“Lay beside me … Tell me what they’ve done,
Come lay beside me, under wicked sky,
Through black of day, Dark of night,
We share this paralyze …
The door cracks open, but there’s no sun shining through…”
Chaos. The word that best describes not only the state of affairs in South Mumbai on November the 26th, but also the mental state of anyone who heard about the series of attacks carried out on the nerve centre of our country. It was business as usual for the agents of anarchy: masquerading as terrorists, they fool themselves into believing that they represent the unheard voices of the underprivileged. Whether for territory ( read ‘Kashmir’), sheer spite or to sow mistrust among the populace, these gun-toting , videshi-knapsack lugging youngsters managed to hole themselves up in posh, uptown hotels, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.
But the reason this is being written is not to criticise our government, nor is it a call for the beheading of all terrorists everywhere, for neither path can lead anywhere. The first reaction can be left to the “experts” who will ensure that hollow promises are made and conveniently forgotten come the next general elections, where pressing issues will give way to eye-catching propaganda that serves to buy enough votes for the politicians to retain their comfy cushions. And the latter is impossible , for terrorism is a many-headed monster, chopping off one head will result in two taking its place !
Instead, the carnage that ordinary Mumbaikars and Westerners alike had to witness reminds us of the fragility of human existance , the thread by which the balance of world power hangs. It makes us appreciate the knife’s edge that diplomats and negotiators the world over tread to maintain peace, and more importantly, SANITY in today’s times.
All this while, us students grow addicted to computer games such as Counter-Strike (sorry guys, hell hath no fury like a cornered n00b, and i couldn’t resist !), the call of a trigger-happy generation that desires instant gratification. Most importantly, such attacks serve to re-inforce the eternal adage – ” there’s no place like here, there’s no time like now “. For when tomorrow dawns, it may not be the tomorrow you expect; the future holds within its many folds a terrible beauty. So if you want something, go out and grab it with both hands; if something needs to be said … then what are you waiting for ? Make sure you live life YOUR way, so when the end comes …
Goodbye.
“Lay beside me, tell me what I’ve done,
The door is closed … So are your eyes,
But now i see the sun, yes now i see the sun …
Yes now i see it …“
- Unforgiven II
P.S. – You don’t mess with Metallica. Ask Napster.
