Lest we remember...

To all those critics, who kept asking “What have we learnt from 26/11?”, I have this to offer in reply:

1. RR Patil has learnt that making blasphemous statements like “Aise chhote mote haadse hote rahte hain” (such minor incidents keep happening) can get you a much-needed vacation until you get back into action in the same Ministry.
2. RR Patil has also learned that he should speak in Marathi and then blame it on the translators for misinterpretting him.
3. Vilasrao Deshmukh has learnt that striking a deal with Bollywood directors for their next blockbuster adds value to one’s CV and helps you get a Union Minister post while the lay public is pleased with the “prompt action taken”.
4. The public has learnt to take these “smart moves” in their stride. After all, their removal was only to keep their critics quiet - the aam aadmi was only hoping for improvement in the security measures to avoid such breaches in future, weren’t they?
5. We have learnt that we need a common enemy in a foreign land to unite us – even if it is for a short while and even with that we don’t keep united for long..
6. We have also learnt that, soon enough, some of our politicians will remind us of our regional, religious and other affiliations and pit us against each other so that we are engaged in fighting each other rather than how to deal with external threats.
7. Tourism operators have learnt how to capitalise on the incident and promote “terror-tourism” by organising visits to Leopold Café, Taj Mahal Hotel, Hotel Trident and Nariman Bhavan. Maybe they could throw in a visit to Dharavi as a free “slum-tourism” package, popularised by the award-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” (or vice versa)
8. We have learnt that kind souls do set up NGOs and assistance groups to look into the problems of those affected by the terror attack
9. We have also learnt that Government Cheques do bounce!
10. We have learnt to wait for the next anniversary.

We could go on…..So it isn’t that we haven’t learnt!

Now that the first 26/11 anniversary is behind us and we’re done with lighting the candles, floral tributes and joining the peace marches or whatever it is that makes us feel we’ve done our bit for those who laid down their lives, it is time to move on with life. At least until the next anniversary becomes due in 2010. By which time, we may pitch the counter-terrorism ball shorter and not with the same pace or force as this time around.

The first anniversary was also timely – at least for Madhu Koda, whose story receded into the background while the nation paid tributes to the national heroes and the media shifted focus from scams to martyrs and heroes of 26/11. Also, fortunately for scamsters like Ramalinga Raju and Madhu Koda, the nation does not observe any anniversaries of scams! Naturally, since nobody dies – we all continue to live, albeit duped and deprived. How about a “scam tourism package” thrown in, now that we have a portfolio of scams to boast of? Perhaps the only thing that may remind us of a past scam is the next bigger scam! How about a new mega scam around 26/11/2010?

Bloggers' Post-Script: Readers of the blog who have not yet read my interview featured on Webneetech.com may read the same in this link here.

Do read my microblogpost on India-tweets "The other cheek please"