"There's no place that's safe anymore," messaged my shocked friend from Bangalore after serial bomb blasts jolted India's IT city over four months ago. That attack was the second of what is today a total of six major terror strikes that have taken place in India this year. Mumbai is the latest in the series.
This is India's urban heart -- a glitzy, big money, Bollywood crazy city that pumps out 5% of the country's annual wealth. It's also a heart that has suffered some of the worst attacks. Mumbai could never have hoped to escape the phenomenal violence and fear that Indians have been facing through 2008. The city has been subjected to four major terrorist attacks over the past five years. In 1993 it was the site of one of India's most destructive bombing attacks ever -- 13 coordinated bomb attacks blasted away 250 lives and crippled 700 others. Yet, the security forces of the city that never sleeps were caught napping today and in the sleep-sloppy efforts it made to battle what eye-witnesses have described as groups of gun and bomb wielding youths, the state's Anti-Terror Squad Chief Hemant Karkare was killed. He died just like over 80 others died tonight -- caught unawares by an attack that managed to be scatter-shot and coordinated at the same time.
As a journalist, I'm wary of allowing myself to be sucked into the emotional vortex that big events create. That vortex is much more powerful when in the eye of the storm is your country, and the city you love. But it's not just because I'm Indian that my heart breaks to see Mumbai suffering this way. It's been said before, by businessmen, traders -- yes, journalists as well -- and by virtually every one of the men, women and children who live in the city, that the famed Mumbaiyya attitude has been tested one time too many. The resilience and gutsy spirit of Mumbai has been taken for granted as the city has time and again dusted off and gotten back on its feet, no matter what's been thrown at it -- terror attacks, floods that drowned much of the state of Maharashtra in 2005 or divisive state politics that pitted the people against one another on religious and regional bases.
The bombing and gunfire that took place across South Mumbai today shook a city that virtually all of India admits is unshakeable. I now live over 5,000 miles away from Mumbai in London, and even I'm shaken. Just how many more attacks is this city going to face in the years to come? Just how many more attacks lie in store for India this year? At times like this, the best and most heroic traits seem to be drawn out of the men and women who protect us. Nevertheless it's clear that India's police and anti-terrorist forces are simply not geared to face the challenges that terrorists have planned for the country. And no matter how gutsy or how hard-working, the spirit of a city can only take so much battering before it breaks.
Until this is addressed, we will all be just waiting for another attack, no matter where you are.
since the commentary mentions the Gujarat riots and the 2,000 plus people killed in them, i feel obliged to point out that the rioting took place after the burning of 59 Hindu pilgrims by a Muslim mob and that out of the people killed in the rioting afterwards, about 30% were Hindus. Given that the Muslim population of Gujarat is about 12% that gives a much better kill ratio efficiency to the Muslim community over the supposed State supported hindu gangs. let us not kid ourselves, these terrorists in Mumbai, the taliban in afghanistan and the people in the red mosque in Islamabad they are merciless and evil people and they are the product of a very particular reading of Islam and they mean to do us harm. they are not engaged in an intellectual debate with us. we either rout them or die. Islam is not the problem but certain readings of Islam are a problem and let's call it for what it is. India needs to engage in a response which is credible and keep its focus on the real problem which isn't the Hindu right. if Mumbai isn't a wake call to the Indian left than nothing can wake up people like Ms. Ravi.
And it's going to be this. Nothing.
For once, someone - get ANGRY! It's great to say that India's democracy is 'resilient' and will bounce back. And it will. But where is the line between 'resilience' and 'apathy'? Where is the spirit of being together to fight a common foe?
The Chinese use a symbol for the word Crisis which is part 'Problem' and part 'Opportunity". This can be a teaching opportunity for this great country. It can be an opportunity for people to get angry, and channel their anger positively, introspectively and extrospectively. Ponder what the country and the world can do, and what they can do in their own lives.
Alas - What I see is another television spectacle, soon to be consigned to the rubbish bins of memory and cocktail party chat, and to be forgotten as soon as the next cricket victory comes by or another Bollywood item number girl catches the public imagination.
