Monday, August 13, 2012

Why Mumbai burns... again and again....

Watch Times Now at 10pm..... I hope we get a few answers....

This is written for Bombay Times.....

Why Mumbai burns… over and over again….

Let’s not beat about the bush for once and call a spade a bloody shovel. The arson and rampant acts of violence that rocked Mumbai last Saturday evening, had very little to do with Assam or Myanmar, and everything with dangerous games ruthless politicians play. This was no ‘spontaneous’ show of anger by Muslims demonstrating their hurt sentiments , this was an orchestrated, well co-ordinated and deftly executed political ploy that went out of hand at some point. Or else, 800 cops would most certainly have managed to stop the attacks on innocent people,the systematic burning of buses, vans, cars and two wheelers which went on for a good hour before it was finally brought under control. Had the cops swung into action earlier and asked for reinforcements, two lives wouldn’t have been lost, nor would we have had to deal with over 60 injured people, cops included. This cannot be passed off as ‘mob mentality’, when protestors had come well prepared for violence. Through all this rampaging and rioting, the shadowy figures instigating all of this remained safe and sound in Delhi and Mumbai, remote controlling wanton destruction in order to gain the all important political advantage in 2014. I’m pretty certain, half the youth rounded up near Azad Maidan would not know how to pronounce Myanmar, leave aside be able to pin point its location on an atlas. Misguided, mislead and possibly paid to take to the streets, they did what they were ordered to… and Mumbai suffered yet another blow.

There is something decidedly perverse about Mumbaikars accepting someone like an R.R.Patil as Maharashtra’s Home Minister, given his track record. Who can forget his infamous comment after the 26/11 Terror Attacks when he glibly said “such small-small incidents do take place in big-big cities!” On Saturday, he was once again on television channels talking about the horrific incident and rationalizing why Mumbai was caught on the wrong foot yet again. Let’s get ready to listen to the same old homilies about intelligence failure and why the state government is forever napping while Mumbai heedlessly burns… again and again. What has really changed after 26/11 ? The answer is depressing and brutal : nothing. The cast of characters handling such a crisis remains virtually unchanged. The cops take their orders from one lot of politicians. There is zero unity in the State cabinet and evidently no real attempt at crisis management. The State administration gets into the act hours after the damage is done. Lame excuses and alibis are trotted out with a straight face. We have no choice but to listen to hollow justifications and wonder what went wrong. It is really pretty disingenuous to claim “ much more damage could have taken place.” Really? How much more? Can someone quantify it, please? There was a great deal of self -congratulation over the ‘timely action and the restraint showed.” By whom? This time, the mediawallas were not spared either. What did protestors gain by torching OB vans? Beating up photographers? Where were the cops when that was happening? Who gave the orders to open fire on rioters?The average Mumbaikar has the right to ask which individual was in charge during those crucial hours?Or are we supposed to remain mum, dumb and clueless as usual? Unfortunately, we are as vulnerable to attacks from within and without as we were three years ago. When a city turns on itself, that is far more dangerous than an assault that comes from other shores. The message this time is pretty clear : We need to be saved from despotic, power hungry politicians and preachers before we save ourselves from protestors. But who is brave enough to bell the Big Cat ?

15 comments:

maglomaniac said...

Shobhaa,
Just love it when you catch the beast by the balls.

~Harsha

Dreaming Wanderer. www.tonightidream-iwander.blogspot.com said...

violence, riots in d name of religion have been tearing india apart since d very beginning. - orchestrated either by d politicians or religious leaders. All for their own rise to power n access to money.
They always get d better of d blinded indian masses.
So much poverty to feed, so much unemployment yet to tend to, so many unwanted customs/restrictions yet to be broken,, n the best our leaders can do is make us fight amongst our own selves.. That trick has been working ever since the british were here..
I don't see an end to this..

Iwin said...

