The Blamestorm Maelstrom

If you're Indian and are asked to give an example for lather, rinse, repeat, you need look no further than the terror attacks on Mumbai.


Consider this:
2003 Mumbai blasts: The then active government, BJP, is quick to 'condemn' the heinous act. The top leaders of the country ask Mumbai and our countrymen to be brave and not let the act of terror dictate their lives. The opposition party, Congress, is quick to slam the leading party, labelling it incompetent.
2006 Mumbai train blasts: Same scenario. But it's UPA's turn to be blamed for lax policies by the BJP, a classic case of what goes around, comes around.
26/11 Mumbai attacks: Ditto.
Last week's bomb blasts: Even before one could gather his wits after last Wednesday's attacks on Mumbai, we have L K Advani waxing eloquent on UPA's 'policy failure'.
The routine has become so predictable, you can actually set a bomb's timer to it.
BJP, sitting pristine against the backdrop of the blooming lotus, seems to have conveniently forgotten the Kandahar incident, the attack on the Parliament, the riots that left hundreds dead post the demolition of Babri Masjid and Godhra riots that happened during its reign. But then again, UPA's aim to build a 'secular' India that is free of communal strife hasn't given Indians much hope, in its 7-year-long reign so far, of keeping us safe from terrorists, be they homegrown or external.
Add to this the fact that there has been considerable speculation that some of the attacks have been politically motivated. While BJP might have its reasons in crying itself hoarse on bringing back POTA, will a mere bill stave off the fears that plague Indians day and night? UPA's political correctness, the never-ending diplomatic dialogue with Pakistan and its self-proclaimed unawareness of the many clean palms (read corrupt ministers) it houses, can on the surface seem Gandhian, but how far will a hear no evil, do no evil, see no evil stance help in keeping India safe?
Maybe Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the leading party that he is, and India's much-touted hope for a better future, can think of addressing the cancerous wounds that ail us, like corruption, lax security measures and gender and economic disparity as glaring national issues instead of mouthing pithy lines on the minuscule percentage of terror attacks that we might not be able to prevent. Because what India needs right now (I don't even claim to be an armchair expert, am just a regular nobody like everybody else) is not statistical possibilities of survival and vociferous ' condemnations' of terrorist attacks after they happen, but a strong voice that joins in the chorus for long-forgotten promises to be made good on.
The track records of both parties are equally abysmal where dealing with terror is concerned. For if our only choices of governance are the devil and the deep sea, maybe we were better off being slaves to the British. We might at least have had cleaner cities and lesser spit and bodily fluids to wade through on our roads everyday.