Sitting Ducks

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! 

Mumbai 1993

July 2006

November 2008

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.

F E A R

You’re sh-sh-shaking, feeling cold yet sweating at the same time. Your heart is beating at twice its normal rate. A myriad of horrific thoughts penetrate your mind, not allowing you to think straight. All you know is that somehow, you have to find a way to be safe. You are scared.

Everyone feels fear, albeit not always in the way described. Some fear heights, others fear looking fat! Yet more people fear cockroaches, a low exam score, food poisoning, the boss, terrorists, failure, being cheated, change, an unfulfilled life, and most of all, death.

Fear. That awesome, all-pervading emotion which resides in us, which humbles us, makes us human. It keeps us living on the edge, afraid of what might happen next. The dustbin you throw your garbage into, may explode. Some maniac might fly an airplane into your workplace. The stock market may crash. You may contract swine-flu. Even simpler,  your boss may fire you, your girlfriend/boyfriend may ask for a commitment, you could get bitten by a stray dog, a eunuch may curse you for refusing to part with a tenner!

Afraid? Feel like you’re walking around in the open with a big, round, impossible-to-miss target painted on your back?? Be brave. Don’t take cover. Fight back.

Fear inspires us in an almost perverse manner to do things we never thought we would, or could. A person provoked by fear is capable of anything. Would you kill if you felt your life was in danger? Would you lose a friend for a job which would give greater ‘security’? Would you trample all over somebody weaker to slip out of a dicey situation? Would you sign a pre-nuptial agreement to ensure that if the marriage does go wrong, you’re still ‘safe’?
No?

It is in the face of fear that we get to know what we are really made of. Do we only talk big, or can we step up and act when the situation demands it? Our lives are shaped by how we respond to our fears. We can feel sorry for ourselves, run in the opposite direction with our tails between our legs and ‘secure’ ourselves first when we see potential for trouble. We can believe every terrorist, every politician and every other fear monger and let them rule our lives. Or we can decide to show some mettle and at least face our fears, if not conquer them. Sure, we should be a little afraid. Fear is a part of our way of life, a major motivating factor. But it shouldn’t be a constant distraction. We shouldn’t avoid walking past a dustbin just because it may explode. We shouldn’t sit at home every time there is a bandh in the city. We should take career risks, even though there is a chance of failure. We should visit Afghanist… naah, that would be crossing the line between being fearless and being foolish!