Business requires conducive and peaceful environment to sustain and thrive. Devoid of these parameters confidence buildup is likely to take a deep plunge. By the word environment I mean economical, political and social aspects of a nation. The event clashes with the global economy already on a roll back mode and India (I hear) is set to play a role model in global transactions.
It is no news that the country is under threat and the crusade has been executed by young mislead boys who have decided to take scores of people into hostage, step by step. The English cricket team has decided to pull back their team back in the wake of the deadly Mumbai attacks. A 1 Kg RDX consignment was found in Jorhat District, Assam today and diffused eventually. The final test match was scheduled in Guwahati which earlier this month was under the terror target lists.
The Mumbai incident happened in a time where almost every intelligence department is trying hard to unfold the mystery surrounding the attackers and their mother organization. The whole country is trying to come into the terms that an attack of this nature and size, has taken place, LIVE on television. Bollywod produced a couple of films inspired by terrorism in 2008 A Wednesday and Mumbai Meri Jaan to quote a few taking terror perpetrators and their gruesome images right from our bedrooms to coffee table discussions.
I saw film by Steven Spielberg ‘Munich’, where the Israeli intelligence Mossad in a bid to take revenge eliminates key members of the PLO in retaliation of the infamous Munich Olympic massacre in 1972. There are more than 325 casualties in India as of now this year, and counting.
Yes, there is a stark grim connection in India’s own 9/11 and that what happened in New York in 2001. As the images flickered across television screens, I gathered the facts and explain you my own take of this one event.
9/11 and 11/26
New York and Mumbai
- Where one is the world’s financial district the latter is India’s if not the entire south East Asian region
- Both the events unfolded dramatic and unbelievable visuals which got viewers from all over the world hooked into their television sets. It was happening LIVE.
- Both the events were planned much in advance and a dedicated fidayeen squad deployed for execution of this task.
- Caught the viewer attention in Prime Time. (Mumbai: The first reported attack happened a little after 9 PM GMT. New York 9/11: although the planes started ramming the WTC at 8:45 AM the Indian viewers were hooked to the television very much in our evening, night slots.
- WTC –World Trade Center and the Taj/Oberoi Hotel and others. Strategic locations of both the places are worth mentioning. Mumbai and New York are one of the costliest places to dwell and the two locations are strategically placed and of high real estate value.
- Both the events managed to attract immense national and international print/ TV coverage primarily on account of the number of casualties.
Spiegel.de (Germany) reports that this event (Mumbai) is Barrack Hussain Obama’s first test as a future president of the US in terms of his own foreign read Asian relations.
It started with the May 13 Jaipur blast and Bombay being the latest. A colleague of mine expresses her naiveness by saying that this event will fade out of our memories sooner and we should get used to listen news of this nature and that this piece of news will gradually found in the newspaper’s 4th or 5th page soon.
Where do we go from here, is there a way out from here? I am not very sure, who are these people and what do they want and where did they come from? Also not sure if such events will stop here (Apparently the gun fights and hostage crisis is still on- should stop sometime).
Are we going to forget what happened today, are we becoming indifferent? How can I, as a citizen of India contribute to thwart such accident.
26 November 2008 Mumbai attacks - WikiPedia
Thursday, 27. November 2008
Well said
Wednesday, 3. December 2008
Thank you Jeff. There are certain events which changes the traditional way of information dissemination. The Bombay massacre is one of it and it will be remembered in the history of mass communication and it’s evolution in modern times. See the kind of engagement between the viewers and the disseminators of news/ views in general. The outburst has been phenomenal. Or may be ‘WE NEED CHANGE’. But do we always need something ghastly to happen and initiate change? The formula of ‘bad news is news, rest is fluffy’ has been defined again. And this time there is deep gash in an ordinary Indian’s soul.
Tuesday, 23. December 2008
Versace in paradise
‘An eye for an eye and the world goes blind’. The tube and its content has uncharacteristically refrained from over–using word ‘terrorist’ only to replace with words like ‘Gunman’ and ‘Militant’. To use or not use a given word lessens the crime or the veracity of this evil natured attempt to sabotage peace, prosperity of a country? Round of protest emails surrounding BBC’s content policy on terror related story coverage is making some Indians angry. “We are fighting against terrorism & wnt (want) international pressure on the countries who are supporting this kind of act.” was Vivek’s response. He feels that a line between a terrorist and gunman should be drawn. “The killers who came to Taj, Oberoi and the CST and a Jewish home, did not come to steal art, railway property or money. They came with the declared purpose of murder and mayhem.” Well said Vivek they came without a fear of life; they came on an almost suicidal type mission. Peter Verkooijen on November 29 at 2:55 pm wrote “Before the end of 2009 this Azam Amir Kasav will be a celebrity.” Peter, you noticed that this captured terrorist was wearing an extremely popular international clothing piece, ‘Versace’.
According to the Indian Express - several shirts, T-shirts and trousers with “fake foreign branding” and few packets of fairness cream shipped from Dubai was found from trawler ‘Kuber’ from where they arrived for the bloody Mumbai mission.
He consciously wore that and why fairness cream, for that matter? They wanted to look good before they die? Some questions I do not have an answer. Vivek, these young people, 10 of them and many more (probably) in the making are ready to loose their lives for an undefined purpose. Death is for sure. What lies in paradise for them, Versace?
Reynold disgusts a myth surrounding 100 virgins waiting to be adorned in heaven.
Monday, 20. July 2009
To my surprise the lone survivor (who is supposedly a prize catch) admits his role in the Mumbai massacre. Kudos to Asif Ali Zardari and his men for their blue print provided in Egypt. The diplomacy shown by both the leaders will be historic in many ways. Pakistan, is battling hard to control their own home grown fundamentalists and international pressure combined will work for India.