Salute isn't enough-Kanchan P Yadav

HERES IS AN INTERESTING POST FROM KANCHAN
again and again and again....how many times do we have to undergo this to understand that its time to get away with the outdated and tornout system...be it the police, the politicians, bureaucrats...everybody is busy minting money and get away with the charges by finding loophles in our judicial system....its not only the question of attack by the outsiders ...its time for interspeculation for every indian ...right from common people to politicians....clerks to bureaucrats...coz it is the corruption, day to day dishonesty which has led us to this ...how many times do we question any govt official who asks for "kharcha paani" for getting our work done in any govt office...rather we sit back comfortably on our couches watching the sarcastic serial " OFFICE OFFICE" showing the bad face of govt offices and just laugh it offfff....its wake up time now...if we really hav to stop such incidents to reoccur we have to start right from the grassroot ....i mean u can actually see the height of negligence when navy chief comments that the intelligence reports were not enough for actions...wht does this mean..navy wanted wht , where , why ...etc etc all questions answered in precise details by intelligence to act ?....There is a lacunae in coastal security and intelligence sharing, said Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta in the wake of terror strikes in Mumbai. ...what is then your duty sir?..why a thorough check was not carried out when even a slight doubt was raised by intelligence? this is such a lame excuse...when will we come out of this "chalta hai" attitude so very rampant ...unless each n every indian is honest and most importantly disciplined in performing his duties with full commitment such incidents will happen again and again and again and to my fear with much more intensity....
to talk of after effects....
Narendra Modi.. who bad mouthed ATS chief Karkare for his Malegaon investigation goes to his house and visits the fallen hero's dead body and makes a speech and offers him a cheque of a crore which is rejected by his wife....why doesnt any one remind him that this is just the repercussion of what BJP started...the politics of communalism...ayodhya is the root cause of all the blasts , riots and indigenous terrorism which is recurrent since then...
to make things even more ugly.... these politicians did not even spare our martyrs... kerela CM said "if it had not been (Major) Sandeep's house, not even a dog would have glanced that way.'his is the lowest that a politician can fall.......this makes me wonder what has happened to the thousands of martyrs family who died during kargil operation...has anyone ever thought of whereabouts of there children....the kids who hav been orphaned in godhra rites... assam blasts...where r they...they havnt got anything out of life...will they not be anti- life...anti india when they grow up...children r the future...we need a system who looks after n guide such kids n review the progress anually which should be made public ...
to say in least words...its time to introspect...salute just isn't enough!!!!!

State and Nonstate actors

"Pak ex-army officials helped train 26/11 attackers: NYT
Press Trust of India
Thursday, December 04, 2008 9:54 AM (New York)
According to the New York Times."A former Defense Department official said on Wednesday that American intelligence agencies had determined that former officers from Pakistan's Army and its powerful Inter Services Intelligence agency helped train the Mumbai attackers," .It, however, did not identify the official, saying he had spoken on condition of anonymity.The disclosure came as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held meetings with Indian leaders in New Delhi and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met their Pakistani counterparts in Islamabad, in a two-pronged effort to pressure the country to cooperate fully in tracking down the perpetrators of the bloody attacks, the paper said.Pakistan has refuted Indian allegations that militants operating from its soil were responsible for the deadly attacks, with President Asif Ali Zardari terming them as "non-state actors".

In response to this interesting comment by the Pakistani President:

Yes ,theoretically it is accepted that terrorists are nonstate actors in the study of International Relations.But that does not allow the government of a country from whose territory these terrorists operate to shrug off its responsibilities from maintaning peace and order in the international fraternity.Perhaps the Prez has forgotten about his nation's commitment to the UN charter.How can the Prez deny that by giving the terror outfits a free hand to operate from his territory he is also being a tacit complier to their mayhem?And on a deeper introspection does the Pakistani government really want to root out such anti social elements ?Atleast your actions do not speak so.

And also Mr Prez, if these terrorists are truly 'Non state actors' why do they have such a free run of your state territory?Prove that they are not part of your state by mercilessly rooting out such cancerous growths from your territory.And remember you cannot choose to sit on the fence....the same ground on which you have joined hands with USA to weed out terrorists from the Afghan border should also be applicable incase of these terrorist outfits which operate from POK.
Let it not be so late so as to turn these outfits into"frankenstein's monsters" as was the case with the Talibans....

