Another Day…Another Terrorist Attack…

I thank Ms Meera Menon for choosing my blog to publish her below post.

Today marks another dark day of terrorist attacks on the Indian soil…again…each time an attack happens we think it is the worst it can get… today is as brutal as it can get…

Each time an attack happens, it creates a panic in my mind. Every attack happens in a place familiar to each one of us. It could be an unsuspecting me or my loved ones tomorrow in the place where an unfortunate few were today…

But what is the answer to fighting terrorism?

I believe the answer is to simply move on with life….with your head held high….

When I say "move on”, I am reminded of the words that the protagonist in the movie "The Mighty Heart" says after her husband is killed brutally by the terrorists..."The intention of the terrorists is to terrorize us...I am not terrorized. Neither should any of the others be".

"Moving on" to me does not mean forget what happened yesterday and go on with your life...but it means realize the enormity of what has happened or rather what is happening and put up a brave front. Don’t paralyse your life with fear....move on....

Unfortunately...do we have a choice other than moving on?...

Do we blame the politicians and system here? I don’t think so, because the fight here is not against terrorists, but against a bunch of cowards who have no might to fight in the open for what they want….cowards that attack unarmed, innocent people. What can the Government do?....

Set up an anti terrorist squad? They have done that already and very effectively.

Check each of our bags in every place we go to?...is it practicable?

Go on a rampage against terrorists by trying to kill them all like what the US is doing in Afghanistan? Unfortunately this is also not practicable because terrorism has dug its roots too deep in the country. There are reports of terrorist activity in Kerala, Karnataka, Mumbai, Delhi, Andhra (and who knows where else?). Does the army go and kill half a thousand innocent lives in search of a half a dozen terrorists?

All we can do in a small way is extend our support to people who fight terrorism…may be in as small a way as not getting irritated when your bag is checked in a mall or a railway station or any other place....

The option left with us is to "move on"....the way we interpret this is left to each one of us. I choose to not feel terrorized....