New Year 2009

New Year is here again. 2008 will be past and soon 2009 will be here.

We all have our share of good and bad things that happened in 2008 and we are all eagerly looking forward to the New Year with great hopes.

The year 2008 will always be remembered for the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Now as the New Year begins, India is into intense discussions with Pakistan on how to wipe out terrorism right from its roots.

On the global front, the “great” economic recession happened casting its dark shadow over the whole world. We are still in its dark shadow waiting desperately for it to move away from our horizon. The year 2009 will be crucial in this respect. The whole world is looking up to Obama to see how the new president of the US is planning to turn around the economy.

What was the best thing to happen to me in 2008? Well, the authorities decided to fill up the craters on the roads, which were the trademark of the Airport road. I have personally visited the depths of one of these craters. What do I look forward to in 2009? I hope the street light along the road will open their eyes, taking us back from the time when stars and the moon guided travelers.

I guess Bangalore has a one-hour relaxation on late night parties although it does not seem to be good idea to be on the road at that time. I am sure people haven’t forgotten how an unruly crowd molested a newly wed in front of a hotel in Delhi after a party. Both censored and uncensored versions of the incident did their rounds in the media, adding injury to the insult. Looks like the police will be really busy this New Year.

Indo-Pak war

Any discussion on Indo-Pak war brings to my mind yellowish old newspapers covering the windows of our quarters in the Sainik School campus. I was not even born at the time of the 1971 war, but the windows covered with old newspapers always reminded us of the war. The aerial view of the lit up campus would have given an impression of a defence establishment. Our parents explained that the windows were covered to avoid air attacks. Even after several rounds of maintenance work, the newspapers on the windows remained.

Among war stories, we have also heard a lot of stories about the First World War, in which some of our relatives also took part. They were in the French army. I have heard many sad stories about their children orphaned by the war after the French hospital was attacked.

So far, an India-Pak war may have been fought by soldiers somewhere far away. Most of us only read in newspapers about our soldiers dying in the border. What would be the magnitude of another war between the two countries? Can we imagine covering up our windows and living in fear of air attacks?

Protecting India from terrorism

The question here is not who will bell the cat, but how can we bell the cat. Terrorism sure needs to be destroyed from its roots, which are of course is in Pakistan. Many people who spoke to the media during the Mumbai attacks mentioned “War”. It may sound good if it is just an empty threat to Pakistan. If it helps frighten Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, fine. More than that, I am not too sure. Read any literature on war, no one has really benefited. Do we really want to destroy that country? If we have to fight Pakistan to destroy the terrorists, it’s like burning down a house to kill the rats.

There must be other ways to kill the rats. Pakistan surely did all it can to initiate, support, and groom terrorism. Then it grew out of control. Even if he wishes to, Zardari does not seem to have any power to put an end to terrorism. He has no teeth to bite. He does not even seem to have the strength to bark. He may be under threat. From the history of Pakistan we know what has happened of all rulers. Surely he knows their might and cannot displease them even at the cost of incurring the wrath of other countries.

What choice does India really have now? The only option may be to get the support of other powerful nations, which can push Zardari into doing something. That too very soon, while others may still be ready to help. US support sure has shaken Zardari. Banning some terrorist outfit may not help at all. They will soon change the name. What’s there in a name after all?

While India may be helpless about tackling the terrorists in Pak, it sure can do a lot in its own soil. Terrorists are able to infiltrate only because of security lapses. Seal all loopholes! Do not allow the government take the focus away from their inefficiency by blaming Pakistan. All of this again boils down to having a strong government in India. A government whose priority is the security of the nation, rather than the security of their own chair, is the need of the hour.