At what price?

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

Pak media welcomes Indian PM's 'no war' statementPak can’t afford a war with India: AnalystsNSG, not god, saved us at Taj: CPM MPPak banned Jamaat in its own interest: US

: A 60-plus hour gunbattle ended what was undoubtedly the most spectacular terror attack in India. More than 200 lives were lost. Millions more were lost in cancelled events. The nation stayed glued to their television sets, often at the cost of their regular work, perhaps justifiably. But the greatest cost is yet to come. And won’t ever be quantified — the loss of confidence, the erosion of the ‘famed ‘ spirit of Mumbai’, which almost became a cussword in the current crisis, the fear that will walk, not just with every Mumbaikar, but with most Indians, especially in big cities, who know they have little protetion when the next attack comes.

Sheer statistics cannot account for every life lost and the scars it embeds on our psyche. The anguish and loss is evident all through as our financial capital is devastated. It not just exposes lax loopholes in the security and crises management systems, it also brings to fore the lack of political will to deal with terrorism. As Sushant Sareen, Executive Editor, Public Opinion Trends points out, “Terrorism has become a political football for politicians. We laugh at the Americans, and feel that they are such scared and weak people. But look at their systems and government — after 9/11 there has not been a single attack. Business did not stop in New York, London or Bali as their governments took stern action and restored the faith of the people back.”