BOMBING BOMBAY

ARVIND K.PANDEY

(Published In HARD NEWS ,SEPTEMBER ,06)

The terrorist attack in Mumbai deconstructs the myth that confidence building measures can stamp out seed of hatred from the heart of enemy .The tale becomes sorrier since this government,being trapped in inherent contradictions ,lacks a concrete agenda to combat terrorism. To put it simply , a strong line of action and determination to bulldoz the breeding grounds of terrorism are the only ways to ensure peace and stability in the nation .In retrospect, it's time to for the government to rise above dirty politics played in the name of welfare of the minoroties . The death of innocent people should by now give rise to sense of disillusionment in the hearts and minds of those who believe that anti-national elements could be curbed via display of benevolence. Yes, life goes on but it does not mean to become obvlious of the lessons it offers through tragic incidents or , for that matter , absolve the perpetrators of such heinous crimesIt's still not too late to realize that Pakistan is like a horse which needs to be whipped from time to time to keep it in a desirable direction .There is no need for government to have a green signal from its Western counterparts which , given the conflict of interests, is never going to come. However , government needs to rise above its inherent contradictions to frame a comprehensive ploicy to weed out jehadi elements . It's the absence of 'collective will' within the nation , which has encouraged the agents of al Qaeda to assault the integrity of nation . Unless we come to tame the silent supporters of jehadi operatives in the nation , it wouldn't be easy to curb the treacherous influence of Musharraf . At least it should become clear to Pakistan there is no sope for it to spell disaster in India via Salahuddins and Dawoods .