...Following are the thoughts of Krishnadevan Vijayraghavan, news editor, NewsWire18 or good ol' "KD", as we know him, on the political sham that followed the Mumbai crisis. Thought it was a good read!
The story has been posted with due permission from KD!
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NW18 FOCUS: Mumbai Terror: Anger as politics turns grief into circus
NewsWire18, Monday, Dec 1
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By Krishnadevan Vijayraghavan
MUMBAI - There is one emotion that is strongly uniting India - Anger!
Cynicism towards politics and its practitioners was prevalent, it's replaced now by collective anger even as politicians don't spare efforts to shoot themselves on their foot.
Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned as railway minister in 1956 owning moral responsibility for a major railway accident in Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu in which 144 persons were killed.
Juxtapose it with current Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's brazen statement on being "relaxed" while touring the terror ravaged Taj Hotel.
His deputy and Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil surpassed his boss with the statement, "such small incidents happen in big cities".
To compound matters, the Maharashtra chief minister was accompanied by actor son Ritesh Deshmukh and Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma on a survey of the now ravaged Taj Mahal. An act that reeks of callousness.
The anger against the political class is evident.
Never has consensus against them been so cohesive as now.
Slain Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father's outburst against Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achutanandan, who came calling to offer condolences, is seen justified.
Politicians of all ilk looked for photo opportunities to make a public display of private grief, even as they could not resist taking digs at rivals.
The reported snubs meted to politicians such as Narendra Modi, Raj Thackeray, and Gopinath Munde is widespread recognition of the nature of politicians to fish in troubled waters.
Grief also unites, and sometimes brings out the base elements.
Ratan Tata's statement offering condolences too appeared insensitive.
To make a statement beginning with a reference to "...the destruction of prominent landmarks in India deserve to be universally condemned," was uncalled for.
Yes, the Taj Mahal hotel was a landmark. A place where the swish stayed, dined, and partied.
Questions are now being asked when did corporate India raise its voice against terrorism.
Did they make any statements when blasts occurred across the country or when lives were snuffed out in trains and local markets.
It is churlish to make such statements but truth is bitter. It took bombs to go off in one's backyard to understand the severity of the situation.
Voices ask why did politicians not visit the foyer of the busy
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, where terrorists gunned down railway passengers.
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NO FAITH
The fact that faith in governance has taken a backseat is evident. P. Chidambaram has now been appointed union home minister in place of Shivraj Patil.
A wag commented "we will now see more police stations in Sivaganga". A reference to the former finance minister's penchant for inaugurating bank branches in his "over banked" constituency.
The oft-mentioned "resilient spirit" of Mumbai is now accepted as glorifying "life's compulsion".
Writing in the Times of India, adman and lyricist Prasoon Joshi expresses it well when he writes:
"Is baar ghawon ko dekhna hai, Gaur se thoda lambe wakt tak, Kuch faisley, Aur uskey baad hausley, Kahin toh shuruat karni hi hogi, Is baar yahi tay kiya hai."
Loosely translated meaning,... want to see the wound closer and longer, some decisions, and then some determination, need to start somewhere, is what I have decided. End
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Edited by Jones Koshy
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NewsWire18 Tel +91 (22) 6637-8700
Send comments to feedback@newswire18.com
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Copyright NewsWire18 Pvt. Ltd. 2007. All rights reserved.
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All things bright and Biprorshee
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