Is Policeman's Life Less Important Than A Cricketer's?

I do understand that policemen will be needed for crowd control. I also understand that a well organised posse of policemen will go after a gang of dacoits and may even lose some brave men. I do not deny that some policemen will be seriously injured in line of duty while controlling riots.

But why should an unsuspecting policeman be used as a sacrificial pawn to protect another person who has knowingly ventured out to play or watch a game of bat and ball, despite all the warnings?

Are we saying that playing cricket is so important that it is okay to let some policemen die while trying to save the life of some cricketers or watchers?

My point is: if we already know that there is grave danger to life from a faceless enemy who can appear from nowhere and at will, then the police force should be used to weed out the source of that danger in an organised and planned manner; not as fodder to terrorists who can attack as and when they like. Why should we assume that it is the duty of policemen to save the life of reckless people involved in playing and watching the game when the right thing for them was to stay at home?

Seriously, why should you be held responsible to save my life, if inspite of all the warnings, I am foolish enough to go out to play or watch a game where a bat hits a ball? Just because you are a policeman? Frankly, I am not convinced.

Insult To Indian Constitution Should Not Be Tolerated

People who are threatening lawyers who are bound by Indian constitution to represent the Pakistani terrorist should also be tried in the court of law for insulting Indian constitution because Indian Constitution is above all.

Some Jealous Pakistanis?

The terrorist attack on Mumbai on 26th November 2008 is the handiwork of some Pakistanis, as per Zee TV. But why? What did they want? What did they set out to achieve when they left the shores of Karachi, if Zee TV is to be believed? What have they got by doing what they did?

Could it be an extreme case of jelousy and hatred?

While Pakistani president is going about the gulf region with a begging bowl, India is being talked about as next super economic power!

While India's satelite is circling the moon, Pakistan does not even have sufficient wheat to feed it's people!

While India is accepted as a responsible nuclear power by the world, Pakistan's nulclear hero, a crook who stole engineering drawings from his employer, is rotting in his own country!

While cricket playing countries are so eager to come to India to play cricket, they refuse to travel to Pakistan because of security reason!

Could all these and many other humiliations faced by Pakistanis, when they try to compare themselves with India in other matters rile a few of them so much that they would take the extreme step of attacking Mumbai in the manner that they did?

So far I have not been able to understand why did these terrorists do what they did.

The only thing they might have achieved is to scare some people into believing that India is not a safe place to go to. But this would be a temporary phase. India will ride over it. Unless ofcourse, these people are planning to repeat such acts all over India!

And I would not be surprised if they are planning to do exactly that.

But I have a gut feeling that this time these terrorists have bitten more than they can chew. India will not let them go this time. I have a feeling that this time Indian agencies will go after these groups like never before.

It is not a question of loss of life and material alone this time.

This time they have challenged the very being of India. This I feel, will not go unanswered. And the reply would be such, they would never have dreamt in their life.

I am sure next few months will prove my gut feelings right.

26/11 In India - Mumbai

The terrorist attack on Mumbai is not just an attack on Mumbai, it is a slap on our face, on the face of all India. It is not just a question of catching or terminating the individuals who infiltrated Mumbai. We MUST go to ANY length in order to TERMINATE the planners of such attacks, whichever part of the world they may be hiding in.

Our government should allow absolute free hand to agencies, experts and people who have the intellectual capability and physical ability to go out and GET THESE vermin. Diplomacy should not be allowed to come between our agents and these terrorists.

Let the whole world know that India WILL NOT TAKE IT ANYMORE. Period. Either you are a friend or a foe.

I am also a bit perturbed (hopefully unnecessarily) by the news channels showing pictures and asking questions, which are sensitive in nature for a successful operation of flushing out the terrorists and safety of hostages.

Also, one person Deepak was able to speak to NDTV using his mobile (apparently) from inside Taj. My worry is that if he could speak, then so would the terrorists with those who are providing logistic help, so why is mobile services not disconnected?

Another question that comes to mind is, there are around 5 different agencies working together to bring situation under control. They are wearing different uniforms. My worry is: if they storm the premises together, have they gone through any or sufficient exercises together to instinctively recognise each other as friendly force or else their would be a possibility of 'friendly fire'. It would be a matter of life and death to recognise in a split second, whether the person across the corridor aiming a gun at you, is your partner or terrorist. I hope our forces have taken care of such basic things while preparing a joint action.

Finally once again, we HAVE to go after these people who are planning war against India absolutely ruthlessly and with a sense of urgency. And only those who are truly competent to deliver should be taken into such a task force - right from top (cabinet minister) to the peon who moves files.

The other thing that bugs me is titles like "India's 9/11" in Star News, NDTV etc. It smacks of an inferiority complex somewhere.

I also did not like Srinivasan of NDTV talking about Taj Hotel's past with world leaders while trying to fill the air time - when the backdrop is about hostages, guests' lives in danger, cops already killed. It seemed a bit flippant, though he did not mean to be that. Also, in his eagerness to please Roy the DG of police, Srinivasan said that Bombay police is in forefront of counter attack, only for Roy to mention later that NSG is actually leading the combined forces and Bombay police is doing as instructed.

A question for Raj Thackeray: Should NSG be allowed to operate in Mumbai - most of them may not be Maratha!