The Impotent Indian

I feel violated, cheated and robbed. Robbed of a happy weekend, one I've been planning for weeks now. Violated by terror elements that traipse in and out of my life leaving me a little scarred and very cynical of the world around me. Cheated by the Indian Government and its safety mechanism in which we blindly vest all our trust and faith.

Last evening just as we came out of watching My Name Is Khan my brother frantically called up to tell me not to drive through Koregaon Park because there'd been a blast in German Bakery. Not thinking too much of it I took the Nagardas Road - Bund Garden bridge route to get home, driving through the many road diversions set up by the cops. Only once we got home did we realise the gravity of the situation. The explosion was a blast by terrorist outfits and so many people had lost their lives & been injured.

Then the phone calls began. Calls from friends & family enquiring if we were all fine. They brought back harsh memories of those three long days of sufferance during the 26/11 blasts. A memory I want to forget forever!

German Bakery is a landmark in Pune, frequented by foreigners and locals alike. I can imagine the number of patrons it would host on a Saturday evening and am pretty certain the numbers being given out by the authorities, as always, are nowhere near the actual casualties! This is supposedly the first such attack after 26/11; the second escape for my family and loved ones.

As a Punekar I feel helpless and as an Indian I feel impotent. Why? Because there is nothing I can do! When the Sena creates a ruckus in my state around the release of a harmless film, I fret over not being able to watch it. When MNS decides to enforce its rules on Mumbai, I hitch a ride with colleagues and try to get home safely. When all shop-owners including large international retail formats are forced to have Marathi signboards, I ridicule the funny spellings. When these goons misconstrue my favourite actor's words and threaten his family, I watch in silence. When terror strikes nearer home, I sit in front of the television and pray for the safety of my family. There is little else I can do!

But someone has to be accountable because I am SICK of words. Sick of being told what to think, sick of being told what to do. Sick of false reassurances, sick of empty promises. Yes I am a "good indian" and yes I pay my taxes. But now is not the time for words, it is the time for positive action. There comes a time when diplomacy needs to be shown the door and now is that time. What good is a Govt that cannot protect its people? No more words please, I want an answer in actions this time!