>It’s over, they say

>

Yes, with that most graphic image of a terrorist’s body falling out of the window, the 62 hour siege ended. The siege did. The terror did not. And I sincerely hope the anger won’t.

But the political circus…ah that, dear friends, has just begun.

Heads are rolling. As they should. But my point is, they will be replaced by other heads. Others equally callous. Equally insensitive. Equally unqualified for the job. Today the country is baying for blood. Tomorrow the country will have client deadlines, road rage, children’s school admission problems, EMI issues…..what then?

Even today, I came to office after 4 days of watching the events unfold on television. 4 days of extreme anger, 4 days of planning agendas for starting movements. It’s 7.30 p.m. and not once have I had the time to think about my simmering anger. It’s there, somewhere, but in the background. I’m scared that it will recede further. I cannot let that happen.

We need to have an action plan. We need to channelize this anger. We need to convert it into a cold, constant movement.

We need to ask for fundamental changes. Educational qualifications for the politicians, public knowledge of spending by a govt body. Constant questions by known voices. Shobha De and Suhel Seth. Your speeches and writings are very inspiring but they need to continue, constantly questioning. We would like to see your presence on pages apart from page 3. The press has to constantly be responsible. Three days later, once all TRPs have been squeezed, if a model were to walk the ramp and her top were to fall off, what would be the headlines? I wonder.

I’m not being cynical. I’m warning you. Slowly, the world will move on. This will happen. And hence it is important for all of us to be prepared. Prepared to devote a small part of us for the fight. Because after all client deadlines, children’s admissions are important to only those who are alive. Not to those caught by a militant’s bullet.