I can't get over the irony of it. Even as I was writing my last post (Safe so far??? How's that for a joke??) the terror attack on Mumbai had begun. I don't think I grasped the magnitude of it till the following morning when I realised all the details. Those 60 odd hours were probably the worst in most of our lives, even if one of our own friends or family members wasn't trapped out there. This was a first. This was an unprecedented, unimaginable attack that brought a city to its knees and glued us to our television sets for the duration of the siege. Over 180 dead, more than 240 wounded. The "Jihadis" and their senseless violence put an end to hundreds of dreams, destroyed countless families and left the entire nation feeling insecure, impotent and angry.

We watched the images on TV, read the reports on the net, and shed tears for all those unknown innocent persons caught in the tragedy. We lit candles and observed a one-minute silence in their memory. We prayed for them. Beyond that, most of us don't know what to do. And this helplessness is combined with an impotent rage that grows stronger ever day. Rage at the terrorists. At our lax security arrangements. Above all, rage against the politicians - for their crass and indecent remarks, their efforts to use even this gigantic tragedy for political one-upmanship, their complete lack of sensitivity. How I wish these people were at the Oberoi that night instead.

The PM gave an unbelievably cold speech full of "we will" and "we shall" and a lot of the usual waffling. Dr Singh, this was a time when you could have redeemed yourself. And you as usual muffed it. The Opposition leaders imply that the entire tragedy wouldn't have happened, had they been in power. Yeah, right. And the Marathi manoos who was hiding inside his house while Mumbai was in uproar, would have us believe that those who died were all Marathis and only his MNS was involved in rescue ops. Silly me, I never realised that the Marcos and NSG teams were all Maharashtrians. I'm sure, before pulling people out of the burning Taj, the firemen ensured that only Marathis were brought out first, right? Oh grow up Mr Thakre!!

In our country precious financial resources are used to fund ministerial jaunts, organise Commonwealth Games shows involving Bollywood celebrities, buy imported cars and expensive planes for politicos, anything and everything. But crucial areas like coastal security are not given any importance. Commando units set up for anti-terror ops are diverted to provide VIP security to those egotistical idiots who pass for "leaders" these days. MP's get bungalows and cars and laptops and regular pay-raises. Soliders and cops get paid peanuts, get only very basic amenities, often are cut off from their families for long intervals...Our government has funds for any silly activity you can think of, but not to give its police forces some much-needed training and proper equipment. They are sent in to fight these new hi-tech militants with just their lathis and sometimes an ancient 303.

So what have we learned from the last few days? Something we all knew already - terrorism has mutated into newer, more frightening forms and we as a country are not yet fully equipped to fight it. If our politicians and bureaucrats did their jobs, and let the police and the forces do theirs without interference, we might be able to get there. Maybe. And until then, how many more 26/11's do we have to face? I don't even want to answer that.