First anniversary of Mumbai

attacks
Today is 26/11 i.e. first anniversary of the infamous
Mumbai attacks. The families of 163 people who
reportedly lost their lives in this dastardly act of
terrorism sponsored by Pakistan, the epicenter of
International terrorism, are still fighting to recover
from the trauma. The brave city has limped back to
normalcy very soon and life resumed but the
scares are conspicuous on the faces of Mumbaites
and walls of streets in Mumbai. The slain heroes
like Unnikrishan, Karkare, Salasker, Apte etc
remind us how unsafe our country is becoming.
1
The families of many of them are still fighting to
get the reward as promised both by the civil
society and government. Stories of many unsung
heroes are coming to fore thanks to TV and Print
media.
The political and police establishments
claim to have made improvements in all related
spheres and fields. Force 1 and all terrain vehicles
have been inducted into the Mumbai Police force.
Coastal policing has begun. Intelligence networks
have been strengthened and intelligence sharing
has been made more effective and fruitful.
In this backdrop also, every Indian is
again asking that whether Mumbai or India as a
whole has become safer? Are we better prepared
to take on terrorists? Have the loopholes plugged?
The New York Times has published a
report on the eve of this anniversary,
apprehending therein some more similar attacks
on Indian soil. The News Paper has deplored the
Indian attitude towards terrorism. Lamenting on
the Mumbai attacks aftermath, the report says that
most of the politicians and police officials who were
out after unprecedented public outrage have either

2
been promoted or have been reinstated to their
original positions.
After 9/11, The USA established a
bipartisan commission to look into the attacks, the
report of which was made public and become the
bestseller in America, but what happened to the
reports of the body which was constituted to look
into the Mumbai tragedy is known to a very few in
this country. We are still to create a homeland
security department like institution. The NIA which
was created by a Parliamentary legislation is still in
infancy and lacks secretarial and logistic
infrastructure.
One year has passed and we have just been
able to file charge-sheet against Amir Ajmal Kasab
and others. The perpetrators of attacks on our
Parliament are still to be hanged. Such apathies
and lackadaisical approach towards terrorism have
cost us so dearly that we cannot afford this
attitude any longer. Our image of soft state must
be shed and we must stand erect and tall to ensure
that no one dares to raise eyes and brows on us.
The standoff with Pakistan can not be made to spill
over in the name of inadvertent nuclear war. India
is passing through a period of unprecedented
security threat situation. The dragon and Moon
3
together have started nefarious game afresh
against us. Without adopting an indolent attitude,
India must show that it cares and can fight back.