And now 5 in 25 minutes, in the national capital

It would have been otherwise a great day – Maa is here, heard from Jennifer (of www.theants.org) in the morning, I met Smitha and Pradeep in the afternoon and spent 2 hours discussing the potential and the challenges of the crafts of the North East, visited Anokhi and Fab India in the evening to explore more about businesses around traditional crafts, read a lot of literature on Assamese traditional crafts which Maa had brought from Guwahati – these are my ingredients of a happy day, a day spent in following my passion.
But that was to be short-lived. For when I switched on the TV after returning home, I saw the most horrifying images on the TV – a girl wearing a yellow kurta lying in a pool of blood, and later leaving a bloody trail as she was being carried to an ambulance that she might not require any longer – and as she was carried, her limp limbs dangled by her sides – a scene I knew would remain with me for long times ahead – making it one of the several images that have stayed with me life long – like the image of the right foot of the lovely pair of shoes bought the previous day which fell down the bus as a sleepy 4-year old me forgot that I was wearing any shoes, like the image of the white frock I used to wear to my dance classes that I didn’t continue because I saw an accident on the way from the village to the classes – you know images not necessarily gory but strong, leaving long lasting impacts. And there were so many of them – a young man dressed trendily in denims and white shirt, his hands still clutching a cell phone lying lifeless on the street, young girls dressed in their best “weekend” outfits which now bore stains of blood – what the hell is the matter! I must have lost the news when it happened, which is surprising because I’m the “alert service” for my friends and family. My sister who I was on the phone with at that time updated me on the situation when she heard me cry in despair at the sights. Delhi has been rocked – 5 times within 25 minutes, and in busy places, in parks and shopping complexes. And lives bombs were still being discovered – one of them in a children’s park.
How does one keep sanity in such matters? I didn’t know how to react. I said a silent prayer to the unknown force to protect the goodness in the world, and to protect the ones I loved and cared for. But more than anything else, I prayed for courage this time – which is different from the feelings I would have in the past. Somehow these incidents have made me more fearless – may be that’s the case with most Indians now – you don’t fear any longer, you only try to make the most of the moment, for who has seen tomorrow? That’s the feeling I had. I asked for courage to make the most of the resources we have – and do what we can to change, change things for better. With that intention I called my sister – not to warn her from venturing out as I would do normally, but to reflect on the incident and do the best she can to impact the state of things positively, while rationally protecting our lives – that’s precious. It doesn’t make any sense any longer to keep hiding yourself from the probabilities of being terror-struck, it seems to be controlled by a random theory. We might as well get up and start working.
I could see that determination in the faces of Barkha Dutt and many other reporters I don’t know names of. I’m not commenting on the quality of your journalism, but on your courage – I admire you for refusing the safety havens and struggling to keep the spirit of human beings alive. I also saw the same spirit in young volunteers who came out to help after the blasts. It could be any of us – any that they were helping.
What do you want? I fail to understand that there can be bigger needs than basic needs of life – you know the basics that keep a human life alive so that the other faculties like intellectual and spiritual development can take place. I understand that fight – fight to improve the state of things for majority, but not harassing others in the process. But I don’t understand this fight.
All of you who make these bombs and plan these blasts – don’t you realise human life is precious – a lot can be done using the resources of one life – a nation can be given freedom, books can be written, new discoveries made – if nothing else, a few lives can be supported. What are you doing by depleting these resources, and in such disturbing ways? What are you proving anyway? That you lack the intellectual strength to win a logical argument? That you lack moral conviction in your cause?
No, no- I don’t support any suffering, yours included. But surely there can be otherwise. Your activities say you’re intelligent – and I’m sure you will have other ways. Are you sincerely immune to the agony faced by those that were killed in the blasts? Do you sincerely think you’ve avenged yourselves? You all look young and progressive, surely if not on any other count, you will agree with me on this – that you and me – we need a better world, right? For our future, for the people you care and I care? Can we all not come to consensus on that? I often see an image of myself in your efforts – you want to protect your people, like I want to protect my family. You want things to be better. Surely we can work together – for a better world. Think about it.