Intelligence failure? Whose

Terrorists struck Mumbai. The financial capital, the Indian Hollywood’s night life came to a stand still. The attack left the Mumbaikars shocked and the trauma the rest of India suffered is nothing less. As usual, after every strike, one single question that a typical journalists shoots. Is it the failure of the ‘intelligence’, popularly called in journalistic jargon as ‘intelligence failure’. It can hardly be judged whether the state and the central Intelligence sleuths failed to collect information about such attacks. The intelligence inputs, like weather inputs are universally applicable. I remember during the floods of 2000 in Hyderabad when the weather-men predicted ‘thunder and lightning followed by moderate to heavy rains’. And this was a routine announcement, twelve hours later it was chaos in Hyderabad.

Failure of Intelligence, yes! The INTELLIGENCE has failed. Not the intelligence of the cops who took the bullets of the terrorists on the chest. Not that of the innocent citizens, of various domicile who, before they knew that a bullet from the burst of AK 47 hit them had died. The citizens lost their intelligence. The citizens lost the intelligence to send a message across the border that they are united.

Why will an enemy wait for long and to strike through conventional war to destabilize the country? Why will he wait till the Thackarey’s and sainiks of self proclaimed Senas get into action to do what they want to do? For the Sena’s can anytime be silenced by the democratic process. The intelligence of our leaders has failed. They cannot acknowledge the sacrifices of the men in uniform, without bringing politics into it.

Media calls it Bharat par humla, attack on India, 9/11 of India, 11/26 and the list ends with the number of television channels as every channel wanted to give and ‘Exclusive’ name to the biggest terrorist act in Independent India. Very intelligent?

It time to show how intelligent we are. Its time to show how united we are. Its time to resolve that we will not keep our men in uniform busy ‘arresting’ those questioning / claiming the propriety of Mumbai. Its time to resolve that India is not the fabric made of just the Amar Singh’s, Mulayam’s or the Thackarey’s. Its time to resolve that todays India is the blood, sweat and dream of those who laid down their lives fighting the enemy.

Salutes to the Martyrs. Writing this piece with the confidence that I am safe because You (men in uniform) are there.