a winters day, in a deep and dark december

‘ people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening ’

words of Simon and G perhaps best articulate my emotions at this point. As our initial fury dies out, the screams soften, peace marches, candles and hugs become less frequent, I find myself asking the same question over and over again... where do we still stand? I don’t despise what has been done by people to cushion the impact of November 26th but am saddened by how soon we all decide to move on.

‘ like a poem badly written, we’re all verses out of rhythm, couplets out of rhyme ’

i know that we all feel, that we are all equally affected by this brutal crime. Angry, hurt, surprised. But then why do we still forget? Why is it always easier to take the simpler road - “thank god mera koi nahi mara”, “the bloody government must take stronger action” or “all politicians are dogs!” - why do we always choose to restrict ourselves to just these dangling conversations, these superficial sighs?

I heard Shobha de the other day on NDTV claiming purposefully that “Mumbai will manage terror on its own. We do not need our political system to protect us anymore”. And i wonder - then what? arm a billion + population with guns, condition an already enraged youth with motives of bitter revenge? This only seems too familiar. I'm quite confident that each and every one of us has a different opinion of the inflictors behind these attacks. Irresponsible statements like these can only give birth to more terror. Ignite broader, more pronounced communal conflicts.

‘ we’d like to help you learn to help yourself ’

my belief is that while, as a democratic nation, we must believe and trust our chosen government, it is imperative for us as citizens to play an equally important role. A role that does not, and should not act independently, but be willing to work alongside.

and this is where i wish to make my point.

As a nation, we must strive to strike the right balance. As people our role is to demand, to make our chosen leaders accountable for their actions. We should focus on that and not breach into other defined roles. It is, as any successful organization works. You don’t see marketers matching balance sheets or accountants moderating consumer interviews - Its just not meant to be.

‘ cut him till he cried out, in his anger and his pain, i am leaving i am leaving, but the fighter still remains ’

So what can we do? how do we prioritize our role? I believe we need to sustain our momentum. We are all worried, we are all angry. Lets continue to ask and question. To demand answers like we are now.

be aware. I’ve heard many of my own friends carelessly talk about terrorism, about religion, about revenge. We are the educated populace and it is our moral duty to remain fully aware of all the facts and subsequent decisions being taken to tackle the situation. The atmosphere is tense. We should, I believe consciously restrain from taking extremist stances.

spread the message. Sure the peace marches seem irrelevant. “Solidarity isn’t enough” is what i heard my sister say. “It has no purpose, no action”. I disagree. These marches are the only measures keeping this issue current. still relevant. Isn't it those little event pop-ups on facebook that make us think again. A minute away from our profile scraps and picture tags. Lets talk to people, discuss these issues in an organized forum. It the only way to keep them alive. Having an opinion, wanting results shows the world that as people we are a thinking nation and that we will not forget as easy. Our voices influence government decisions. We’ve already seen that with the rapid pace with which the new law has been inducted. What is most important today, must stay on longer. the fire must keep burning.

respect authority. Its common knowledge in India - everyone has a price. Its shameful how we are willing to shell out a 200 rupee note to avoid a ‘challan’, yet still openly demand more vigilant police officers. Can we, for once be honest. Allow that policeman to check our bags. Stop honking like retards, be patient when the car in front is stopped at check posts. Report anything suspicious that we see. Help out the injured and patiently answer the questions later. Stop the fake driver licenses, the “you don’t know who my dad is” speech. Give way to the ambulance, fire brigades.

Lets not push and encourage our authorities to be corrupt. We cant change what is already done, but can surely affect the future. we must have faith.

choose wisely. This doesn’t just end with forwarding 49-O amendment emails. But is about how well we really know our leaders. I frankly have no clue who my MLA is, what is agenda is, or even his name for that matter. Lets be willing to make an educated decision on our vote. Have a clear reason why you’re voting for someone. One can walk down to the nearest party office for a copy of the agenda, even google it for that matter. Why don’t we discuss them on our forums? develop our own group consensus before voting?

question. This is the most difficult step and will perhaps take the longest to realize. As a group we need to form one voice that can question our chosen leaders. Reaching such a day will mean an evolution of our individual mindsets. can we shed our barriers and embrace fearlessness, responsibility, curiosity? I did visit the ‘right to information’ website. It takes a few days to return answers, but at-least we can begin this journey by accepting it as a potential channel of communication.




we are the people. we choose, we question, we evaluate. this is our chosen role in society.
lets get it done.

‘ i am a rock, i am an island. a rock feels no pain, an island never cries.’