Heart melting thoughts by Prasoon Joshi

Is baar nahin
Is baar jab woh choti si bachchi mere paas apni kharonch le kar aayegi
Main usey phoo phoo kar nahin behlaoonga
Panapney doonga uski tees koIs baar nahin
(This time when that little girl comes to me with her bruises, I will not blow gently at her wound, nor distract her, I will let her pain grow.Not this time.)

Is baar jab main chehron par dard likha dekhoonga
Nahin gaoonga geet peeda bhula dene wale
Dard ko risney doonga,utarney doonga andar gehrey
Is baar nahin
(This time when I see pain on facesI will not sing the song that eases pain I will let the pain seep in, deep in...Not this time.)

Is baar main na marham lagaoonga
Na hi uthaoonga rui ke phahey
Aur na hi kahoonga ki tum aankein band karlo,
gardan udhar kar lo main dawa lagata hoon
Dekhney doonga sabko hum sabko khuley nangey ghaav
Is baar nahin
(This time I won't apply any balm Nor will I ask you to shut your eyes and turn your head While I gingerly apply medicine I will let everyone see the open, naked wounds.....Not this time.)

Is baar jab uljhaney dekhoonga,chatpatahat dekhoonga
Nahin daudoonga uljhee door lapetney
Uljhaney doonga jab tak ulajh sake..Is baar nahin
(This time when I see difficulty, uneasinessI will not run to solve the problems I will let them become complicated.....Not this time.)

Is baar karm ka hawala de kar nahin uthaoonga auzaar
Nahin karoonga phir se ek nayee shuruaat
Nahin banoonga misaal ek karmyogi ki
Nahin aaney doonga zindagi ko aasani se patri par
Utarney doonga usey keechad main,tedhey medhey raston pe
Nahin sookhney doonga deewaron par laga khoon
Halka nahin padney doonga uska rang
Is baar nahin banney doonga usey itna laachaar
Ki paan ki peek aur khoon ka fark hi khatm ho jaye....Is baar nahin
(This time I won't pick up my tools as a matter of dutyI will not make a new beginning Nor will I stand as an example of one dedicated to my job I will not let life easily return to normalcy I will let it descend into muck, on the twisting paths I will not let the blood on the walls dry out Nor will I let its colour fade away This time I won't let it become so helpless That you can't tell blood from paan-spit .....Not this time.)

Is baar ghawon ko dekhna hai
Gaur seThoda lambe wakt tak
Kuch faisleyAur uskey baad hausley
Kahin toh shuruat karni hi hogi
Is baar yahi tay kiya hai
(This time the wounds need to be watched Carefully For a long timeSome decisions are needed And then some brave moves to be made We have to begin somewhere...This time this is what I have resolved)... Prasoon Joshi

Siver Lining

Out of the nerve raking moments of Mumbai terror attacks,in my view only two silver linings have emerged-
a) Coming together of citizens in a spirit of shared grief and national unity.After a long time we the citizens of India have come out in open criticism of the powerholders,showing solidarity in the face of attacks that seek to divide and divert us and putting up a persistent pressure on the government which is answerable to us for failing miserably protect the basic right of life and security of any citizen.
b)Coming of age of the media.Infact this is possibly the first time that we have seen such mature and responsible reporting from the media,especially NDTV.This has helped the nation stay informed and have full faith in the security and information system .I appreciate the media for showing such restraint and thereby foiling any attempt to cause any undue panic as usually happens during such crisis.
But at the same time I cannot but point out the dramatic rhetoric resorted to by Aajtak and Star News.The on screen dramatization of events and the parallel narration was simply indigestible.Even some of NDTV reportings had fair traces of attempts at overplaying issues.Infact some of the post trauma recounts by supposedly people present in the areas under attack do sound difficult to believe.

But on the whole if you compare the reportings to earlier similar reports on national and international terror attacks or wars,I believe they have done a much better job...and most importantly they have managed to get the voice of the people heard causing the political establishment sit back and take note.

P.S:Also those of you who are reading this blog,NDTV has launched a new initiative called Ideas for Change on its website.Urge you all to contribute on the same.Our views do matter.

Are we learning?

