What Happened To My City?

Disclaimer: This post was originally written and published on http://CityHyd.info by me.

Yet another blast, one after another they never seem to put an end to it…..Innocent people dying, denizens scared to hell, mammoth security concerns, negligence of intelligence warning,  political drama and the blame game, infrastructural loses……Nothing new, once again life has taken a whole circle. Only thing that became more prominent is- Terrorism!

 

Blasts In Hyderabad

This was my third encounter of a terrorist bombing in Hyderabad in last 6 years. The Mecca Masjid was bombed on May 18, 2007. The Mecca Masjid, a mosque in the old city area in Hyderabad very near to Charminar, was bombed when there were 10,000 people inside the mosque offering Friday prayers. Result- 100 injured and 16 reported dead. In 2007, Lumbini Park was bombed on the 25th August that killed 44 people and injured 70. And then it happened yesterday again at Dilsukhnagar commercial area near a Bus Stop and cinema halls, 3 blasts, killing 22 and injuring 90 people. What the F*#% !

Hurt, Are You?

I’m feeling so hurt that it’s hard to explain in words. An absolute random targeting of innocent people on the streets is the scariest part of terrorism, you don’t know when it will be you or someone from your family, it’s shocking and disturbing. Yesterday night I could feel it as if the whole Hyderabad city has gone in a moan, people’s hearts filled with anger, despair and agony. It’s simply hard to imagine the value of human lives in the eyes of those anti-social elements who kill the innocent people for no reason; they act foolishly, and suddenly there are so many families who are victims. Who takes the blame for killing those innocent people who were living their lives just like any other ordinary day of their usual work week? A thought of losing someone special on a random regular day of your life, due to terrorist attacks scares the hell out me..just imagine one day and life changes. Will you be ever able to bear that pain of those victims? No!!


 

These blasts in Hyderabad are a signal to the people of our nation that no one is safe. And that the government is a failure when it comes to security. On the flip side of it, I also feel providing security to such a hugely populated country is a challenge in itself, but hey that’s not impossible so shouldn’t we at least be trying? Someone said- it’s not about blaming, it’s about healing. If you can’t help it, at least don’t play the blame game. What is more disheartening is the fact that- Government knew and suspected the target place but still nothing done to prevent, such lack of necessary action is unacceptable especially in a terrorist situation. The security authorities have their share of problems- it is a joke that CCTV cams were cut off 4 days ago at Dilsukhnagar area and no one noticed – a true state of security failure!
All we are left post blasts- 100s of victims, a terrified city, a scared country, a broken Dilsukhnagar area with partially opened shops…and a lot of open questions in our minds and hearts! Is this the place where we want to live with our loved ones? Is human life that cheap? While we are confused and distort the great politicians of our country continue to behave in same old fashion, God Bless us! Are we ever going to change? Is there a ray of hope against terrorism at all?

 

We Have To Put A Full Stop

At this moment my mind is bolted with so many random thoughts of ifs and buts that can probably change our country into a paradise overnight, but the reality is- it’s not possible. Yet these words by Margaret Mead, the anthropologist, make me believe that we can one day do what we want- “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”…It’s time we heal, it’s time we unite and work together for our beloved land, no politics, no hatred, no terrorism!
 

I TRULY MISS THE GREAT MAHATMA GANDHI

Today the world celebrated the 140th birth anniversary of one of the greatest leaders of the world, known by the name of "Mahatma Gandhi". The word Mahatma is made up of two parts: "Maha" and "Atma". The word "Maha" means "Great" and synonymous to "Maharishi" meaning "Great Sage" in Hindi and Sanskrit languages. The word "Atma" means "Self" or "Soul". In Hindi and Sanskrit this word is used as "Atma-Jnana" meaning knowing or knowledge of the "Self" or "Atma-Svarup", which is the essential nature of the self. Atma is the true self, as opposed to one's body, individuality and personality. This is exactly why Mr.Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is called as "Mahatma Gandhi".

Truly speaking, I haven't been a Gandhi Fan for most part of my life until I really understood this great personality and his impact on the whole world, I was really confused with the term called "Peacemakers" throughout my life and I was always of the belief that there is hardly any concept like this and probably I never witnessed the need of such people. But as I grew and understood the people and the society around me, I came across the most important and terrifying word- "TERRORISM". Especially, when I m spending my life in a country, where terrorist activities have always impacted the daily life of my country-men and where the people almost daily come over the fear of the terrorist attack which has last happened and still continue to live a normal life. All this has made me think about how can we reach a world free of "Terrorists" and full of "Peaceful Life".

