26/11

I am writing this relatively late - more than 10days after 26/11. In mean time India emerged scarred but alive and kicking, out of the worst attack on its soil. Worst not in terms of causality, but in terms of the mass insecurity it created.

Now every day, the first thing I do in the morning is to check news and I believe many Indian's are doing that more than they used to. Much and more has been written about and regarding 26/11 since then. I was sad, angry and insecure and angry again in the way 26/11 and aftermath panned out till now.

Like all of us, initially, I was looking to know who these guys were? And how bad these attacks were. As the answer's became clear over the siege-day's and afterwards, now I too am looking for other answers. Answer's to these questions that are perhaps hard to get than questions about who were behind this attack.

The questions are like 'How could this come to happen?', 'Why is our security so lax?', 'How come our commando's were equipped so badly and why did not they have more budget?', 'What agency in India needs to take the blame?', and finally 'What should be done to change this situation?'. After debating on these questions with friends and family and souring through all the news I can find on. I can honestly say this, I am to be blamed for all this that has come to pass. I, as a citizen of India should have been more responsible in keeping in touch with the state of my country and to pull up officials and hold them accountable.

Of course I could not have known that NSG was equipped so badly, I didn't even know NSG existed. But in my day to day life, I used to come across some or other section of our government - from regular traffic police to bureaucracy. And I never ever questioned their efficiency nor their dis-honesty; I only sought to get my work done fast. I know there are people out there who would have known about NSG being under funded, who would have known about lapses in security - let it be media or let it be or officials of the Indian government or any of us. I know this because in our country, with huge population, everything gets noticed by some one or the other. I am also sure that we did not do our duty to the country and we let lapses go un-noticed or un-reported. If say at least 50% of us would have acted on what we know or endure at hands of dishonest or irresponsible officials or people with responsibilities (can be a SIM card vendor), we wouldn't have seen an attack of such a scale on our soil.

This is the biggest tragedy for me, that I, you, we all; we will not change our ways in all big and small things in our life. I agree that the need of the hour is not for self contemplation but for action and action that too from the politician's, the bureaucracy and the law enforcement officials and the duty of citizens now is to agitate against these lapses and keep agitating till these are fixed.

Wouldn't it be better if we start to question all the big and small things that we tend to over look with a typical 'chalta hai' and act more responsibly?