Another Attack on Our Liberty November 26, 2008, the day we Indians will never forget. It shook us as nation and ripped open the venerability against forces that have challenged our sovereignty as nation and our freedom as individuals. Outrage, anger, disgust and a sort of awakening followed. We became paralyzed and horrified for unending hours of terror attack on Mumbai with underequipped police who bravely fought to get back Mumbai. The lethargic bureaucratic and political system was exposed and the leadership appeared most impotent for the first time in history of independent India. It was the ultimate failure of a weak leadership. The eventual failure was in making since the government of India was unable to take tough action in after of the Parliament attack to fight terrorism. The NSG commandos, army men, MARCOs, and policemen brought us some dignity when they took it on themselves to finish the messengers of hate. Similarly, firefighters and many responsible citizens helped others and saved lives of many and showed us that humanity and free will win in times of total despair.
The Vacuum of Leadership
India had never felt vacuum of leadership so badly before. Prime Minister Monmohan Singh’s response to the crisis of an extraordinary proportion was the most robotic one you can ever see. It felt there is no human face leading India. His address to the nation was a mechanical address of worst kind. How a real leader could not show a brave face with passionate reaction against the most dastardly act of terrorism on Indian soil is beyond imagination. Our pride was at stake, our sovereignty became venerable, the nation felt paralyzed. The PM appeared burdened and looked yielding to the forces that challenged our freedom. It was the ultimate display of weakest leadership ever. The nation was disgusted in disbelief. Politicians across parties positioned themselves shamelessly to take advantage of the situation while the operation against attack was still going on. There, rose voice of many for the first time, “enough is enough”.
Saying ‘Enough is Enough’ is not Enough But is it enough to say “enough is enough”? The terrorist attack on Mumbai was the ultimate conclusion of our own “chalta hai” attitude. We have taken our freedom for granted. There is a feeling that we are unable to free ourselves from humiliation to our liberty by political and bureaucratic system. Besides that, we have accepted the defeat of our resolve to fight for freedom. It appears that our greatest enemy is not Pakistan or China but our inability to free ourselves from this lethargic state of the system.
We must fight to get back our independence by leaving behind our religious, regional and caste differences. We need to revisit history not just to learn it but to understand the significance of our history of freedom fight. History tells us that we are free as a nation. What history does not tell us is fact that we have never been free from bureaucratic and political system which has subordinated and suppressed us and humiliated our freedom fighters by setting India in the wrong path. May be we took it for granted that we are free nation and thought our responsibility as commons to fight for honor of the nation ended when freedom was achieved from Great Britain. We are yet to understand meaning of freedom in its totality. Let us try to understand what it means to be free collectively and as individual.
Time to Introspect as Citizens
We need to find answers to some extremely significant questions like: What does freedom mean to us? Why should we face humiliation by sacrificing our freedom? Are we doing justice to ourselves by surrendering our will to rotten political and bureaucratic systems that have manipulated us to suppress our pursuit of collective and individual liberty? Should we keep ourselves hostage to this invisible terrorism by the political and bureaucratic systems? Isn’t it the time to fight for our freedom? We should face this moment of crisis as an ultimate call to get back our dignity and honor of India, our beloved country. It is our duty to redeem faith of those soldiers and policeman who die every day for our nation and those who still work selflessly to provide services and help others. The only way to do it is to take our country back from rotten system. That will be a fitting reply to the messengers of hate.
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Comments (2)
1. 20-12-2008 16:56
:(
Totally understand and can feel the pains, anger and the hurts. When will all this end? Hatred, when will you die?
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2. 20-12-2008 16:53
This is my humble thought
DEMOCRACY- CRYING TODAY A HOUSE DIVIDED- PLEDGES TO STAND TOGETHER
Everywhere there is blood- shed, tears and fears Starvation, teary painful eyes, children in tattered clothes Bones protruding, ribcage ad cheek bones glaring This is what democracy today, “ Of, For and By” slogan says.
What does religion teach today, peace, love and forgiveness? Does it instill goodness and strength of character and values? Why is the brain of the youth programmed to kill and loot? Is this what religion is? Creating monsters out of man.
When your home struggles for provisions, opting easy way Joining a deadly camp, to make your daily bread by killing Why are there terrorist training camps, where is my home? Why my farmland is changed into a battle-fields, I cry.
Men in white and white, Men in great costumes with guards Promises showered just to get votes, later work for bad ones Pointing fingers at each other, while the land bleeds and cries Where is democracy, everywhere I turn I see shattered hope.
Caste, Race, Poverty, Corruption and Illiteracy I see more Plaguing the nation’s growth, peace and prosperity When can a nation ever be completely free and stand high? Education can only protect democracy! Give books not guns!!
Places of worship is now a place of spreading hatred and anger Brainwashed “ young robot youth” with grenades in hands Pledge to kill, with maps of blood, to take precious lives Where is democracy here? Where is your nation heading to??
Different party flags, waving “ to show the division in nation” “ For the people, by the people, of the people”, laughs aloud No Unity, only a act of terrorism bring you back to solidarity What a pity, rest of the time, you all are just empty vessels.
The youth of both nations, cry in their hearts silently Broken into zillions, with no hope, distraught and teary. “Do they all really care?” ‘House divided can never stand’ “True democracy where can I find it?” I’m totally lost.
Terror is not the only issue that eats us, my fellow youth Let’s not stop to live our life fullest with pride and courage Treating each other with respect, united in spirit and heart Pledge together to bring a clean democracy in our lands today!
THE CHANGE BEGINS IN US, LET US BE THE CHANGE
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Hatred, when will you die?
