CROSSROADS-No Requiem for Non Believers

RAJIB KUMAR

Is this divine vengeance against satanic designs? An absurd philosophy’s (and its fiery execution) bluff has been called.

The refusal to sing an Islamic requiem for the terrorists killed in the Mumbai encounter is the strongest statement the world has seen till date in the war against terrorism. Of course, it comes from the Muslim clergy, the authorized interpreters of God’s words.

The Mumbai mayhem has evoked a spontaneous response and the expanse of the response is a wonderful case in 360 degree. The most damning of the appraisals for the terror philosophers have of course come from none other than the clergy.

The decision of every Indian to stand up and get counted in this war against terrorism is a rhythmic response bereft of any mobilization by political outfits.

That India has changed since the 1992 blasts could be seen, felt, and heard virtually everywhere. Whether its Mr. Shah Rukh Khan declaring on TV that he’s a practicing Moslem and would be too glad if anyone can point out anything in the scriptures even vaguely justifying terror or Ms. Priety Zinta leading a peace march…. its written large on everybody’s face: We’ve Had Enough.

Blogs, Orkut & Facebook, mailers, SMSes…. The new age tools of communicating and networking have been put to successful use in combating terror…. in the mind. Well George Bush and Rudy Giuliani led the American people to a state sponsored battle against terror post 9/11; Since political members of our class were too busy promoting Terror Tourism to in-house film makers an apolitical forum- with everybody on board-filmstars, singers, painters, teachers, businessmen and women, corporate executives, students…. you name it …got into the act.

The media facilitated the germination in a big way setting new standards of maturity in the process. Complaints of “release of strategic information” were countered by validating that the commando operation was telecast on the delayed transmission mode. Serious, No-Nonsense people weren’t taking anything lying down…if you are combating…you got to be get into the “combative mode” in the first place-plain and simple-it’s India’s brand of the war against terrorism.

Even if India ain’t shining as our economists and many of us would vouch post globalization, we got to atleast give those two words credit for facilitating the process of creating an empowered, networked and bonded young at mind India who would give a damn to what a certain fella had to say about who is a Mumbaikar and who’s not and rather get the job done. This only happens in India…. indeed. …

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily purport to constitute an official position of Offline or Material World

(Offline-Special, Greater Impacts, Volume-5, No- 5, December 2008)