Guest Blog: India is a wake-up call to the world

Despite the dark mood ushered in by the tragic events of the past three harrowing nights and the strongly condemnable dastardly attacks by the cowards of the narrow-alleys of humanity's bigoted lot on India's gateway of world trade - Mumbai, I remain thankful for many things. First among them is India's strong leadership exemplified by the inspiring and forthright speech by Sardar Manmohan Singh - our beloved Prime Minister!

It is quite easy for anybody - journalists and political commentators in the confines of their cozy drawing rooms, the opposition, heads of states and heads of intelligence - to criticize the rescue operations carried out by Indian forces and denounce them as 'inaction' and  even 'over-action' - but could they have done it better?

India's citizens must unite over imagined divides of political shades, election manifestos, economic status and the like and look up to the government of India as one nation: In an era filled with troubled times and uncertainty looming large over the fate of this most hospitable nation's ties with a neighboring country, considered a hostile nation with a growing population who adheres to an increasingly intolerant stream of Islam and which has been accused of providing shelter for fugitives from International Law, Indians should be thankful for our great Democracy and adhere to the path of unity and solidarity

On Thanksgiving week-end 2008, I would humbly like to thank the following:

I. The government of India:

Under the greatest provocation, you wielded your position with an utmost sense of dignity and with a purposeful result-oriented action saved the lives of innumerable guests and visitors from the world . I am sure that the turning down of offers from the US, Israel and the UK to send in their own rescue teams was a point well made and should be viewed in contrast to the retraction of the offer made by the Pakistani PM to send the head of the ISI to 'assist in the post-operation investigations.'

II.  Soldiers of India:

These bravest soldiers [policemen, commandos, army soldiers, para-military forces and firemen] went into the heart of an urban war zone and showed to the world at large that it is in fact these unsung, modest, anonymous soldiers of peace that deserve all tags of greatness, patriotism and heroism - by any yardstick of measurement.

III. Civilians on the street :

It was the design of the perpetrators of evil to create total pandemonium and halt all life on the street by instilling fear and havoc amongst the people on India. Little did they bargain for the tremendous maturity exhibited by India's citizens who are more faithful, loyal and patriotic than those of the 'infidels'. Thank you G-d for a very sensible public psyche.

IV. Fellow human beings :

It is no coincidence that the entire world was aghast at the manner in which the terrorists sought to single out American, British and Israeli guests on Indian soil to display their callousness and disrespect towards the so-called 'War on Terror' declared to have been won by the USA.

Americans, Brits, Israelis and every right-thinking individual in other countries situated across the globe were of one voice, one thought and one in their absolute support, sympathy and empathy of India's approach to dealing with the deadly assault on its soil.

V.  Technological excellence:

A singularly interesting feature of the entire unsavory episode was the use of technology by the terrorists who instigated and launched such a tirade against all of humanity. But technological advantages were also ably put to use by India, so much so that many of the hostages had reached their homelands even as the brave soldiers were still battling the terrorists on site. Technological use also helped intercept the ships which had been engaged to take the criminals back to their suspected home-base - Pakistan.

Also, the efficient manner in which the entire operation's history, conspirators' shades and whole black-tale was extracted from the captured terrorist speaks volumes of the efficacy and expertise of technology being put to use by a dedicated government [even while the Opposition's warhorses remain silent and uninterfering, not letting nosy busybodies shout hoarse about weaknesses of any particular set of individuals wielding the baton of power and while a supposedly eager-beaver horde of press-reporters remain docile and restrained in shooting off their so-called breaking-stories and prying into the whole confidentiality of any such high-risk situation]

If India, a 'Third-World' Nation can make use of such technology and approaches, the US , the UK and Israel - who enjoys the highest of technological prowess including spy/defense satellites which can zoom into any nook and corner and report the English/Hebrew translation of any language in which anything is being spoken or written, even behind curtains or closed-doors, in a minute's time-frame -can certainly terminate terrorists in no time at all - whether they be holed up in remote ravines, caves or fortified villas on the French Riviera.

I am confident that this wake-up call of unimagined proportions and multi-dimensional ramifications shall awaken the US, the UK and Israel to no longer use Pakistan as a 'stick' against Non-Aligned India, even while dangling Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as a 'carrot' to this peace-loving, democratic nation.

Enough is enough.

On this Thanksgiving week-end, I would like to humbly emphasize the point that let us all [each and everyone of us all] not just be thankful to our loved ones only during Thanksgiving Day, but throughout the years, each and every day.

Pamarty Venkataramana is an Indian-based corporate lawyer, writer, columnist and speaker.