ON INDIA AFTER 26/11

NEXT PHASE

As one might expect, now that the immediate crisis in Mumbai is over, and authorities try and figure out who did what, why and how, the battle now shifts to the political front in India.  This Newsweek piece explains:

As India's security and intelligence forces work in the coming days to find the identity of the terrorists who attacked the country's financial capital, Indians in several states across the country will head for the polls to choose members of their state assemblies.

The states of Delhi and Mizoram hold elections on Saturday, Rajasthan in the northwest will vote on Dec. 4, and Jammu and Kashmir is holding an ongoing election through Dec. 24th.

These states, together with Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which also polled this month, account for over 180 million of the country's 1.1 billion population.

Because the latest assault on Mumbai may have heightened fears among voters over their own safety, the politics of a considerable swath of the country could lurch rapidly to the right—with big implications for the growing tensions between Hindus and Muslims. These local elections could set the stage for a similar shift in national elections to be held sometime before May 2009.

The recent violence is a boon to the right-wing Hindu dominated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Even before the latest violence, a series of blasts across the country claiming at least 200 lives this year had already helped the BJP, which has flagged terrorism as an issue in the campaign.

Even as the security forces battled the terrorists holed in Mumbai, the BJP had begun to use the opportunity to point to a weak government "soft" on terrorism. Frontpage newspaper adverts in Delhi on Friday, the day before the city goes to the polls, said the incident shows that the ruling Congress-led government is "unwilling and incapable" of dealing with terrorism. BJP leaders on the stump seized the opportunity. "There's an immediate reaction from people on the Mumbai siege, and the feedback has been very positive for the party," said a senior BJP member in Delhi to the Times of India. "Our challenge will be to convert this outrage into votes for the BJP."

Politics is the same everywhere, and what's occurring could have been anticipated, perhaps even by those who planned the assault.  By all indications, the attack which has been called India's 9/11, also seems to have a bit of India's Oklahoma, and a dramatically expanded and remorselessly executed India's Columbine.

Now, with the politics taking center stage, both domestic and international, this event could well pre-sage India's own endless, politically driven "War on Terror" fueled by the next phase of it's citizens, unbridled media-fueled anger.

Comments

[Brian Hayes]

I was intrigued by this snippet. Rajesh Jain is saying about 26/11: "the pain is more personal, and has impacted people who have a Voice rather than just a Vote."

Culture has power too. It may be difficult to predict which policies rise. Politics may be forced to adapt to new and unforeseen pressures.

[Tony]

Every one blaming the police, security systems, preparedness and dirty politicians. I am confused with! Who are the real culprits? It seems to be ourselves. Because, here every one is Hindu, Muslims, Christian, BJP, Congress, BSP, bhaiyya, madrassi, sardar, guju or marwadi. But there is no Indian. All we will shout and at the end, we will find same idiotic and corrupted politician will rule us again. There will not be any change. Ultimately who is responsible for all these incidents?? One should judge it and react towards it.

After so much of incidents also please note that our international airport security is so poor. A really prepared terrorist can burn it into ashes. I don’t want to disclose it, how. It is against the interest of national security.

Still I can find, Pandus are carrying a heavy bag these days. They do check each and every vehicle. Doing their best of duty. Create the traffic jam. Personal collections are more for them these days. Specifically after 26/11.

Several times I found police deputed on duty at railway stations are not really Vigil. Sitting on a bench and time passing and eating of Gutka. Why these people are deputed here??

Look into our police?? Most of the policeman are having big tummy?? Why this? Cause they are taking rest and interested in collecting Haftas.

How many of us prefer to go to a police station to take assistance??

There are lot of Bangladeshis are in this country and holding Indian passport and ration card. Why no one is taking about this? Still it is going on. If it is Bhaiyya let’s kill him, if Bangladeshi’s let them live. Who made this rule?

When India is democratic, why there are separate rules for Hindus, muslims and Christians? Vote bank?

Every one wanted a revolution in this country. But no one is interested to do a small thing towards that.

Look into the train travelers of the city? it seems that they are going through a big punishment in their life. When one mumbaikar can travel on train comfortably? Why we cant do this? On interest of the people who lives in slum near by? Cant us rehabilitate these people? on the interest of some politicians lakhs of people suffering. Everyone is interested in vote banks.

There are lots to write. It is like making a self insult.

That's all. Time has come to react. We should know our rights.

This is my point of view. May be right or wrong. But me, I am right.

Tony.