Each time the nightmare gets worse...a perfectly normal weekday is turned into one of mayhem and massacre.And we the people of India end up paying a higher price. And every time our political representatives get away by promising to set up either an investigative agency or some hurried measures thrown in to appease the public sentiment..We have USA and Australian Federal agencies sending their representatives to study the modus operandi of the terror attack so that they can take necessary measures back home. Has it occurred to any of our political representatives to undertake something similar? Could we not learn from the Marriott Hotel attack in Pakistan?Are we learning from our repeated mistakes? Or are we too gullible to repeatedly falling into traps? Why are intelligence warnings not dealt with seriously? In a country teeming with millions, probably the value of individual lives has lost its meaning.Our political representatives could not care less. Quotably coming from the home minister of the affected state “ bada bade shehro mein aisi choti baatein hoti hain.”And now coming to the reactionary measures adopted by the government in the face of what is now being popularly termed Mumbai’s 9/11.1.The first step sounded promising—an all party meeting to come up with counter terror measures and a joint visit by the PM and Leader of the Opposition to Mumbai.. Not something truly out of the box….but voila neither could be carried out.Even in this greatest hour of crisis we could not put behind our partisan interests and stand together in grief.Our political representatives could not even get to agree on the basic safeguards for the very people who have put them in the corridors of power! Well does it require reminding that the primary responsibility of every government is to provide the basic amenities of Security/Life, Liberty and Food and Shelter? We the world’s largest democracy have failed to provide Security to our citizens in the face of repeated external attacks and conspiracies. What justification do we have to govern?( And this is not just about a Congress/UPA government…any political party would have proved as incompetent)2. Asking the ISI chief to come to India to provide explanation—not a sufficient measure but by far the strongest .And here too Pakistan does a U turn and agrees to send a representative instead and we agree. We do not exchange even strong diplomatic rhetoric but only express our ‘disappointment’ (as though someone cares). I am not calling for extreme measures of war because that will only add to the list of sufferings. But why is our government not seizing the opportunity and demanding that all terrorist establishments operating in and out of Pakistan and POK be mercilessly dealt with, just like they are being done in the Afghan border under pressure from USA post 9/11.Or are we waiting for a even greater tragedy to happen?How long shall we continue with the 3P politics of prayer, petition and protests? We are the strongest power in our subcontinent—a power that is envied by one and all. In the face of such an outrageous and brazen attack on our territory, why are we still taking a soft stand? Evidences pointing to compliance of other foreign elements are ample….it is their turn to prove their innocence. Give them a time line and a list of reasonable demands to help root out terrorist outfits and underworld groups that so openly operate from their land.3. Intelligence failure or over confidence?—Following the Mumbai attacks information is flowing in by the minutest detail as to how the operation has been so meticulously planned for months beforehand. We seemed to have been warned of the possible attacks and the targets well beforehand (possibly in September as reports suggest) from several different sources.What were we waiting for?The ATS Chief before his sad demise had commented that 90% of the ATS was busy with the Malegaon blast case, gathering evidences. Why are we always so proactive after such tragedies occur?Granted that not often all intelligence intercepts turn out to be true and often they are vague but still given that we are a soft target ,why can’t we be prepared for the worst at all times?4.Infrastructure—We spend crores on defence accounts.But have we ever done an assessment of emergency preparedness? We have a nation of brave heroes in every corner…but do we have the necessary infrastructure to support them?It takes 11 hours to arrange for air transport of our commandoes including fuelling of the craft.We do not have precise layout of the interiors of the places under attack ( which the terrorists from foreign shores do have).We have firefighting squad that possesses only 2 bulletproof jackets and are hence forced to take action from outside at ground zero exposing themselves to greater risk.The terrorists are armed with the latest AK 47/56,endless magazines,grenades and remote controlled devices…..our police on the contrast are using arms and ammunitions that are atleast 50 yrs old.4.Leadership---It breaks my heart to say that in a nation of heroes we do not have one ..one single leader who can bind the nation together and take it to its natural consequence in such times of crisis.There is not a single voice that rises above the rest and assures us the people that all will be well..that the offenders will be dealt with adequately..that the government will leave no stones unturned to avenge lawfully these dastardly attacks…..that we the citizens have nothing to fear….Where is that leader around whom we can rally and be safe in the knowledge that our nation’s future is secure? Are these terror attacks any less than the forceful aggressions by historic colonial and imperial powers? Where is the spirit of nationhood? After all, all you political power holders are enjoying the seat of power of India the nation. Where is your accountability to your motherland? Had a burglar entered your own home and attacked would you have rested in similar peace?Trust me, if any of you leaders had defied the vote bank interest or rather compulsion and come forth openly safeguarding the larger interest of the nation and did something concrete in the direction of securing national security and honour…you would have been the undisputed hero….and these very common people would have voted you to the power seat you so crave for..It is a sham that our political representatives are busy finger pointing each other at a time when they should have stood united.So it is time we learnt our lessons.Nothing comes before national pride,security and interest. It is time to take up a strong, united stand against our common enemies. We have allowed our enemies to take advantage of our weaknesses and hollowness and difference for too long.( how many times will history teach us that united we stand and divided we fall?)If you cannot provide the basic security and protect the lives of the very people you represent you have no right to be on the seats of power.It is never too late to learn from past mistakes. We have vast shore lines and borders with countries that are not exactly friendly.We need to be more vigilant. Of what achievement is a Chandrayan if we cannot keep a tap on what is affecting our own land?We immediately need to pull up our socks and address the lacunae that caused this damage. We need to address every little detail right from corruption to negligence to conspiracy.We need to send out the right signals. We can no longer afford to be a soft power. We have to take to task those involved.We have to press demands and pressurize our neighbour country to expedite the process of extradition of notorious gangleaders and also immediate action against The LeT and other terrorist outfits operating out of their land.Time is also ripe to garner foreign solidarity around us to execute these tasks against the terrorist outfits.Not to get wound up in petty internal politics and differences.8. Ensure that each state has a specialized agency capable of handling terror attacks and other crises.It should be answerable to only one authority.It should have all the latest arms and ammunitions.All local security setups and firefighters too should be provided with required equipments and arms.9. Make mandatory lessons in terror and disaster management for administrative and political personnel.10. Make mandatory a year of military training for all able bodied youth.11. Draw up stringent anti terror laws.12. Create study groups to study terror modus operandi across the world and actions undertaken by other governments across the globe.this will help us remain up to date with our own anti terror strategies.It is only through engaging in proactive measures that we can regain the confidence of the people as well as the outer world.And we need to regain the faith in our system.India is on a road to all round development and is a potential threat to all competing developing nations.It is but obvious that our enemies would like to pull us down at the slightest opportunity.But we will not play into their hands..we have to show the world our worth and the extent we can go to protect and promote our national dignity and honour.But watch out.Let us not get caught into fanciful and romantic rhetoric…This is the time for actions…Actions that are time bound…Actions that have a positive and certain outcome..Actions that have far reaching repercussions….Actions that teach all a lesson forever.My request to my fellow citizens is that do not, pray do not, get trapped into the age old tactics used by politicians to buy time. Public memory tends to be short and our political representatives sadly are waiting for something different to happen to break this nascent, germinating sense of unity emerging in the people. After a long time we have seen common people coming together pointing fingers at the government and demanding explanations even on candid camera. We have to keep the spirit going. Our government and all our political representatives are answerable to us. It is because of us that they are in the ‘power chair’. And they better start getting accountable and prove their worthiness

