sitting duck definition
n.
someone who waits unsuspectingly for doom or destiny;
Oh wait, scratch that. I think it's time to redefine......
sitting duck definition
n.
A resident of Mumbai, whose most likely cause of death is a terrorist attack, about which he/she can do absolutely nothing;
Ahh...feels more appropriate now, doesn't it?? It's time to be brutally honest, so if you would like to continue to feel the comfort of your fairy-tale world, read no further.
A few hours ago, there were blasts in Mumbai. Perfectly coordinated. In three crowded areas. Yet again. We just don't seem to be able to get off the damned carousel of tragedy - every couple of years we're back where we were before, and it's not a nice place to be. Déjà Vu is an old friend now; in fact, we've known each other since 1993!
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| Mumbai 1993 |
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| July 2006 |
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| November 2008 |
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| July 2011 At this rate, #mumbaiblasts will be trending way too often. |
Anyway, I tried to think about what more we can do to prevent something like this happening on a regular basis (yes, every couple of years is regular, in this context)......
Can intelligence gathering be improved? Yes.
Can we improve security? Yes.
Can we be more alert? Oh yes.
Will these improvements make a difference?? Hell, no!
There is a simple reason for this - we are dealing with people who have nothing to lose. They are willing to give up their lives for their pathetic cause, while we are not - and rightly so. If they cannot blow up trains, they attack hotels. If they cannot attack hotels, they put bombs inside dustbins and under umbrellas. Till this level, you feel it is still possible, however difficult, to at least minimize the chances of an attack, if not eliminate them. The problem is, they are willing to go one step further. If they really want to kill people, they will stand in the middle of the street and blow themselves up, ensuring that they cause as much collateral damage as possible. How do you deal with that?? The answer is, you don't. And.......we stay on the carousel.
So what now? Do we stop progressing as a country (and as a city) to make them happy? Do we give them Kashmir?? Over my dead body, you say. Well, if you want it that way, just wait a while - everyone's turn will come eventually.
Let's be real....we are not going to do either of the above. So what then? Sit like a duck, and wait for some deluded moron to pull the trigger and erase all traces of our existence? Quack, Quack, BOOM!??
The way I see it, there are two options. The first one is a bit risky - pray hard, everyday, that you will not be the next victim, and get on with life. Until now, this is the option we all have chosen (being the daredevils we are!) - with dire consequences for some. Maybe it is time to consider the alternative - and it saddens me that I am forced to use one of the most popular quotes of all time to elucidate. Run, Forrest. Run.
