Tuesday 30 September 2008

Wilted Times


I was watching the news the other day, and something that a news reader said really caught my attention. She was reporting the recent blast in Ahmedabad, which left 1 person dead, and having a conversation with a reporter on site. She asked, "So what do you think, was it just another terrorist attack, a crude bomb accident or a mere cylinder burst?". Hmmm. Just another terrorist attack. The casual tone with which this was said left me zapped. Is this what we've come to? Are terrorist attacks such a common fact of life that we're discussing them like we'd talk about the proceedings of a reality show? Is it so common for people to die in these frequent acts of violence, that their deaths are just reduced to being statistics on a news bulletin? I'm disgusted and appalled.

In the last one week itself, I have seen news about 4 bomb blasts in 3 different cities in India. First Delhi, then Ahmedabad, then Delhi again and yesterday, I freshly heard about blasts in Malegaon, Maharashtra. Is this what our future looks like? Are the bomb blast stories going to be so common that they won't even make it to the headlines? Is there going to be a page in the newspaper titled, "Terrorist attacks of the Day"? I don't think we're far from that situation at all. Terror strikes are so common now, people who hear about a bomb in my city, don't even bother to ask anymore, if anyone I know is affected. What's the point? How many times are they going to ask the same question? All we can do now is, to pray and hope that we're not personally affected by any of these attacks. But I'm sure, that day is not far, when each of us will be personally and directly be affected by these terror strikes. What then? Is that going to be the last limit? Is that going to be enough for these terrorists?

I don't fall into the category of the weak-hearted do-gooder. I'm not entirely all-truist and don't go out of my way to do extraordinary good deeds for people. I don't weep in movies, I don't look at the poor and tear up, I don't help the disabled, I don't pray for victims of the blasts, I don't volunteer at hospitals, I've never donated blood, I've never educated a child. In short, I'm not the kind of person who cries at a stranger's pain. But today, I ache. My heart is in pain and my mind is in agony. So much pain, so much suffering...what for? I'm seeking a reason...I'm looking for a motive...I want to know why?

I don't get it. Maybe I'm too fickle or too soft, but I just don't get it. What is a good enough reason to take innocent lives? What cause can be so big, that the common man needs to die for it? What do people get out of defacing someone for life? What good can come off killing someone's brother, sister, father, mother, husband, wife, friend, companion? What kind of a heart does a person need to have to drop off a device that would, in an instant, change or end the lives of hundreds? I only have questions, the answers evade me.

These are the only words that come to me right now...

Changing times, rocky souls,
crimson, black, grey and finally white,
flooding eyes, broken hearts,

burnt dreams, and shredded homes.
Fearful lives, hateful deeds,
mourning mothers, early deaths,
panic stricken hands, detached limbs,
lost loves and tearful goodbyes.
Flickering hope, damaged faith,

the reasons still buried deep,
man hates another, another hates too,
The end lost, the light now dimmed...

11 comments:

Scribblers Inc said...

India is home to news channel TRP's and incriminate terrorist acts...and when both come together, what else does the country need??
I am in Delhi.Ask me..

Scribblers Inc.

Neha said...

Scribblers: I've from Delhi too...and I really really hate it when my city is in turmoil...its totally aggravating!

MP said...

It's not your City only Neha. It's all over the country. There have been blasts in Jaipur, Bangalore, Hydrabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Malegaon and now Agartala yesterday. I don't think it is right to blame it on News Channels. They are just reporting what happened. You can surely say that they were not 'serious' enough in their reporting but it is a fact that these blasts occurred and innocent lives were lost.

The problem is that our politicians are spineless - they don't care one bit about the country. Anyways, I feel sorry for any innocent life lost for no reason... it infuriates me to no end. May be the government will wake up only when a politician is killed in an attack...

Take care..

Munir

Neha said...

Munir: Oh, I wasn't blaming the news channels or the media at all, and i'm sorry if it sounded that way. I was just pointing out how common these attacks are now, that even news channels treat them so casually. I think the only people to blame really are those heartless terrorists, that don't stop to think for a second what damage they're doing. And yes, politicians are definitely not far behind in the blame-game. The country has literally gone to the dogs!

Anonymous said...

You bring up a good point here. It is pretty scary to think that the man on the street has now been 'conditioned' to look at terrorist attacks as just another typical event in his daily life. People rarely react these days to such horrible attacks, unless (like you said) it personally affects them in some way.

Neha said...

Sindhu: You know, in a way, I hope people don't realise the seriousness of it..if that will come only by being directly effected. Why do we have to get to THAT point, when things can be controlled MUCH before that?

Anyway, thanx for the comment :).

Rambunctious WhipperSnapper said...

You can't just disappear like that ... come back, you fiend ... :P ...

Neha said...

Rambo: awww...im right here! Just dont have anything to write about! Like..NOTHING! Judging my ur latest post...U dont either:P! I was gonna write a post like u did..but u beat me to it:P! Now I'll actually have to wait till I have something to say :P!

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