Jaya Hey!
I thought of writing a sequel here. What with every one, from the book authors to TV screen writers to Kollywood to Bollywood to Hollywood, writing sequels, why shouldn't I? Also this can make a person irritated which is one of my favourite pass-time. Are you asking how? If you have not read my previous post you will not be able to understand this and so in the urge of understanding this you will read/re-read my earlier post :D sweeeeet!
This is the sequel to my earlier post ermmm... should I reveal it? Or should I make you guys search for yourself? Considering the options and the harmful effects each can contribute, I choose to reveal it! This is a sequel to "Brave or Wise?" And to reduce the damage that will be caused, I shall start from where I ended (similarity to QoS is co-incidental :P ). I had ended the earlier post saying that the world will unite to fight out a common enemy and asking should we be brave or wise. I shall be addressing both these things in this post as well. As mentioned previously, the entire human kind will come together to fight one common enemy as boundaries are increasingly becoming irrelevant in this global village. Just that the enemy has been qualified given a proper name and identified in this post. Earlier I had given them a common name called "Animals" and named a few examples of the kind.. Like elephants, tigers. I had blamed humankind for having ventured into their territories inviting their wrath onto us. This time it is just the mirror image. After all kaleidoscope has a mirror!
By now I presume, being the intelligent-smart-brainy reader that you are, you would have guessed where I am coming from. Yes! When the whole world is talking, it is very difficult to stop thinking about it. Mumbai Terror attacks! And the common enemy is anyone who calls himself an extermist/terrorist/jihadi/worker of god etc... No religion, no state, no nation associated. Though there are 101 other reasons/flows/logics that can be associated with what might happen next, but the first step has already been taken.
That is the step of showing solidarity, extending help and mourning in oneness by other nations to what has happened half way across the globe. Earlier as well, governments condemned any act of barbarism a.k.a. terrorism. But that was that. Nothing more and nothing less. Just a cursory-official-I care too statement from some unknown ambassador of the state clad in a black suit. But now, the equations have changed. People on the other side of the equation have now been included as variables (in the count of deaths, I mean). Thanks to Al Qaeda, LeT and the whole lot of others. US is alarmed at any Islamic terror happening in the world. They have been given the shock already with 9/11. So, With Israelis coming to offer help, Brits pledging solidarity, US sending its top diplomat to India and most importantly the candle light vigils of citizens from various nations have flagged off the unity in fighting the common enemy.
But just in any other conquest there are lot other disturbing elements to this one as well. First there is still this divide of pride-of-my-nation thought in accepting help from others. Well, if this is reflected while scandals come out, I will be happier. So get out of your damn ego and accept help. I am citing the refusal of Indian government for the help from Israeli's and holding up of FBI officials at IGI Airport here. Please! I know how duty bound the customs officials are.... especially after my Aussie-returning friend lost the precious liquor bottle, to the officials, for no reason, that he had brought us. Second, the bureaucracy is so deep just for one country. Imagine the depth and breadth of the line when multiple nations come together to fight an enemy!
Now to the question: How should we be "Brave or Wise?" In this post though, I shall go further than asking the question. I do accept that the answer here might completely be different but can we not do something from our part as citizens to help limit the attacks. We certainly can! Here is what I think we as common people need to do. First we must become aware of the law and be law abiding citizens. How many of us have travelled into a no-go zone? How many of us have travelled without our helmets? How many of us have voted? Have we ever used voter-id for its real purpose? It’s always just another ID-Proof for travelling and booking tickets. These may look disconnected with the situation. But these are the basic changes that we need to inculcate within ourselves so that the bigger picture looks good.
Just to give you some connected examples, I have seen many people bypassing security here at my place of work; zooming past the guards in their Yamahas and Hondas. Can you not spare 2 minutes to prove your identity. When such scenes are so common, how can we expect the security to distinguish a zooming terrorist from a zooming employee (you may be tempted to conclude that law breakers are helping terrorists here. please succumb to your temptation) How many of us have violated traffic lights? How are we to identify a bunch of terrorists who speed-past traffic signals (hypothetical) from normal citizens? Countries, especially India has become so corrupt that people who do their duty are seen as either idiots or idols. As citizens can we not be a little patient and get our work done rather than resorting to under-the-table dealings? How many of us have cursed AIRTEL for asking so many proofs? If you are one of them, then take this... All the sim cards used in the Mumbai terror attacks were procured using fake ids. Around 2 Lakh sim cards are in circulation that have been acquired using fake ids. So, are we to investigate all the 2 Lakh fraudulent people?
This is just a small list of mishaps happening around us, involving us. I can quote hundreds more that we common man do in order to "get things done”. People, please think. It is not about just the candle night vigils and spitting at our politicians. This is not to say that they are spotless. They are! But let’s put our house in order first. There are so many basic things to be corrected to make sure that the structure remains in-tact. I am a part of the group which I am accusing. I have shouted at AIRTEL, I have been irked by the security guard, I have jumped signals. I now understand the butterfly effect that such small violations can cause. Let’s pledge that we shall follow the rules and comply with safety and security checks. Let’s be wise!
