Words aren't coming easy. So much has already been said about what has happened in Bombay, the city where I was born and spent a good 27 years of my life. A city which gives everyone a chance...now, even the terrorists. In the eye of this crazy storm of negative emotions are my feelings of pity, for these young boys who were brainwashed and sent to their deaths. How were they brought up? What were they before they became these killing machines? There was a piece in yesterday's newspaper which said one of them was given up by his father in exchange for money. Dirt poor, they were. Now they're rich? I don't think this could have been an easy decision, for the father or the son. Yet they made it and acted on it. And suddenly this isn't only about money. There are 'educated', well to do, 'everyday' folks involved in many/all aspects of these operations too. What leads them down this path, I wonder. What sense of injustice, of persecution drives them to plan and execute these dastardly acts? Do the results satiate them? Make them feel better? I doubt it.
While everyone talks of control and reaction, I'd like to speak of positive action...finding the root cause of all these ills. Is it religion? I don't think so...religion is also only another crutch, another means of brainwashing those who need something to hold on to in desparate times. These boys were mere puppets. We need to get to those who hold the strings. Yes, I suppose I seem like some kind of traitor, sitting here and typing away about people who deserve nothing more or less than our complete contempt. They probably always had enough of that, atleast in their minds. Was that what pushed them over the brink? If I feel helpless about Bombay, I also feel sorry for those boys who came here and caused such misery. They weren't bold, they were cowards, scared of some demon they were convinced could be exorcised only this way. They were miserable inside, there was something missing. I don't see an end to this problem unless we find that something and restore the self image and self respect of a people who are perhaps in a scarier hell than we are.
3 comments:
Beautifully expressed... these boys are merely cannon fodder...the "foot soldiers"...the sinister evil plotters are invsible. What their ultimate obective is....only their Allah knows.
Very well-written piece. I can't agree more with every word you've written. Seems like Terrorism is an unfortunate fact of life now and no place on earth is isolated from it. Religion is the basic tool of exploitation for achieving one's purpose in this trade, though monetary attraction cannot be totally ignored. Whatever the reasons, the end result is the same.. more and more are happy in the illusion that paradise will be theirs by performing acts so horrendous that will disqualify them even from hell. The biggest irony if I've seen one. Have no clue how and where to break this chain.. but I have a suspicion this will get worse before it will get any better. Having said that, one must not lose hope and keep on trying to counter this thinking by education and enlightenment. Only light can end darkness. While fighting killing with killing can be a short-term measure, it can surely not be a permanent solution. The only permanent solution is a change in paradigm, especially for that segment of the society which is most vulnerable to invitations towards 'martyrdom.'
Thanks Rati.
Appreciate your comment, Farhan. I can see that it is well thought out and not a "pulled out of the hat to suit the moment" one. Thanks :)
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