Frustrated

Shantaram is my favorite book!! I mean, like favorite among everything that I have ever read… The one prominent reason I loved it, was how appreciative the author was about India… His love for Bombay started from the moment he inhales the polluted air of the city… Instead of being the overbearing high-strung foreigner who cannot relate to anything Indian, he falls in love with the town. And trust me, you will fall in love with city too (and a Mumbaikar will look at his town with renewed love).

The recent attacks on the Taj, Leopold and Colaba made me want to go back to the book. Gregory Roberts found his friends, love at these popular joints. To be reading about it in his rich words, made you want to pack your bags and head there!!! The city and its landmarks were all I thought of for 3 whole months….

To see these monuments bruised and battered makes me angry beyond words!! The basic principle we were taught at school, at home, by our religion, by our culture, is not to hate!!! From Ahimsa taught by Buddha to Gandhigiri taught by Munna, we have been told to only love love love, and never hate!!!

All the anger we are expressing in the wake of these attacks is just hatred I feel… Hatred towards the politicians who gave the details of NSG operations on Live-TV… Hatred towards the media for airing it (commonsense you brainiacs!!!)… Hatred towards politicians for India being so soft on terrorism… Hatred of every militant organization that exists… Hatred because we lost our best policemen in the attacks…. Hatred of ourselves, because we are feeling helpless, while glued to internet and television… Hatred at everyone because we cannot elect leaders who can LEAD the country… Hatred of the general society which only thinks of celebrities and movies till something drastic happens… Hatred of ourselves: we went shopping just because it was Black Friday and every store had discounts, while our country burned…..
WE NEED ANSWERS!! Everyone does!! But from whom?? The same politicians who have never taken a step, in fear that their vote-bank will be affected?? (The same politicians who we voted for BTW!!!) Or from ourselves?? Who cannot do anything other than condole and codemn these attacks?? Does anyone at all think about the nation’s security till tragedy strikes again?? And why does patriotism come pouring forth when we are under attack??

What we need to be instilled patriotism… This means, to put an end to regionalism and look at India as INDIA… Indian ideal of pluralism: ethnic, cultural and religious identities can all exist under the umbrella of an Indian identity and everyone needs to remember that!!!

Like Tharoor says “"If America is a melting pot, then to me India is a thali -- a collection of sumptuous dishes in different bowls. Each may not mix with the next, but they combine on your palate to produce a satisfying repast."

We need to come together… for our country!!