Mutiny in Mumbai's air

There's mutiny in Mumbai's air following the terror attacks (26/11). People look tired of having to listen to the same old empty words. The angst… the disgust… is clear. So is the urge for change. Fair enough. But why blame others? Every time there's a big crisis in the country, the blame game begins. People blame politicians, political parties blame each other and our government blames Pakistan. Then, to top it all, one has to gulp down a daily dose of utter nonsense dished out by the TV channels. A bunch of uncouth, unfeeling and sensationalism-hungry journalists trying to make things appear as gloomy and ugly as possible. Busy as ever, trying to grab a slice of the cake - whenever, wherever and no matter at whatever cost.

Pity it took a crisis of this magnitude to awaken us. But who's responsible for the current mess? And who is supposed to clean it up? The system is ours, we have voted our leaders to power, and most importantly, we are the make-and-break of it. Our thoughts and actions play a crucial role in shaping and keeping the system. Following a tragedy like the Mumbai attacks, how sensible is it to go on pointing fingers at each other? How does it help when you distance yourself from the system and begin mounting hails of expletives on the bureaucrats, political leaders, the country's effete intelligence, so on and so forth...?

Do discussions matter? Do rallies and protestations help?

Take a pause. Look within and ask yourself: am I playing my part well? How many of us do our job with honesty and sincerity? How many of us respond to the call of duty with perfect promptitude and complete commitment? If you don't, you have no right to expect the same from others, absolutely none to claim the moral high ground. At the end of it all, aren't we equally responsible for what's happening in the country?