PS: I salute the selfless police officers, army commandos, NSG who laid their lives fighting the terrorists.
This is the sequel to my earlier post ermmm... should I reveal it? Or should I make you guys search for yourself? Considering the options and the harmful effects each can contribute, I choose to reveal it! This is a sequel to "Brave or Wise?" And to reduce the damage that will be caused, I shall start from where I ended (similarity to QoS is co-incidental :P ). I had ended the earlier post saying that the world will unite to fight out a common enemy and asking should we be brave or wise. I shall be addressing both these things in this post as well. As mentioned previously, the entire human kind will come together to fight one common enemy as boundaries are increasingly becoming irrelevant in this global village. Just that the enemy has been qualified given a proper name and identified in this post. Earlier I had given them a common name called "Animals" and named a few examples of the kind.. Like elephants, tigers. I had blamed humankind for having ventured into their territories inviting their wrath onto us. This time it is just the mirror image. After all kaleidoscope has a mirror!
By now I presume, being the intelligent-smart-brainy reader that you are, you would have guessed where I am coming from. Yes! When the whole world is talking, it is very difficult to stop thinking about it. Mumbai Terror attacks! And the common enemy is anyone who calls himself an extermist/terrorist/jihadi/worker of god etc... No religion, no state, no nation associated. Though there are 101 other reasons/flows/logics that can be associated with what might happen next, but the first step has already been taken.
That is the step of showing solidarity, extending help and mourning in oneness by other nations to what has happened half way across the globe. Earlier as well, governments condemned any act of barbarism a.k.a. terrorism. But that was that. Nothing more and nothing less. Just a cursory-official-I care too statement from some unknown ambassador of the state clad in a black suit. But now, the equations have changed. People on the other side of the equation have now been included as variables (in the count of deaths, I mean). Thanks to Al Qaeda, LeT and the whole lot of others. US is alarmed at any Islamic terror happening in the world. They have been given the shock already with 9/11. So, With Israelis coming to offer help, Brits pledging solidarity, US sending its top diplomat to India and most importantly the candle light vigils of citizens from various nations have flagged off the unity in fighting the common enemy.
But just in any other conquest there are lot other disturbing elements to this one as well. First there is still this divide of pride-of-my-nation thought in accepting help from others. Well, if this is reflected while scandals come out, I will be happier. So get out of your damn ego and accept help. I am citing the refusal of Indian government for the help from Israeli's and holding up of FBI officials at IGI Airport here. Please! I know how duty bound the customs officials are.... especially after my Aussie-returning friend lost the precious liquor bottle, to the officials, for no reason, that he had brought us. Second, the bureaucracy is so deep just for one country. Imagine the depth and breadth of the line when multiple nations come together to fight an enemy!
Now to the question: How should we be "Brave or Wise?" In this post though, I shall go further than asking the question. I do accept that the answer here might completely be different but can we not do something from our part as citizens to help limit the attacks. We certainly can! Here is what I think we as common people need to do. First we must become aware of the law and be law abiding citizens. How many of us have travelled into a no-go zone? How many of us have travelled without our helmets? How many of us have voted? Have we ever used voter-id for its real purpose? It’s always just another ID-Proof for travelling and booking tickets. These may look disconnected with the situation. But these are the basic changes that we need to inculcate within ourselves so that the bigger picture looks good.
Just to give you some connected examples, I have seen many people bypassing security here at my place of work; zooming past the guards in their Yamahas and Hondas. Can you not spare 2 minutes to prove your identity. When such scenes are so common, how can we expect the security to distinguish a zooming terrorist from a zooming employee (you may be tempted to conclude that law breakers are helping terrorists here. please succumb to your temptation) How many of us have violated traffic lights? How are we to identify a bunch of terrorists who speed-past traffic signals (hypothetical) from normal citizens? Countries, especially India has become so corrupt that people who do their duty are seen as either idiots or idols. As citizens can we not be a little patient and get our work done rather than resorting to under-the-table dealings? How many of us have cursed AIRTEL for asking so many proofs? If you are one of them, then take this... All the sim cards used in the Mumbai terror attacks were procured using fake ids. Around 2 Lakh sim cards are in circulation that have been acquired using fake ids. So, are we to investigate all the 2 Lakh fraudulent people?
This is just a small list of mishaps happening around us, involving us. I can quote hundreds more that we common man do in order to "get things done”. People, please think. It is not about just the candle night vigils and spitting at our politicians. This is not to say that they are spotless. They are! But let’s put our house in order first. There are so many basic things to be corrected to make sure that the structure remains in-tact. I am a part of the group which I am accusing. I have shouted at AIRTEL, I have been irked by the security guard, I have jumped signals. I now understand the butterfly effect that such small violations can cause. Let’s pledge that we shall follow the rules and comply with safety and security checks. Let’s be wise!
PS: I salute the selfless police officers, army commandos, NSG who laid their lives fighting the terrorists.
Very nice thoughts ..Very well written !
ReplyDeletebtw having known u well for sometime now, i could imagine the expression you would have had when you wrote the lines "If you are one of them, then take this... All the sim cards used in the Mumbai terror attacks were procured using fake ids....."