As the siege on Mumbai ended, honestly, I don’t know what to write, for I now have mixed emotions. Relieved, disappointed, frustrated, saddened all rolled into one. Add a little bit of anger to that as well.
Relieved, cause’ I was just one phone call away from being a part of not-at-all desirable drama at VT (not CST). I got out of office at 740 pm. Took out my cell to call up a friend, who I was supposed to meet the previous day. Kept my phone back in my pocket, and told myself, “Some other day!” Caught a train back home at 8 pm. One and a half hour later, the station had become a war-zone.
Relieved also, cause’ it’s finally over!
Disappointed, cause’ yet again an intelligence failure, yet again a security lapse and yet again, Mumbai – my favourite city - fell prey!
Frustrated, cause’ I could just sit at home and do nothing, but watch the drama unfold on CNN IBN and Times Now.
Saddened, cause’ some of Mumbai’s and country’s heroes, other than the common man of course, fell victims to this dastardly act.
And angered, cause’ finger-pointing, blame-game and politicizing began even as brave-hearts were still fighting it out inside Taj, Oberoi and Nariman!
A friend told me, we must catch these terrorists alive and cruelly torture them in full public view. “It just won’t work. These guys would consider this a privilege to be tortured to death. Remember, they came to kill and to get killed,” I told her. Interestingly though, today’s Mirror’s lead story revealed this didn’t hold completely true. On seeing his colleague’s mutilated body, the terrorist caught suddenly “wanted to live!”
As is always the case, everything will soon be forgotten. The oft used and now abused phrase “Spirit of Mumbai” will re-emerge! We used it after the '92 serial blasts. We used it after July 26. We used it after 7/11. And am afraid we are gonna use this term again! And now I'm beginning to wonder if this is more a matter of the ‘paapi pet’ than the so-called spirit. Indeed it’s all about filling one’s tummy!
The sacrifices of the few heroes will soon be forgotten. For public memory is short! It’s even shorter in Mumbai!
All I can do is hope and pray that we don't need another November 26, 2008 to remind us of November 26, 2008!!!
PS: Like many Mumbaikars, even I got this particular message about Where is Mr. Raj Thackarey now? As NSG commandos (most of them North Indians) battle it out to save Mumbai, where are the MNS and SS now who only knows to destroy and create havoc on the innocent folks!
- Good point, and taken too
