A Voice

It's been growing on me since Wednesday. As I mechanically comment on my friends' Facebook pictures, and reply to messages that say 'Good morning', I'm actually thinking of Mumbai. Feeling for Mumbai. Nothing that I write here will suffice - that, I know.

I just seem to have a lot of questions, mostly 'why's... 

Who would've thought! Unsuspecting, innocent people - why should they die because of what happened in Gujarat as long back as 2002, something with which they had no connections whatsoever! One question, 'Uda de kya?' and one answer, and 17 innocents blindly shot at. 

Is this how inhuman humanity can get? Or is there something worse, yet to come? Bring it on, then. I think we can take it now, thick-skinned as we have become to events such as these. Nearly 300 people die, as many or more are injured, and the city gets back to normalcy. It bounces back to life. Hail the spirit of Mumabi. 

I'm not saying we are, but I most sincerely hope we are not mistaking an indifference for the never-say-die attitude.

Things have happened, and they've been forgotten, except by those directly affected, because 'public memory is short'. I can't help but say that sitting in the comfort of my drawing room, watching the mayhem on television, I feel as directly affected as it gets. Perhaps I'm overestimating what I feel, or, underestimating what they feel.

The last thing that we can want now is a blame-game. Aren't the USA, Pakistan, and India all equally victimized? It's like this black shadow looming over the entire world, and we prefer to get stuck in a mud pool of politics. Damn politics.

Condemnation has become the easiest thing to do. Statistics make the picture look relatively rosy. 'MUMBAI RAGING, 150 DEAD'. There's a story behind every single one of those 150, of the people associated with them, and all stories will be buried as we bury these charred bodies. I am a sixteen year old girl, loved by my family, adored by my friends, engaged in multiple activities, with lots of dreams, ambitions and hope for every tomorrow. It could be me, and the headline would still say 'MUMBAI RAGING, 150 DEAD'.

Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte, Hemant Karkare, and all others who rushed to where others rushed out from - every Indian's greatest respect and gratitude goes out to them. At my insensitive best, I can say that they chose this life - that it was their duty to put our security before theirs, and they merely did what was expected of them. But, they did deserve better than to die for the reason of lack of proper equipment. These, our terribly underpaid heroes. I wish we learn to pay them for their service in life rather than in death.

I've read the newspapers cover to cover, and I've been watching the news. Apart from channels like Times Now, CNN IBN, and a few others, the media seemed to make a show of sensitivity, when their motive of sensationalizing and commercializing even this tragic an event was crystal clear.

You may ask, with all this concern, what I'm doing to make things better, and the answer is 'nothing'. I've prayed if that counts, but that's about it. I wish there was something more I could do - this is a cause worth living for, worth dying for. Yet, if not that, I'll be there as a voice of a world citizen who is pro-peace.