The Hindu Business Line : Angst, anguish, anger

The only other occasion I can recall which gave rise to so much of anxiety, anguish and anger throughout the length and breadth of India as in the case of the Mumbai carnage was the Chinese invasion of 1962. I was at that time in the Union Home Ministry handling political issues, security, intelligence and matters connected with the Emergency and the enforcement of Defence of India Act and Rules.

The country on that occasion was benumbed by disbelief and shock, matched only by intense anger against those at the helm of affairs. Even Jawaharlal Nehru, the freedom hero and Mahatma’s Gandhi’s chosen heir, towering over everyone like a titan till then, faced a rebellious gathering of Congress party persons who asked him to quit if he did not sack Krishna Menon forthwith.

After 46 years, the aam aadmi everywhere is in the same bitter mood, incensed at the ruling class, very near to using Oliver Cromwell’s words to Britain’s Long Parliament on April 20, 1653:

“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

“Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

“Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!”

Bad show

I have never received as many phone calls for any other public event. In everyone’s voice was a mix of anguish, despair, frustration, helplessness and uncontrollable indignation. Some regretfully wished there were a dozen or more detested politicians in the hotels for the terrorists to turn their bullets on. There was universal condemnation of the Cabinet meeting 14 hours after the shoot-out. One or two interviewees on the TV channels even said that if any politician dared to appear in public, he was sure to be lynched.

Shoba De even asked why members of the ruling class should be strutting about with a swarm of National Security Guards (NSG) holding their guns at the ready, as if they were some indispensable potentates, when so many security personnel and innocent civilians were forced to sacrifice their lives at the altar of the country because of the negligence at the top.

Even normally sedate and staid corporate brass and retirees from responsible positions were seen venting their anguish and anger. Prem Shankar Jha, the veteran journalist who must have seen many ups and downs along with the good, the bad and the ugly in his life said that he felt like weeping at the failures leading to the catastrophe.

The Mumbai outrage showed that the political class had not learnt its lesson from all the earlier tragedies.

Bad show, redeemed as always only by the performance of the security forces.

B. S. RAGHAVAN