The Cave 26/11/10

Because after one long year all we have is one man. One man whose photograph we captured,whose arrogance we froze for posterity,so we had to get him dead or alive.

One man. While tens,or even hundreds,of others are scampering happily around some countryside. Some of them busy spewing hateful speeches,others cleaning their weapons,or learning how to survive for 72 hours on dates and dry fruit,or studying the schematics of perhaps an even deadlier explosive.

Is there something wrong with us? Not just the politicians,the bureaucrats,the police,the intelligence,but us? You,me and us? Are we so ready to forget,if not forgive? Can we not stop what we are doing for just one day,maybe even a week,a month,if that’s what it takes? Stop. All one billion something of us.

Make this National Priority Number One,focus the power of one billion people,their energies,their thoughts,their intelligence and their insistent pressure. And figure out how to keep us safe,without-a-doubt-safe,from these guys?

Not practical I already hear me say. How can we stop industry? How can we cancel those important meetings? My shooting schedule,my holiday,my session in parliament?

But then I wonder: Centuries ago,my country of seven lived in a cave. And if anyone attacked our cave,we dropped everything we were doing,and defended our cave to our last breath. We went to war,because war had been thrust on us. So,I wonder,what we would do,if God forbid,there is a war now?

An all out,tanks and fighter jets and submarines,war? Will that not become National Priority Number One? Will not support and money and willing soldiers ready to fight for their motherland,pour out from every crack and corner of our vast and great land?

Will a billion something Indians,our great scientists,businessmen,filmmakers,writers,journalists,IT professionals,cricketers and bank tellers not focus our energies on our borders,our armies,our men and women dying? And if the war is tough enough,the conflict long enough,will we not,each one of us,just have to get involved?

Well,the news is not good,I am afraid,because one side is already at war,while the other side thinks it is at peace. Our cave has been attacked.

And one year on,we are still happy to make our speeches,write our articles,rattle our sabres for a week. And then? Business as usual. While we push a few people out of the cave. Go find them,we tell our little hunting party. Find them,destroy them,then come back and we will make you a nice hot meal,those of you who are still alive.

Think that will work? Nah! I think it’s time to get the whole cave involved.

We did it before. For maybe half a century,we dropped everything we were doing.

Until August 15,1947.

We did it then,we can do it again. All we need is a leader. One little man,to tell us what to do.

Postscript: So on 26/11/2009,one year on,I wonder. Impotently,ineptly,wonder:

On 26/11/2010,will I celebrate an anniversary of our freedom from terror? Or will I still be a nation scared?

(E-mail the columnist at adipochas@yahoo.com)