Kasab's Indian Anniversary

Kasab is about to complete a year in Mumbai. Exactly this day, a year ago, he landed on the shores of Mumbai sailing on the Kuber and changed everything in this city we love so much. We have seen it all, romanticised the action, discussed it over and over again and now after a year are coming back at it again. No, we don't need a sequel, though the directors in our neighbouring country might be contemplating one. However, this whole idea of shedding tears, remembering the lost ones, re-counting tales of bravery, and touring the places Kasab once strolled around in this city is a farce which we along with the whole world would love to see and share. Let's admit it - we lack the 'Iron Will' which we require to prevent more Kasabs visiting our country. A tough stance, a symbolic step, some kind of a show of force, is the right step forward.

But did we have any of those after the events last year? How silly we seem, that even when CCTV recordings show Kasab killing freely at his will, we stage an everlasting trial for the supposedly 'ideologically-drugged', 'actually-innocent' and immature teenager from Pakistan who did a late-evening show on 26/11 to celebrate his coming-of-age, and what better a place than the show-biz city of Mumbai. After all we give every man worth his salt, a chance to perform, nationality no bar. So what a performance it was folks! We remained glued to our television sets for nearly 60 hours, without moving an inch, munching on biscuits, sandwiches and anything close-by, not willing to miss the action. Gosh! even Michael Jackson would have found it difficult holding on to his audience for so long.

Israel, oft-quoted for her exemplary justice for any injustices done to its citizens, must be laughing at this farce in India, where everything becomes filmy so soon- Kasab asking if any Indian girl would tie him a Rakhi- Kasab crying for swift justice and death, which drew parallels to Salman's similar pleading before a judge in Rajasthan over the chinkara-killing case (which had dragged so long and apparently made the actor very frustrated)- Kasab telling how he did all this just for money, in order to support his poor family with no earning member (this is true bollywood style drama -teenagers forced to join terrorist groups to earn a square meal). Some people have even started thinking Kasab as a helpless teenager, sole bread-winner of his family, being wrongly framed in this whole issue - somehow who wrongly landed up in India and went to Girgaum Chowpatty for some fresh air and vada-pav- how on earth could he be blamed for 26/11?

And now almost on the anniversary, we find ourselves suddenly uncomfortable, thinking what's gone wrong with us, what is everyone doing? Why haven't we punished the guilty? Why are we still sending dossiers to Pakistan? What is Pakistan going to do with them? Are we fool enough to believe Pakistan needs those dossiers to book the guilty? How can we get so irritatingly stupid? And what's this Kasab thing.....not yet over? Lawyers in India are showing off their skill defending the 'un-defendable'. Abbas Kazmi says defending Kasab has been a life-time experience, and I say why not? Keep defending him and make a great career out of it.

Things seem almost as placid as they were before 26/11, the same home minister who had described 26/11 as a passing event in the great city's timeline is back with a vengeance, fighting off old cats in the police department, who have suddenly started alleging one another for lack of commitment during the troubled November days. Coast guard has not yet decided on the right kind of boats to guard the coast and there is more and more confusion over who Headley was and what was he up to.

We Indians have poor memories, but not Israelis. Adolf Eichmann, who erred in the times of Nazi regime, was bought to trial 15 years after the WWII ended. The Jews never forgot, but they must be a different breed. We are a peace-loving country with a big heart to forgive and forget. How else could we possibly explain the aftermath of Parliament attack- just a quick show of force on the border (which was equally strongly manned on the Pak side) and then back to normal. Many would struggle to remember when it happened, and Afzal Guru, of course would hardly evoke any emotions whatsoever while some notable social activists would even swear by his innocence.

So why are we always in a deep slumber, which no act of terror or aggression would break? Why are we the resilient (read complacent and thick-skinned) Indians, convinced that status-quo is the best? What will ever jolt us and when? 2012, perhaps? Who knows!

Coming back to Kasab, when someone suggested he should be hanged in full view of public, many did not take those words kindly. Perhaps their blood never boiled, perhaps it never would. But I support the man who asked the Government to hang Kasab in public.

Hang him in full view of the public, from the Gateway of India, facing the sea - at least this, if not our coast guards, may prove to be a deterrent to the future sea intruders. Hang him for the sake of a symbolic gesture, if not anything else!