Indian Honour - a selfish notion

On the anniversary of 26/11, I got enlightened by seeing' Targetting Osama Bin Laden' on History channel. Was surprised to see that the US president authorized the hit despite only 40 % assurance level that the guy in the house was Osama. That means they themselves saw a 60% chance of things going horribly wrong. The 60% error rate was exclusively on the possibility of hitting the wrong guy. Other factors that could have led to operational failure were over and above these 60%. I would put the likelihood of failure due to a combination of all factors at 80%. President Obama knew it and still accepted it. Vow! That's some country.
The US raid was made possible not because of their technical superiority but their steely commitment to avenge killing of their people. Period.
At the same time, I also happened to be watching other TV channels where Indian leaders and TV anchors were merrily lambasting Pak and US ( Headley connection ) for the 26/11 in Mumbai. No one was talking of why Indian heads did not roll after the shocking negligence of our people at all levels. No one was talking of the fact that we always had 100 % confirmation of where the Pak handlers were staying for last 3 years, not just 40%! We have been telling the whole world that we know where these guys are. I think we would have done better to say that we do not know where these bums are and hence we are not able to take action against them but then, Indians never consider losing honour as a loss. The only loss we know happens on the Sensex.
Am absolutely ashamed of how my country refuses to stand by its people. If you ask for examples, a book can be written. It will have to start with the way we kept quiet when our BSF men were slaughtered on Bangladesh border and strung up on poles like animals. Years later, Lt Kalia tortured in Kargil and we just sent some letters of protest to Pak. Or did we? Am not too sure whether even that much happened. Those were not the days of Chidambaram's dossier wars, which came much later.
One more thing. Our people themselves do not complain unless something affects them personally. Honour in India only means killing our daughters who marry inside the community. No wonder, we have got the government we deserve.
Forget about avenging those who wee killed on 26/11, how about those who were wounded and expected the government to look after them? Read Indian Express Nov 26 Mumbai Newsline and you find examples of lack of govt support for future surgical operations, lack of follow up services leading to worsening of condition, private hospitals refusing to provide follow up treatment and other difficulties for wounded survivors. One concrete example - After being turned away from several hospitals and despite spending loads of money on travel and treatment, 26/11 victim, Fakir Mohd died of severe infection in his leg.
His only fault? Not having being born an American.

Indian reponse to 26/11 - Worst possible

Post Mumbai terror, we Indians are making two extremely serious mistakes.
1. We are content with our government playing games with Pakistan. We send Pak some questions. They reply to some and send us their list of questions. We repeat the process. They accept that some of their non-state actors could be involved. There is almost national celebration over this supposed victory of ours. Is this what the families of those who who were mercilessly mowed down, deserve from their state? Soon, there could be another strike somewhere and even this tamasha (spectacle) will stop. Do would-be world powers behave like this?
2. We ask a lot of questions from Pakistan but none from our own people who failed us miserably in those days of crisis. Policemen seem to have simply run away from the CST station and other places. Otherwise, would it have been difficult for a shooter behind cover to strike at a 5'4" tall target, exposed without cover on a railway platform or hotel corridor for so long? It did not happen because the policemen were busy pointing CCTV cameras and not guns at them. The crisis management from the senior officers was even more shocking. And all this after Mumbai has been the most attacked state in the last decade. The last 10 or so years have already established that being in the J&K or the North East is far safer than being in Mumbai? Despite such heightened awareness of the danger, we simply had no contingency plan to tackle a thing like this. Our security forces, particularly the NSG and MARCOS did a highly inefficient job. That the terrorists finally died is no certificate of efficiency to anyone. If these be our desired standards, we are wasting good money on their training. All that the enemy needs is about 200 more of Kasab like guys to completely paralyze us. By our own admission, he has thousands and not just hundreds of them.
And what if he combines this with a conventional attack or even a threat on the borders?
C'mon friends, get serious. Do seek answers from Pakistan, but do not spare our own either. Actually, seek more from our own. Our tax money goes to them, not to Pakistan. The NSG effort which is pulled out of our security goes to protect our politicians, not those of Pakistan.
By all that I have seen since 26/11, our leaders have again managed to fool us. They say they will act - but when? After we are finished, I suppose.
' Hum ne maana ke tagaful na karoge, lekin
khaak ho jayenge hum, tum ko khabar hone tak'
( Suitor to lover - I agree that you will not refuse. However,I will cease to exist by the time you get to know my plight )


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