Editor,
The news of the Delhi blasts has sent shock waves throughout the nation. The obvious question on everyone’s mind is how safe are we? Who will give us security? When will be the next blast and in which city? While political parties are busy fixing the blame on the other parties and police are busy doing the usual eye wash of massive manhunt, cordoning off the blast site, tightening security and releasing computer images of possible suspects produced from western software, the aam admi (ordinary man and woman), must turn to each other for security. Unfortunately or fortunately our memories are short and we do not learn from past events whereas the terrorists keep on learning from past mistakes and leave no clues behind. They move from bombs on cycles, to motor cycles, to pressure cookers, to dustbins while the police are left in the lurch. The trial run on May 25th at the same place, perhaps by the same group did not wake up our security agencies to install CCTV cameras or take any precautionary measures. They struck again and with maximum effect on the poor and unwary aam admi .
Our parliamentarians will probably stage walk outs and dharna in the well of the house and debate over it and finally end up by asking for Z category security for themselves while giving zero security to the common man. It was interesting to watch them debate over price rise and inflation without voting after they voted unanimously to insulate themselves from inflation by giving themselves a huge salary hike. So there is no point in turning to them. It is a herculean task to give security to every citizen of this vast country with the ratio of our police force being 1:10,000. How can the police check all the suitcases of all the people of this country all the time? Where do we then turn to for security? God helps those who help themselves they say. I feel it is to ourselves that we have to turn for security of our fellow citizens. Community policing and community participation in ensuring security are very important. I am sure that these terrorists could not have reached that spot and carried out their plans without some support from the locality. Someone will have knowingly or unknowingly housed these people and may be are regretting today for their non culpable folly. It is possible for the government and the police to train and get the help of the people in each locality. The police cannot be blamed totally for being rough and rude to everyone except to their bosses, because they take us all as culprits.
We have to build up trust and work for our own security. It may sound utopian but it is possible when each one feels that they are responsible for the security of the other and the nation. Every parent makes sure that their children are not brining wealth to the family by joining terror groups. Every neighbor makes sure that their neighbors are safe. There is need to build basic trust in each other which is today being destroyed by various divisive groups. I wish we could put aside our differences arising from religion, ethnic origin and political affiliation and unite together as a nation and build a secure environment for our children.
Yours etc.,
Fr.Devasia Vazhayil,
Laitkor.