Dear Ms De ...blaming the police for Mumbai Riot is the stupidest thing you have done..please research on Riot Policing techniques before Slandering on....The Mumbai Police did a great job.Congrats to them and shame on you.

Suresh said...

Just by writing a few paragraphs, why you all intellectuals of Mumbai,some of whom pass sermons throughout only, do not bell the cat. Just by calling the spade a spade phrase, you have not done your duty. You have a status.Why don't you fight this out to its logical end. To write is easy, to act is also like belling the Cat

Ravi Patel said...

India's diseased anti-Hindu 'secularists' have for far too long molly coddled such parasitical swines by pandering to their every base demand. Now the genie is out of the bottle and the barbarians who entered the gate long long time ago have been unleashed with unprecedented audacity post independence! Now the Indian cowards can begin to pay a horrible price, for this will not get any better, make no mistake. By the way, in the Sonia Singh show on NDTV, while discussing this issue with Shobha De as one of the participant, one could see all the three musalman participants as usual fudging on the issue. These swines always sermonise us Hindus on communalism and tolerance and yet when it comes to musalman barbarism, just fudge the issue. OUR WOMENFOLK, SOON GET READY TO JOIN A HAREM NEAR YOU! IT IS ALREADY HAPPENING TO HINDU GIRLS IN THIER SPIRITUAL HOMELAND AND JINNAH'S LAND OF THE PURE!

Ravi Patel said...

In my comment above, I meant to say " IT IS ALREADY HAPPENING TO HINDU GIRLS IN THEIR ( sub-continental muslims) SPRIRTUAL HOMELAND AND JINNHA'S LAND OF THE PURE!

Ravi Patel said...

Watch this Arnab Goswami show on the Assam issue and please do watch all three parts and the reaction of both musalman participants. If this does not make you boil with rage, then nothing will!

http://www.timesnow.tv/Debate-Communalising-Assams-problem--1/videoshow/4408138.cms

Unknown said...

Madam, It is an example of Islamic terrorism and Mumbai Police should open fire by LMG and it is not possible to control such Mulim terrorist attacks, simply by 303 rifles.

Jogeshwar said...

You are right we need to be saved by all these power hungry demagogues. Educating people about their nasty designs is the need of the hour.

Pooja Rathore said...

RR patil as homeminister is really sick, if he took terror attacks so lightly forget about other attacks.
Its really sad ....your post expresses anger and hurt...you are right we need to be saved from despotic and power hungry politicians.

Pahul said...

Maharashtra government must take swift action againt such mischievous instigation and prevent the Mumbai from turning into a cauldron of hate.

http://mattition.blogspot.in/

Dr Prashant Nukherjee said...

Read it today in Times of India and it an excellent article in simple language,not too many tongue twisting words.You have nicely mixed your sarcasm with wits.Recently Mumbai riot is definitely a result of organized and planned one.It was devised by their mentors from across the border.They indulged in mass scale arson,ultimately hoisted Pakistani flag and mind you everything happened in camera.Recently a riot took place in Lucknow and again police remained as mute spectator.By now security people must have identified the rioters but the government is helpless because they belong to their vote bank.Instead of arresting and punishing the rioters,the government is blaming to SMS and MMS.They are taking the help of clerics to diffuse the situation.It is abundantly clear to the criminals and terrorists that this government is week kneed and helpless.The vote bank and minority policy have already pushed the country to anarchy.And why Mumbai is burning?The answer is simple.In a recent article written by Naresh Fernandes in India Today,I quote"an astonishing 78 percent of the residents of the H(West) municipal ward,of which Bandra is a part,live in slums......According to the 2001 census,54 percent of Mumbai residents live in slums"I unquote.the slums have grown phenomenally and are unchecked.They are the epicenters of terrorist activity.I am also sad to see that Mumbaikars' attitude, that is insensitive towards the criminal and terrorist activities which they term as resilience.

quantum4907 said...


If we want to replace,Mr R R Patil, Congress/NCP will have to find a position as Central Minister. Remember late Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh?

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