Saturday, November 29, 2008

How do we go on?

I talked of many emotions yesterday and I am left with only two now. Grief and Rage. Grief and Rage. How could this happen to us? How DID this happen to us? There are horrifying stories of people being killed at point blank range, there are images of a young boy cremating his father and a father cremating his son, a mother talking to his brave son who lies in a coffin covered with the Tiranga, there is a sea of grieving, shocked family members. So many lives, SO MANY OF THEM. Left midway, truncated. Lives, families, children, friends, plans all left midway with a violent end. How WILL they ever recover from it? These guys they come barging into our lives and take over, just like that? Who are they? And what made them into these animals? What did these people who are lying dead ever do to them? Did god not give these boys the mental facilities which help you distinguish right from wrong? Did he not give them humanity? Such hate? What do their aakas hope to achieve from this, how will our despair help them?

The brave forces have completed the operations, after three very long days and even longer nights. They have killed some of the terrorists, they have also rescued so many of the precious lives. Still how can we say that we have conquered them?! We have been brought to our knees , they succeeded in doing what they started out to - done the damage to our lives, our city, our people and our spirit. If we cannot accept that, there is no way we could ever get up. The operations might be over but this is far from over. I have no clue where to go from here. How can I just go back to living my life like I did, as if nothing happened? And if I don't am I not letting them win? I don't know where to look for these answers, I don't even know if the answers exist.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Life will never be the same for all of us. So many precious lives have been lost. But as the saying goes "The show must go on"

Lets pray to the almighty to give strength to all the near and dear ones who have lost their kins. Let us stand united in this hour of crisis

Smita said...

I can very well understand your grief...

I too am staying in Mumbai and am having grave difficulty in accepting the fact. in fact when am reading blogs where ppl are talking about movies etc i fell how can they even think about these things.

But I guess life has to go on but we shud remember one thing..we shouldn't let this happen ever again..this is the time to show to our politicians that they can not go on the way they are going on...things need to change...we can not lose any more innocent lives...

Anonymous said...

It is very dissapointing that something such as this had to happen in order to bring light to a problem such as laxed and unprepared security. A problem that has existed in Mumbai for quite some time and for tourist such as myself who frequent Mumbai often, we knew it was inevitable by looking at the many bombings that have occured there in India.

Life has allready started to move forward in India and the board of tourism will work hard for us all to forget it. I will now think twice upon booking a trip to India which is unfortunate for a country I like very much.
http://desidharma.blogspot.com/

The Nomad said...

Pradeep and Smita, thanks a lot. It is a support in itself that there are hundreds of us here feeling the same way. Life does go on but we better remember our scars because if we forget them, who will raise the voice to say this should never happen again.

The Nomad said...

Culture guide, it is indeed unfortunate and heartbreaking because the terrorists have succeeded in doing what they wanted to - creating the fear which will keep people away from this country. I do hope that my country will be able to secure its borders and do something the Israelis have been able to do for themselves. Till then, its a loss for us and all those who like this place.

Anonymous said...

I am amazed at how much I take for granted. When did I start believing and living my life as if I will surely not die before I turn 60 (or maybe 70)? That mundane events like heart-attack, diabetes etc. or absurd horrors like terrorists doing their "aakas" bidding would not cut short my "entitled" long life.

I have read several articles exhorting politicians to do something. "Make sure this does not happen again?" How? I have a hard time believing that the my government can save me from people hell bent on killing. Maybe, I should train and become an NSG commando. Shouldn't we all, just to remain sane and got out for dinner secure in the knowledge that we are much better prepared for our own safety?

It makes me really depressed to realize that for almost 99% of our existence, mankind has not had the luxury of assuming that they are safe in their homes--that there is a government or an NSG commando out their to protect us. What is the difference between the guys who attacked Mumbai, and Alexander or Ghengis Khan who wrecked havoc on the lives of people half way across the world? Maybe, Alexander is great only in the comfort of our living rooms.

We would like to believe that these terrorists who attack us are misguided? This gives us the hope that maybe some day they will get weary of being a lunatic by choice. Because we sure cannot stop them without our entire country turning into a huge army--at best next time we will be able to "sanitize" the city within an hour with only one person dead. Is that a success? Does it make the pain any less for Hemant Karkare's family that 179 other people were killed?

I am filled with rage not only about these attacks but also at the thought that the biggest issue obsessing Raj Thackerey and his goons before these attacks was how non-marathis were stealing jobs in Mumbai and how to terrorize them into leaving Mumbai. If the government is responsible for ensuring my safety, it is my duty to ensure that they are not distracted by lunatic sideshows periodically created by Shiv Sena. I am not trying to trivialize the issue about the "Darwinian" struggle for resources in Mumbai. The very idea that I have no other option but to hope that the government/army/NSG commandoes will arrive in time protect me and my family, fills me with despair.

I hope this does not happen again. That's all I can do.