A sustained peaceful outrage

---------------- A Week After it all began ----------------

That last 7 days have been spent with an overdose of media coverage of the Mumbai terror events, however the fall out has been stupendous, there is a mass uprising sort happening here across the country. People are up against the Politicians and the bureaucratic system, where there has been no accountability - people are up against the same.

There are street meetings, public rallies, candle light vigils, slogans - on television, in print, online, blogs, articles, posts on sites, text messages, emails - there seems to be no end to the public response that is one of the most non violent, but at the same time angry, protests ever seen in recent times in India.

If there was any thing close to this, was the Anti ‘Mandal Commission’ revolt of 1990s, which was targeted at the then PM VP Singh's policies - Ironically V.P. Singh passed away, amidst all the suspense that the nation was witnessing in Mumbai, with next-to-nothing coverage in the media.

The politicians for their part, of both the ruling Congress led UPA and the Opposition - the BJP and its allies in the NDA and the Communists have tried with varied consequences to reap mileage of the Mumbai Terror events.

Even as the politicians were facing scathing attack, for their lackadaisical approach to safeguarding the lives of the citizens and the non-responsiveness to intelligence alerts (if there were actually any), comes their foot-in-mouth comments that added insult to injury.

The issue whether India may or may not attack Pakistani Terror camps may be debated across the television studios, political board-rooms, diplomatic meetings and summits, with obvious political overtones and ramifications before any conclusive decision is taken.

In a way the prospective “war” may not serve the purpose of the people who lost their lives in the Mumbai carnage, their grieving families and the millions who seethed in anger across the country.

The point that the people of India are trying to drive through the sustained peaceful outrage is – “We Want Permanent Peace”, the clichés are flying thick and fast – “Enough is enough”, “Quit India”, “Stop terrorism”, “Awakening India”, "We want actions not words" … the list is endless, but the sentiment is the same, we want :

A Peaceful India