Lest We Forget
Fabulous century......... the best in his career.......... simply awesome........... Sachin is God........ Stunning Sehwag.......... Mind blowing win......... dedicated to Indian people who lost their lives in Mumbai Carnage.......... Cricket is a great healer......’ These, and tons of other comments being made in the wake of Indian victory over England in Chennai, just 15 days after the deep wounds had been inflicted on the soul of India. Is that the patriotism that Indians boast of? Is this the tribute that Indians want to give to their real life heroes?
Does Cricket overcome the deep gashes left on the souls of people in India? Can the scabs be cleared by a balm of Cricket? Is it a fitting response to a terror strike? Would it answer any of the questions asked of our people, our government and our unity by the dealers of terror?
Everyone talks of getting people together, setting up normalcy just as a response to the terrorists, signifying that our lives have not been affected by their heinous acts. Has it not been affected at all? Just ask this of the people who spent those 60 hours holed up in the hotels, ask this of the commandoes and police men who decided to risk their lives to be able to save ours, just ask this of the mothers, who lost their sons, ask this of true heroes like Maj Unnikrishnan, Karkare, Salaskar and Amte, ask this question of anyone who ever lost some one dear to the terror strikes. They will be able to tell you the difference terror strikes make to our lives. They will tell you of the wounds that never heal, the sore marks left on their lives forever.
Its sad to see political leaders making long speeches, claiming to make a difference, claiming to do something about it seriously this time. But somehow it all seems an umpteenth retake of the script that has been written many a times. Its all designed to make us forget the horror every Indian on this world went through. It is to take away the feeling of unity which props up, to quieten the wakeup call which comes with every such terrifying deed. It is a time to make merry for the politicians having a hot topic to discuss, supported by the media which highlights the acts but very easily moves on to something else. The political leaders simply think of such act as an opportunity for them to be able to take advantage of the feeling of nationalism which comes out of every sleepy Indian, or so it seems.
Every time I take up a pen to write something, so many questions prop up in my mind, but never any answers. Never is there a feasible solution that comes to mind with the hope that some difference will be made. Whom can you look upon? Cricketers will play cricket and dedicate their victory or game to the dead, bollywood would churn out movies to remember the massacre. These are our everyday heroes. The politicians, well, I have already said a lot about them. We cannot really hope for much from them.
Then I begin to feel the heat within me. It has to be me, a common man. It has to be from within us that the change has to come, everyone will keep doing what they do best. But a change will come only if the common man starts to think.
A rather disturbing thought has struck me though. It is we, the common people, who form the cricketers, politicians, bollywood stars and every one in India. They all come from within us. So the fault must be somewhere within us.
In retrospection, it is only too obvious. The tendency to forget, the tendency to get back to normal, the tendency to move on, this in all things is the one which differentiates us from others. After 9/11, never did any attack take place in USA, what could be the reason? Its just that the common man there has woken up and they do not want to forget the Twin Towers so easily. But here in India, we like to move on.
Just have a think over it........ How long can we keep moving on and ignoring the deaths of our fellow countrymen.......... would it be till someone from our family is killed???
Wake up to make a difference.... lest we forget.
Post by Devdeep Ahuja
Does Cricket overcome the deep gashes left on the souls of people in India? Can the scabs be cleared by a balm of Cricket? Is it a fitting response to a terror strike? Would it answer any of the questions asked of our people, our government and our unity by the dealers of terror?
Everyone talks of getting people together, setting up normalcy just as a response to the terrorists, signifying that our lives have not been affected by their heinous acts. Has it not been affected at all? Just ask this of the people who spent those 60 hours holed up in the hotels, ask this of the commandoes and police men who decided to risk their lives to be able to save ours, just ask this of the mothers, who lost their sons, ask this of true heroes like Maj Unnikrishnan, Karkare, Salaskar and Amte, ask this question of anyone who ever lost some one dear to the terror strikes. They will be able to tell you the difference terror strikes make to our lives. They will tell you of the wounds that never heal, the sore marks left on their lives forever.
Its sad to see political leaders making long speeches, claiming to make a difference, claiming to do something about it seriously this time. But somehow it all seems an umpteenth retake of the script that has been written many a times. Its all designed to make us forget the horror every Indian on this world went through. It is to take away the feeling of unity which props up, to quieten the wakeup call which comes with every such terrifying deed. It is a time to make merry for the politicians having a hot topic to discuss, supported by the media which highlights the acts but very easily moves on to something else. The political leaders simply think of such act as an opportunity for them to be able to take advantage of the feeling of nationalism which comes out of every sleepy Indian, or so it seems.
Every time I take up a pen to write something, so many questions prop up in my mind, but never any answers. Never is there a feasible solution that comes to mind with the hope that some difference will be made. Whom can you look upon? Cricketers will play cricket and dedicate their victory or game to the dead, bollywood would churn out movies to remember the massacre. These are our everyday heroes. The politicians, well, I have already said a lot about them. We cannot really hope for much from them.
Then I begin to feel the heat within me. It has to be me, a common man. It has to be from within us that the change has to come, everyone will keep doing what they do best. But a change will come only if the common man starts to think.
A rather disturbing thought has struck me though. It is we, the common people, who form the cricketers, politicians, bollywood stars and every one in India. They all come from within us. So the fault must be somewhere within us.
In retrospection, it is only too obvious. The tendency to forget, the tendency to get back to normal, the tendency to move on, this in all things is the one which differentiates us from others. After 9/11, never did any attack take place in USA, what could be the reason? Its just that the common man there has woken up and they do not want to forget the Twin Towers so easily. But here in India, we like to move on.
Just have a think over it........ How long can we keep moving on and ignoring the deaths of our fellow countrymen.......... would it be till someone from our family is killed???
Wake up to make a difference.... lest we forget.
Post by Devdeep Ahuja
Posts
I feel exactly the same. but it has happened several times, that i try and take a step but my own fellow citizens do not support me. I feel i have failed again , but after a while i get up, collect myself and give it a new start. i do not believe, but i wish and dream to see my countrymen wake up!
ReplyDeleteI perfectly agree to that ....... but we have to persevere and persist... inspite of hindrances..... that only will shape the destiny of our country..... when people like you and me start to have the patience to be able to keep going against odds..... So we are two now and atleast there are 10 more in this community... so from one, you are 12 now......
ReplyDeleteKeep growing.......
yes, that's what i try and hope to succeed.
ReplyDelete