Mumbai Mourns

Thanks Giving this year is turning out to be more than what one could have asked for, ask any Indian today and s/he would today be mourning the attack on its soil by the so called Jihandits, who claim to achieve martyrdom by killing innocent civilians.

Now that the sympathetic approach to the situation is done with – I don't think I am surprised by the attacks in Mumbai, this was a situation waiting to happen. One has to just tally up the past attacks to realize there was something major about to happen, it was not what but when - just a matter of time. The intelligence, the politicians along with the lack of any due diligence to analyse any of the past situations lead us to this day – today we have India's very own 9/11 only it reads 11/26.

The death toll in India due to terrorists attacks from 2003 until October 2008 is a remarkable 3000+ this number just shy of a few when compared to tot eh total death in Iraq for the American troupes. But again the Americans are in war!

There is a gross negligence in part of intelligence and the whole covert operations. Its like the terrorists where trying to make a point over a period of time. They had targeted and tried all possible means, home made bombs blasted off in Northern, Southern and Western India( Mumbai, New-Delhi, Varanasi, Mumbai, Train to Pakistan, Hyderabad, Jaipure, Bangalore, Ahmadabad, Delhi and Mumbai again). They targeted the markets, close to parliament, parks and whatnot. Every new attack was a tad bit more sophisticated than the previous. But inspite of all these and varying other incidents there was no real intent ( at least nothing till date proves it) or serious effort from the government to catch the culprits. Not one individual had so far been convicted in any of the attacks. NOT A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL CONVICTED....I am gasping and am furious even as I type this.

Chronology of attacks in India are as follow(Courtesy www.livemint.com Wall Street Journal):

13 March, 2003: A bomb attack on a commuter train in Mumbai kills 11 people.
25 Aug, 2003: Two car bombs kill about 60 in Mumbai.
15 Aug, 2004: A bomb explodes in the northeastern state of Assam, killing 16 people, mostly schoolchildren, and wounding dozens.
29 Oct, 2005: Sixty-six people are killed when three blasts rip through markets in New Delhi.
7 March, 2006: At least 15 people are killed and 60 wounded in three blasts in the pilgrimage city of Varanasi.
11 July, 2006: More than 180 people are killed in seven bomb explosions at railway stations and on trains in Mumbai that are blamed on Islamist militants.
8 Sept, 2006: At least 32 people are killed in a series of explosions, including one near a mosque, in Malegaon town, 260 kms, northeast of Mumbai.
19 Feb, 2007: Two bombs explode aboard a train heading from India to Pakistan; at least 66 passengers, most of them Pakistanis, burn to death.
18 May, 2007: A bomb explodes during Friday prayers at a historic mosque in the southern city of Hyderabad, killing 11 worshippers. Police later shoot dead five people in clashes with hundreds of enraged Muslims who protest against the attack.
25 Aug, 2007: Three coordinated explosions at an amusement park and a street stall in Hyderabad kill at least 40 people.
13 May, 2008: Seven bombs rip through the crowded streets of the city of Jaipur, killing at least 63 people in markets and outside Hindu temples.
25 July: Eight small bombs hit the IT city of Bangalore, killing at least one woman and wounding at least 15.
26 July: At least 16 small bombs explode in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, killing 45 people and wounding 161. A little-known group called the “Indian Mujahideen” claims responsibility for the attack and the May 13 attack in Jaipur.
13 Sept: At least five bombs explode in crowded markets and streets in the heart of New Delhi, killing at least 18 people and injuring scores more. The Indian Mujahideen again claim responsibility.
26 Nov: At least 80 people were killed in a series of attacks apparently aimed at tourists in India’s financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday. Police said at least 250 people had been wounded.

The recent attacks in Mumbai proved how much the terrorists had grown, coordinated and masterminded from there earlier attacks using home made bombs. Is was like the terrorists realized that there was no point attacking the Indian civilians - hence they went after the tourists to create the very wide spread attention that they sought. It was and is an awakening that the Indian intelligence very desperately needs to not be reactive( at least reactive would have been good, but the whole department seems dead asleep) and not just panic, stress out at a given terrorist/hostage situation. I do hope we take this as a moment and day of vivisection, pull our strings together and get our act right. The war on terrorism is real and if the roots are not cut at the very innate stage, alas!,before we know it will grip the whole country like the roots of the banyan tree.

So my friends this Thanks Giving hold on to your thanks, pray that there is eminent action, revitalization and gut willing ramifications at every required level and at most in the department of intelligence and counter terrorism. If things work out the way you had asked for you can thank you Lord, God, Allah or whoever you pray to - the next thanks giving.

Hinduism is a peaceful religion and Mahatma Gandhi taught us to show the other check in case we get slapped. The preaching of non-violence tough very resounding, reassuring and glorifying, in a day and age when you are sure to loose your head before you can turn your other check – we not only need to be prepared but we better be able to be ahead of the perpetrators. I sincerely hope with a billion population we will not face much difficulty on how we attain it – it is a matter of conviction, discipline and sense of patriotism that is required at the highest level to the lowest to attain this.

With prayers for the departed and for a peaceful life a head...

Common Joe.