Bomb-ay Bomb-ay

Compared to other recent terrorist activities in India, the latest carnage in Mumbai is different in at least two striking ways. One, the audacious methodology used. Two, the targets' profile. But I am not about to spend time analysing either, since anyone who is interested probably already knows at least as much as I do. One way or the other, this has become quite a hot potato, one that's sure to burn a few fingers, and mouths too.

On India's part, it is not so much an intelligence failure as is being made out. Enough warning bells seem to have been rung, mostly ignored by the administration. Some figurative heads have already rolled, and who knows what price the electorate will extract, come election time (for once, the middle classes may have actually been jolted enough to care to use their vote properly). But once we are done blaming and maiming those who were meant to be responsible for the prevention of such incidents, two things are needed. One, ensuring a better prevention mechanism. Two, bringing the perpetrators to book.

Countries like the USA and UK have enacted strict laws in recent times to counter the threat of terror, and that has resulted in the curtailing of civil liberties. In recent discussions in Indian media, I heard many ordinary citizens saying they don't mind giving up some rights if it does indeed ensure their safety at large. Personally though, the idea makes me a bit uncomfortable. I mean, one of the things I hate about London is the ever-present CCTVs, just like I hate having to take off my shoes, etc at Heathrow. But I will try keep personal opinions on living in an Orwellian state out of this for the moment.

The USA and UK don't share borders with traditionally hostile countries. The US border with Mexico, despite the former's best efforts, is still porous enough for large amounts of drugs and immigrants from the latter to cross over illegally every year. The drugs come for consumption (and as long as they are of good quality, really, no one should complain) and the immigrants come for work. Whether legal or not, they are doing little harm (yes, drugs can harm if used irresponsibly, but that's the user's fault, not the drug's). Now, if Pakistan was sending quality drugs in to India, boy oh boy, would it make for a sweeter planet! Manpower... hmm... we already have too many people, but yea, sure, we always have had a reputation of being accommodating. Instead, we have had three full blown wars, one smaller one, and more than two decades of a proxy-war in the name of Kashmir's liberation.

If you target the bases where terror perpetrators operate from, don't you prevent terror activities by default? If Pakistan is serious about fighting terror, and actually feels victimised by terrorism as it claims to, why does it constantly refuse to clean up its act? In between its government, ISI, army and Islamists, it has yet to make a single real noteworthy step towards showing its commitment to the cause. And this is not about the recent Mumbai attacks alone, even if India has enough evidence to implicate Pakistani complicity in the affair.

What about Lashkar-e-Taiba which has been banned for being a terrorist organisation? Why are its operatives still roaming free within Pakistan? Why is the US using drones to attack positions inside Pakistan's boundaries? What about the evidence showing ISI's involvement in the blast at the Indian embassy in Kabul? I could go on, but the point is, if there are so many accusations against Pakistan, maybe the country's administration should stop saying that the world is conspiring against it. The world has other priorities, you know. If it weren't for George Bush, it would be a far more isolated country today.

Argh! This post has gone a bit all over the place. There is so much to say... bits in Pakistani media that are positively insane, some Indian politicians who deserve lynching... screw it. I will just say this... I can't wait to see India's response, and I hope that for a change, its not a soft one. After all, its fashionable to use 'change' and 'Obama' in the same sentence, and he did say that India has the "right to protect" itself.