Mumbai terror attacks

I don’t know how or why, but this morning I got up at 4:30 am and couldn’t go back to sleep. So, I made myself some coffee and proceeded to check my email and Google news reader. One of the feeds that I read mentioned about the usage of Twitter, blogs, flickr etc in reporting the Mumbai blasts. I clearly remember thinking why it is a story today when the blasts happened quite a while ago. I attributed it to a reposting and went on. Around 6:00 am, I went to Rediff to check on the cricket score when the enormity of the terrorist attack hit. I switched on the TV and watched for a while, but after a while I just couldn’t take the tamasha that these people were turning it into.

I was angry, really angry. The anger prompted me to write an open letter to our country’s leadership.

To

Dr Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister

Republic of India

Dear Dr Singh,

By now, you would be well aware of the attacks in Mumbai. Though I live in Bangalore, I feel that these were an attack on me. It was just a chance that it took place in a different location to where I was, each of the persons killed could well have been me. They were just individuals who were going out for dinner or returning home from work or brave officers who jumped in knowing very well that they may not return alive. We have seen many attacks in the past and the response from you and your members of Cabinet have never been more than empty words. I am afraid for the future of our country, because I feel that the people of India have reached a tipping point and unless you act decisively, the outcome will be an end of the India that we know and love.

Here are a few things that I would like you to do

- You keep saying that terrorism has no religion. Yet, we have seen an amazing game of double standards being played out in the media. An elaborate case has been concocted against Pragya and Lt Col Purohit and the media has gone to town heralding the rise of “Hindu terrorism”. Can we have the same sense of purpose in all terrorism cases? Do not let vote bank politics play a role in the investigation

- Do not negotiate with the terrorists. They may kill a few hostages, yes that is damaging for the people and their families, but the damage to the country that is caused by your capitulation is far worse.

- If reports are true and Pakistan is behind these attacks, we need to take decisive action against them, even if it means large causalities on our side. Otherwise we will forever be known as a weak state that will keep facing attacks like this one.

Going by the past record of your government, I have 0% confidence that any of my wishes will come through. But I live in hope, because the alternative is to live in fear. That would mean giving in to the terrorists.

Sincerely

An Indian Citizen