Everyone will sing songs of praise hailing India's resilient democracy. And just move on - as if nothing happened.
An opportunity missed in a crisis. And therein lies the real tragedy.
Politicians are never held responsible. What has to happen for the government to respond? Why is the security relaxed at the airport and train stations? I know the there are lot of people and its a difficult task. Does that mean you do nothing? Politicians are elected not for their policies but because they belong to some community or they support some caste or some BS like that.
Why hasn't the media held anyone responsible? Can we please stop covering bollywood and celebrities lives non-stop and allocate a little bit of time for important issues like security? I get it. Celebrities are living a fantastic life. But the majority of folks in India are struggling. TV stations have a platform to interview politicians and ask questions on internal security and other issues.
Finally Indian people need to be more engaged in politics and policies. I see the youth is so dis-engaged from policies. Hopefully the last 3 days are a wake up call and everyone will demand changes in security measures in public places.
Great blog. But you failed to point the fingers at the right culprits here - the Indian Govt that marginalizes law enforcement and has politicized their top appointments. Every event like this only results in more speeches of the tough spirit of Indians, gratitude to the NSG, ATS and Police - and then life goes back to normal. The politicians unfortunately are the real issue but are too entrenched to be voted out. Where is Advani and the BJP?! The Opposition is not working either - because they have been cowed down by the intimidation tactics of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh!
The Congress-I has been too scared to even enforce the death penalty (sentenced by the Indian judiciary) of the main mastermind of the New Delhi Parliament strike a few years ago - cowing to radical Muslim interests! Their excuse - apparently law abiding Muslim citizens in India will revolt if a guilty terrorist of Muslim faith is subject to Indian criminal law! This is the nonsense that the Indian electorate has to put up with.
Second, the caste system is prevalent even in Muslims and Christians of India. These two religions have not been able to fully get away from this system.
It is always sad to see such terror attacks that derail innocent peoples life, often crippling them forever. This mayhem in mumbai is a bitter reminder that India's anti-terror policies are not just enough even after its people have seen and suffered years of such brutality. I hope the policy makers in India take this seriously this time and introduce tougher measures and means to curtail and prevent any such mishaps that threat India's security and peace in the future. Never in India the lives and security of ordinary individuals taken seriously, it is rather unfortunate that the worlds largest democracy is also the most shabbiest on issues like this.
http://onlybombay.blogspot.com/2008/11/mumbai-police-examining-terrorist.html
condolences and hope for a better future to the good people of india.
Getting rid of extremISTS and extremISM will only breed more of the sort because extremism develops in reaction to an assault or a "perceived" assault from the center or the opposite right/left.
We'd only be getting rid of the symptom, not the cause. Poor government and religion are to blame and terrorists are quick to seize on the disenfranchised.
We have to change people's minds by changing the way in which they define their dignity -- education, health care, housing (even the terrorists know this is how you recruit).
I am always for social progress without violence, but these changes are rarely instigated by the stagnant middle-- the middle is only the means by which we can gauge that change is happening. The "radical" left has helped to make global warming part of our energy policy, while the radical right still assumes my body is its property (but I'm just biased that way). The moderates to the right have done virtually nothing to push back the extremists who have now injected the party's platform with religious fundamentalism, xenophobia, and separatism. I would like to think of this election as a push back from the middle.
Retribution would be the first instinct to such a vile act that has occurred, but that is what the terrorists want ... it only helps their cause. India must proceed with caution.
I deeply suspect that there are some changes that would please them, other than mere death and destruction of Americans and Brits, that are just not being communicated to us.
That'd be a start.
I think they'd settle down then.
It is the Midle East mind set. "Never forgive; Never forget". There is no winning against that, because it is self-perpetuating across the generations. All you can do is set up such a high level of protection that intelligent jihadis will not attack, or exterminate them root and branch. Neither alternative is attractive, but there is no third way.
Thanks for your blog, Meenakshi!
My Punjabi mother-in-law is in tears and glued to CNN in the next room.
"We stand with the people of India, whose democracy will prove far more resilient than the hateful ideology that led to these attacks." Obama