Open up Google Talk and chances are that you'll see at least three status messages pointing out Raj Thackeray's silence after the November 25-27 terror attacks in Mumbai and the role of mostly non-Marathi NSG commandos in the counter-terrorist operations. Same goes for email and sms forwards.
People are highlighting the fact that many non-Marathi commandos placed their lives in harm's way and some embraced martyrdom, saving a city that Raj wants to brand as a Marathi city. My question to these people is - is this not the exact manner in which we would expect Raj to react? Promote regionalism and forget what those martyrs died for - protecting human lives irrespective of caste, creed, sex, religion, and REGION.
In my view, whenever Raj speaks up regarding these attacks, he will talk about martyrs like Karkare, Kamte, and Salaskar, emphasize their being Marathi and malign the spirit with which all these heroes sacrificed their lives. I believe, Raj is showing respect to the martyrs before he begins exploiting their roots. By talking about the reverse point of view, even just to highlight the worthlessness of Raj's perspective (if it can be called one), sane people are committing the same mistake - focusing on the wrong attributes of heroes, whose courage should be narrated to kids in school.
If anyone of the NSG commandos and other security forces who battled for 50+ hours were to be asked - "What did you fight for?", "Mumbai" or "Maharashtra" or "any region" as a reply would not even strike them. I believe they fought to save valuable human lives and to protect India's sovereignty (symbolically at least) and not to make a point to Raj Thackeray. Ironically, even the terrorists would have had "India", "India's financial capital", "Indian, American, British, Jewish lives" in mind and not "a Marathi city".
It seems to me that by propagating these anti-Raj messages through various media, we are proving that we are as regionalist as he, and just like him we cannot value the true spirit, which motivated these martyrs. In my view, the lessons from these terrible events are that we need to value human lives, be vigilant in our day-to-day life, and most importantly value the Indian ethos, of which Mumbai is a splendid example of. If we do not learn these lessons as a country, unfortunately these heroes' sacrifices are going to be futile.
Lastly, I would just like to say that I am proud to be a fellow countryman of citizens like Karkare, Kamte, Salaskar, Major Unnikrishnan, and countless other courageous men and women, who consider the country's sovereignty and the lives of its citizens and guests, before their own lives. Jay Hind!