Mumbai Bleeds

The level of devastation caused in this dastardly attack is truly gruesome and heart wrenching.We as a nation stand shocked, apalled and dismayed.The precious lives lost in this unjust battle should not go in vain...it is time we stop being a soft state and atleast adopt some strong rhetoric and bring to task those responsible.I am not a Mumbaikar..i am one of thosefortunate, cosmopolitan ,enlightened Indians who travel a lot and have in their personal lives chosen to marry outside the caste and region...but over the last three days I have had the same sleepness nights as would any person resident in Mumbai have felt...the pain ,the anger,the anxiety that we feel is no less....because i believe that any such attack on the fabric of India is a direct onslaught to our sense of national pride.The need of the hour is to rise above these so called divisions of caste /class/region/language as set forth by our clever political clan ...these are nothing but levers that come handy for vote bank politics.If we the people can see reason and take pride in our unity no terror can pose a threat to our motherland.We absolutely echo Shobha Dey's sentiments.We do not need such political representatives who cannont represent the nation's needs and share the nation's griefs.Of what assurance are monetray releifs when you cannot stand with the people when they need you the most?How many more times does India have to bleed to make our politicians rise above their personal/party interests?The repercussions of repeated and brazen terrorists attacks in the major cities of India portrays a very weak picture of our country before the rest of the world.This has wide ranging impact on the economy,investments,exchanges and even the politics.How sad is it to see that even in such hours of grave crisis we cannot stand united as political representatives of the nation....it is not the scale of tragedy that is the top priority but the oh so quintessential struggle for the power seat in the forth coming elections!On another note we are PROUD of our relentless COMMANDOES(Army/Navy/NSG/Police) and also the tireless and brave REPORTERS.Infact this is possibly the first time that we have seen such mature and responsible reporting from the media.This has helped the nation stay informed and have full faith in the security and information system .We appreciate the media for showing such restraint and thereby foiling any attempt to cause any undue panic as usually happens during such crisis.