Sunday, December 7, 2008

Is 26/11 = 9/11 ?

Mathematics and numbers have been used to explain the inexplicable, to make sense of what isn’t, to provide coordinates for those lost. The recent Mumbai attacks have also spawned a mathematical model – that of equating the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai to the events of 9/11.

This unnecessary ‘me – too’ Indian mentality keeps raising its ugly head at increasingly frequent intervals. The need to show the world (be it with the Chandrayan Lunar Mission) or to transform a city into something else, or to constantly proclaim that Indians have joined the Forbes list indicates that we really have nothing to flaunt in our show-cases. The need to get validation from others or to validate ourselves amongst our own people means that we are still snotty nosed kids.

To even try to equate 9/11 to the 26/11 attacks of Mumbai is to do injustice to India. Unless off course we Indians think that our country has done more than its fair share to destabilise the world, prop up puppet dictators, over throw democratically elected regimes and invade countries. Maybe we haven’t done things on an international scale but as a country we have not fared too badly either.

9/11 was a result of those disaffected by Americas global footprint. There are enough reasons nationally for 26/11 to have occurred - L.K Advani and Babri Masjid, Modi and the Gujarat Pogrom, the ongoing humanitarian disasters of Kashmir and the North East, warped development and economic growth strategies provide enough grist for the mill. (There is now another reason – the Pak army doesn’t want to deal with outlaw Pakistanis helping Bin Laden so they schemed to get the Indian army on alert which would mean that they would have to shift their focus from the Afghanistan border to the Indian one)

As has been seen in the past the media plays the role of whipping up sentiments, they are almost as good as Goebble. In some ways they are better, they not only provide information that gives rise to these sentiments but are also kind enough to provide a vent for them. After the 26/11 attacks print and electronic media have gone out of their way to make hay – besides interviewing all and sundry media have begun initiatives like ‘Citizens Against Terror’, ‘Declare war on Terror’, online polls and debates ranging from new anti-terror laws to ‘How can India maintain unity in its fight against terror?'. While others use 26/11 to suggest draconian laws and put forth their ideas of the need for higher levels of nationalism.

What the media has been doing is that it is feeding off public outcry, the greater the outcry the more the media gives in. Thus instead of creating informed debates and generating information that provides solutions to a frustrated public who could then make informed demands, the media provides crumbs and manufactures events, debates and crisis.

But it is not only the media, intelligent people like Ratan Tata, Bajaj and heads of various chambers of commerce have also shown scant regard for the situation. They have all used different words for an anti-terror law and ‘stronger leadership’. This does not come as a surprise when Tata has been quoted as saying that those not investing in Gujarat are fools. He then put his money where his mouth was – albeit because of the situation in Singur.

Post 26/11 there is a sense of shame tinged with helplessness, a feeling echoed by Bajaj who said “This is a shame on our government that they cannot provide citizens with the basic security. We are tired of hearing Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Malegaon, Delhi and the commercial capital. This is not acceptable.” And to overcome this feeling people are demanding that India attack Pakistan, others promise not to vote or pay taxes, while others are willing to give up privacy for the notion of safety.

It would not be incorrect to club the current swell of sentiment to that felt after the Babri Masjid, Gujarat pogroms, or when industries are set up without due process.

Suggestions on how to make India a safe place are coming thick and fast, demands for better equipment, more respect and pay for the armed forces, an overhaul of the intelligence system are being bandied around. Maybe an apology from L K Advani for the Babri Masjid demolition and from Narendra Modi for the Gujarat pogroms would reduce some of the reasons given by those bent on causing pain, suffering and upheaval.