I remember, the 9/11 attack on America was one event which I saw on the television soon after it happened and I was so shocked with that it became an eye-opener to me, and i.e. at that time I began searching for PEACE. Before 9/11, there were many such terrorist incidents in India but they never actually impacted me so strongly as did the 9/11. I dont know why it had such a great impact on me, may be I started understanding what is terrorism and I started valuing peace. Then followed by the bomb blasts in London, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad all made me realize the importance of peace and the people who influence the world peace. Soon, after all those events I started looking for the "Peacemakers". One name which came to my mind instantly was no other than "Mahatma Gandhi".

This frail, non-political leader with barely any possesions released India from the occupancy of history' most powerful nation using non-violent resistance and forgiveness. Non-violent and loving end to conflict wasn't his only platform. Gandhi was also a seeker of truths. Truly one of the most remarkable men to ever live. I hate myself for not knowing Mahatma Gandhi's real character for all those years when I was just ignoring him and his impact over the world. I know there are still few young Indians who blame Mahatma Gandhi for the partition of India and Pakistan, which is completely wrong but I still dont understand how can they underestimate his efforts for the freedom of India.

I have not followed Gandhi in my whole life still I have so much respect for him and his true character, which had done so much for the people of India. Today, when whole world is in such a bad condition and where terrorism, discrimination and racism have become a hard truths of our society, I miss people like the great "Mahatma Gandhi", who had that super calming effect on the world, and who spread the peace around the world for the welfare and well being of mankind. I wish Mahatma Gandhi to reincarnate in present world to help us and to guide us all towards the lost PEACE. We surely need a Gandhi to have that peaceful and truthful effect on us. I truly miss him.

Terrorism...Is there a SOLUTION ??

No matter what you do, no matter where you stay,no matter what are you doing in your life, no matter how much you are bothered about the happenings in and around you but still its so hard to take away your family, your children, your lover and your soul away from the scariest of the word in the dictionary called TERRORISM !!!

I may be Albert Einstein, I may be Graham Bell, I may be the Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, I may be the richest of the person on this Planet but still I dont have answer to the biggest problem of the world, which has become so unavoidable and unstoppable in the recent times, yes I dont have answer to TERRORISM. I may be studying in Oxford or I may be doing a research in MIT or I may be working in Google or I may be signing the Nuclear Treaty in the World Conference but my disgrace is I would still dont know when and where can I be hit with the anonymous tornado of terrorism.

When I was born and as I grew up, I never knew who the terrorist was ?? If at all I got to know, I never used to pay attention to it as it was really of a mere attention at that time. But at present, what I see and what this world has changed into has only a sorrow story to tell, the story of 9/11, the story of Taliban, the story of Mumbai(India) attacks.

I dont know why the agenda's of political parties still hovers around Poverty, Unemployment, Education or SC/ST reservations and why not its about TERRORISM. The pity is, for all such problems you can see and analyse the problem, and you can come up with a solution to it but how about TERRORISM? Do we have any certain formula for it? Well the answer is an obvious BIG NO!!

I sometimes really feel pity on the great nations of the world, the reasons why I m saying so are numerous. We are hit by floods, we are hit by eathquakes, we are hit by train accidents, we are hit by road accidents but we can come over it all. At an individual level we may lose our job, we may have no money, we may have so many bucket full of problems in everybody's life but for all these problems we are aware and we are facing it because of some reasons, which we either know or we may get to know in sometime but how about TERRORISM. Even now we are unable to understand why a Terrorist attack happened or what was the terrorist's intention, he killed everybody and got killed in the end. Do I know why my relative or my friend or somebody's wife or somebody's daughter died because of Terrorism ....No No No!!
We never have the answer to this "Why".

We can give huge money to our cricketers, who hit 6 sixes or won us a match against any country but how about an eyewitness child, who helped us drew the portrait of the terrorist who ran away. What about the common people who dont even know eachother at that worst moment of life their lives, who kept on holding the injured and helped them shift to the hospitals. Leave the money, the situation is so bad that we cant even gurantee the police protection to the eyewitnesses. Thank God people have humanity still alive in them, which pushes them to help people in such crisis circumstances.

Even though, how much I praise our people or how much I take pride in insulting our government or the system but in the end, when I think who are the actual catalysts for all those inhumane, barbaric, heartless acts, I go in dilemma of what I was thinking about our people because after all who is a TERRORIST? He is born among us only, he is a part of this society only.

I m scared and I m even more worried because I dont see a solution to what is happening and how to stop it. In my mind, soul and heart I know I have to stop the Terrorism but what is the answer?

Is there a solution to terrorism? Is there any solution?