A wounded Mumbai awakens India

The terrorist attack that shook Mumbai on 26th of November, 2008 and one that lasted till 29th of November, 2008 may be perceived as negative by many. However, it did have some positive outcomes. It has made both, the politicians and the people of our country realize that we cannot take things for granted. I am not denying the fact that many lost their life in the process. The targeted hotels Taj and Oberoi-Trident will get renovated but life lost cannot be retrieved. Thinking about the losses will not help us move forward and create a better and safer tomorrow. We need to unite and fight not only terrorism but also corruption and all the other social evils. Simply because each social evil is linked to each other.
The positive that we can take from this ghastly incident is that the people of India have started to do things that they had long forgotten. They have started to question our politicians. The politicians too were taken by surprise when they saw this new trend. The youth who didn’t bother to listen to what the politicians have to say and did not care how the country is run took exception about irresponsible statements made by politicians. I only hope that the revived spirits of our youth would not subside with each passing day. It is very important that we continue to keep ourselves motivated to take some focused action.
What can we do to improve things in our country? I would say many things can be done if we have the will to do it. Firstly we need to realize that a secure and prosperous India is only possible if politicians, bureaucrats and anyone sitting at a responsible position is held accountable for his/her actions. We go to the market to buy stuff. We do ensure that the stuff we buy is worth the money that we are paying. Why don’t we apply the same policy when dealing with the government that collects taxes from us? We travel on roads that are full of pot-holes and the street lights are also missing at times. The construction work to develop the infrastructure is always done at a snails pace. Have we ever bothered to question why it is so? No, we haven’t. The reason we give is that we do not have time. However, in this world of electronic communication we can find ways to get connected with like minded people. Social networking sites could be used effectively to get united, spread awareness, fight corruption and raise our voices against issues that affect our society in a negative way.

These are my suggestions for a better tomorrow for every Indian:

1) Every political party has a manifesto for elections where they make tall claims of actions that they will be taking if voted to power. This manifesto should become a basis on which they should be held accountable. If they cannot fulfill commitments made in the manifesto they should be liable for legal action.

2) Any politician, bureaucrat, defence personnel, cop found guilty of corruption should immediately be brought to book. They should get severe punishment.

3) Politicians should have minimum educational qualification criteria. We cannot allow uneducated people to take charge of our country and be involved in important decision making process.

4) Judiciary should work on deadlines. You cannot allow cases to remain pending for ages. Justice delayed is justice denied.

I hope and pray for a strong, prosperous, safe and peaceful India.

Jai Hind!!!