Mumbai-Sad, Angry and Numb too

The very recent tragedy of Mumbai has left me shell shocked and very angry.Not that the previous tragedies in various other cities and parts of the world made me feel good, but somehow this time it felt really close to home as my brother was staying at a hotel in that area and managed to make it out of there, unlike so many others who lost their lives so senselessly. I feel very depressed and saddened by the sick state of affairs our country has gotten into.

We seem to take 2 steps forward and 3 steps backwards in terms of being progressive and civilized-so much for being touted as an emerging superpower and what have you.What good are such lofty titles and accolades going to accomplish when a basic right such as the freedom to live is denied to us from time to time and we now live in constant anxiety.

There's a lot of anger in the public about being taken for a ride by the politicians-we are always supposed to be 'resilient' and take everything in our stride. Do we have a choice to be anything but resilient?

We may huff and puff and curse George Bush's policies around the world but the undeniable fact remains that he vowed to not let a repeat of 9/11 happen in America and so far(knock on wood)he's delivered on that promise to the Americans.I say let's take him on as a consultant after he retires from the White House.I mean it-maybe he can give our government the much needed direction and path we so desperately require to protect ourselves from such injustice and atrocities.

There's been a lot of hoo haa about the terrorists being followers of Islam and debates over how the average Muslim can claim that Islam is a religion which condemns attacks on innocent folks.Well, Sadhvi Pragya, Dayanand Pandey, Purohit and their partners in crime aren't Muslims but that doesn't seem to have stopped them from being a blot on Hinduism-a religion which has always been associated with peace and tolerance.

What I would like to see is hordes of responsible Indian citizens and leaders rise above being defensive and condemn such attacks publicly and forcefully, irrespective of whether the terrorists are Hindus, Muslims or whoever.

I believe in a higher power which has created the universe and all of that, but at times such as these my faith in God gets shaken and I start doubting what we've been conditioned to believe-that God knows all, is compassionate and lets good triumph over evil.Not much evidence of that for sure, going by all the suffering, devastation and disharmony.