A sombre Santa

As we were just beginning to slowly get over the terrible tragedy post terrorist attacks in Mumbai, greatly helped by Sachin Tendulkar offering his Chennai century to the city, Mr Antulay opened his big mouth. Since a lot of people are trying to make sense out of the tragedy and since it is Christmas, Antulay could be forgiven. The BJP, which has got so incensed by Antulay’s statement, was absolutely quiet when the Sangh Parivar, despite the Maoists claiming that they had done the dirty job of killing Swami Laxmanananda Sarswati and others with him on 23rd August, not only went on to put false allegations on the Christian community, but carried out unprecedented attacks lasting more than 45 days in which 60 people lost their lives, fifty thousand were rendered homeless, 147 churches burnt down and more than four thousand houses completely destroyed. And where was their patriotism when Hemant Karkare was investigating the Malegaon blasts?

The Mumbai attacks have certainly shaken everyone out of their slumber. As a consequence, the government was made to take some stern action of not only sacking certain ministers in both the state and the central government, but also the Parliament giving its assent to new laws to tackle terrorism. There are also questions raised as to why the Mumbai terror attacks have become the mother of all terror attacks, as it were, though the country has witnessed many such attacks in the last few years whether in Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bangalore, Guwahati, Delhi and so on.

The Taj and Oberoi hotels are open for business once again. After all, it is the time of the year when tourists, taking advantage of the Christmas vacation, turn to India. While it certainly makes business sense to re-open these hotels, one cannot forget that the Christmas mood which is in the air and the display of Christmas star along with Santa Claus and other Christmas decorations are only helping people, particularly in a vibrant city like Mumbai, to slowly put the terrorist attacks behind them and to move on.

The writer is director and spokesperson, Delhi Catholic Archdiocese