Mumbai

I was at my cousin's place in Hyderabad when the Mumbai attack happened. Which is why I was able to watch the unfolding on the television. Though I must say that after watching it for a day, I was mighty glad that I do not have television to watch the inane reporting.

But that is digressing from the point. The point is that every time a terror attack happens, irrespective of who the attackers are, the media claims it is India's 9/11. The politicians trot out and appeal for people to keep calm and the ruling party says that the government will talk tough and the opposition blames the ruling party yadda yadda yadda. We have, if nothing else, perfected the response to these attacks which invariably killing innocent citizens. Human life is expendable especially if it is that of the common man. Who cares?

So we now have new India's 9/11. Elections are round the corner and everyone is trying to capitalize on this event. We have mourned the death of Hemant Karkare and others. The politicians have made the right noise. Good. Now life can move on and we can forget about the attack till the next time when we can claim it as the new India's 9/11.

I just wish this endless cycle of terror attacks would cease. Sometimes I feel that I am living through perpetual siege. During the 80s, when I was growing up in Delhi, it was the Khalistan issue. I still remember the sand bags that would spring up on the road heralding yet another terrorist strike. Now it is the fundamentalists.

Don't these people have anything else to do other than to kill themselves and others? As the Butterfly put it beautifully, Live and let live or rather die. What I mean is if you want to die it is okay with me but I do not want to die. Can you please get that into your nut?