What now?

So, I vented my anger by writing a blog-post about the latest terror attacks. Apparently the NSG has flushed out the scum from the Taj hotel. Things are going back to normal. I have not watched the news since the evening of the ill fated day (EST). One of the questions I asked a couple of questions in that post was:

"What can we as citizens of a civilized society do to protect our interests? The cause of these terror attacks are varied in various places, but it is innocent people walking on the street who bear the brunt (and the people who go out to fight for us)"

And I have been thinking about this on and off. I have asked this question to several people. I am just plain baffled by the lack of responses or ideas. Varish said that it is time for the political system of the country to start acting tough. Really? Is this the time for the gov to start acting? The government should have acted way too long ago. Anyway, that is not even the point.

We all have conceded at some point that the government of ours is not doing much other than condemning the attacks and making vain platitudes. The dirty politicians will even turn this to their advantage so that they can gain political mileage for the upcoming general elections.

All right! Enough trash talk. We know that the government is not doing what it is supposed to. So I ask the question again. What do WE do? We are the educated elite of the country. We cast those votes. We elect those representatives. Is there something we can do to help? I feel we are totally lost on that question.

I suggested doing a signature campaign amongst the student and young professional networks in and out of India. We could send those signatures with a message to our respected Prime Minister. My good friend asked me whats the point behind a signature campaign? I said, "we need to make sure that the government understands that the educated elite of the country, both in India and abroad needs to see some real action now, and not just empty promises."

Then he asked me a question to which I did not really have an answer: "Doesn't the government already know that it has to battle terrorism?" . Just that any Indian government does not have the guts to take the right steps which are against their own self serving motives. And even we the people are to blame. Everytime there is an attack on teh city, we say that Mumbai is unbreakable. We are the most resilient city in the world. Hell we don't want to be resilient! Why is it that all these pains and agonies are forgotten a couple of days after the bloodstains have been washed? The sacrifices of the security forces and the pains of the people disappear into oblivion and we settle down into our old routine. This continues till the time there is another attack. Oh yes, don't be fooled into thinking that they are done.

So I was set into thinking what would the damn signature campaign achieve? It would probably serve the purpose to make it clear to the government that we are pissed off. But doesn't the gov already know that? Like Jayu said "they cannot be that detached from public sentiment". So how do we make them do it? In an ideal democracy (oh and we are very proud of the fact that we are a democracy) the people are able to hold the gov accountable for their actions and inactions. Why can't we do that in India?

"Electoral power is supposed to be the form of public control over its govt in a democracy. Here it gets sold for free sarees and rice during election time. The educated middle class has a very small say in the overall process."

So this is my sincere message to everyone reading this post. This general election, PLEASE GO AND VOTE. Cast a responsible vote. Our only goal should be to cast aside all our feelings of mutual distrust and communal agendas and questions of religion and reservation, and elect a government that would actually ensure that our people don't get slaughtered on their own street.

The only other weapons that we have are the RTI and the PIL. But only the legislature has the right to ammend the constitution. The courts can only direct the legislature to do something. So let us wield the only real weapon we have. The right to vote. Let the current government understand that they have to prove a point to us, and that we are watching. And let them consider this a threat: we will not vote for you if we do not see results.

Note to all the readers: If you have any ideas, post a comment.