed this to happen to Mumbai again and again. Anger that the Indian police and military forces have to put their lives at line with one hand tied behind their backs due to the political interference that dogs every institution in India. Anger that the attacks at the Taj and the Oberoi received all the International media attention while the attacks at the CST( Chahatrapati Shivai Terminus formerly VT) which killed so many poor and indigent people were barely mentioned in passing. Anger , impotent rage that all we can do is hold candlelight vigils and pray for the dead while the dance of destruction continues unchecked because there is no political will to end the cancer of terrorism through action not talk. Anger at myself because I find myself thinking hateful thoughts and wanting blood for blood though my rational mind knows better. Because when someone is standing outside your home and yelling at you , its easy to turn the other cheek. But when someone enters your home and slaps you right across the face – you want to scream and yell and beat them senseless. I am not proud of the way I feel right now and I need to take a breath and go away a little while and think about all this.
One thing is clear – this cannot go on. Something has to change. We have to do something – but what?
Looks like you are one of our regular visitors. Here is our RSS feed, just another way to keep up with the new posts.
Loading ...