A narrow escape

On Saturday, September 13th, twenty students from my Spanish class went on a field trip to Chandni Chowk. Since I knew the area slightly better than the others, I was glad to be the guide. I was proud to present the narrow alleys, busy crowds, the temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches, all showcasing the rich cultural diversity in the heart of Delhi. After what I would call a more than hectic day, we arrived at Barakhamba Road to take a bus back to JNU. A couple of hours in my hostel and I overheard a conversations about there being a bomb blasts. We rushed to the TV room to fill ourselves with the latest information. All of a sudden there was panic among the girls; everyone trying to call everyone. By next morning, things were back to normal. A quick glance at the headlines and it was as if I had accepted the Delhi blasts like its traffic, power cuts and water shortage. Have I become so immune to violence and terrorism that they don’t seem different from our Bollywood action movies? Have I accepted the blasts as a way of life? Is it a good thing that I have?

Terrorism has almost become an ideology, a destructive one of course. Never before has its evil influence been as evident as it is now. 9/11 has forever changed the way people think about air-travel, security, freedom of movement and sadly, even Islam. World over, leaders recognize it as a fatal threat and steps are being taken to counter it in every sort of way. Fashion too did its share in introducing bright floral prints to counter the depression immediately following the attack. What are we doing about it besides being passive recipients of this terror?

It is very easy to criticize the police for its shortcomings and the media for its sensationalization, but to what extent are we preparing and managing ourselves for this changing time when it affects all of us? We take pride in showing off our culture and diversity but why do we turn our backs to acknowledging such conspiracies that are taking place? It hurts to hear people being so insensitive about such mishaps. Lives are being lost and property worth lakhs being destroyed. More than anything else, fear is being imposed in the conscience of millions of inhabitants of Delhi and practically in every city.

It is being made an issue because it is one. It is high time that we realize this as a priority and educate our citizens to be active participants in uprooting the causes and consequences of terrorist acts which spring from amongst us. Vigilance, self-policing and to the least, upholding a stance with regards to the issue would be positive measures towards countering this malaise.