What does resilience mean after London terror attack?
Resilience. The one word, expression, thought, mindset and philosophy that keeps raising its head in the face of 9/11 New York, 26/11 Mumbai, Paris, Nice, Wesminster, Manchester and now London. We the people must pull together. We must stand up to these bullies and cowards and enemies. We should get back to "being normal" and not feel or be defeated by these inimical forces.
Democracy and free society are too sacrosanct to be sacrificed at the altar of the conspiracy of these terrorists.
We have heard it before. And fearfully, we would continue to hear it. United Kingdom prime minister Theresa May went public and said that we live in dangerous times and had "too much tolerance for terrorism and time for us to have difficult/embarrassing conversations".
She conceded that it was not military or counter-terrorism measures, either inside or outside that would deliver. It was in engaging the "communities" and identifying the black legs within.
While five incidents were prevented quietly without noise — three incidents have slipped through in the last three months and therefore it was time to call out “enough is enough”.
What do we make of it? What do those of us in India need to learn and be aware of or be vigilant about or be ready for?
If a heavy motor vehicle can turn a weapon of mass destruction and a simple table knife turn a dagger on the roads — we live in scary times. While the security apparatus has to succeed 24x7 and 365 days — it would suffice if the criminals succeed just once, at their day, date and time of choosing.
What London has seen on June 3, 2017 is despite the highest escalation of the security levels as "critical". In the Manchester Arena — where after the Arianne Grande concert, 22 people were killed and several maimed, there is a memorial concert slated for June 4,2017 — where a 50,000-strong audience is to attend, ignoring this London terror attack.
Equally, we have the high-decibel and tension-ridden India-Pakistan Champions trophy clash on June 4, which some extremists threatened to disrupt. Well, they say, we should not succumb to the cowards, but carry on normally to tell them off.
We are sick and tired of these repeats. Yes, We are resilient anyway. What else we are and can do with the kind of leadership we have that things have come to such a pass. We will go through our vigilant groups and candle light marches and lay wreathes and flowers at the memorials and "celebrate" anniversaries to mourn the departed. We put up slogans, write editorials and academic papers as to how our resilience was a strong antidote against the perpetrators. The works.
Sorry. All this has meant nothing except hyperbole. At the lowest level, it all boils down to just two issues: There is far too much open space in the cyber world for these "criminals" which is being exploited no end.
Of course, the world of Google, Apple, Microsoft and Twitter angrily defends its right to hold back information to protect the freedom of citizens and their "right to privacy to be left alone". The technology companies defended their right when the intelligence agencies and governments seek disclosure of critical information from cyber space or cybertools.
Big Brother they call the state. This is 1984, surveillance that we can never yield to, is the refrain. Theresa May has at last flagged it off contextually. At a lesser level is our Aadhaar challenge. This is one challenge the states may have to deal with, with growing freedom for perpetrators of crime coming from, in, around and outside the cyber space based on their communion.
The second and most important tool — that India, for one, needs to get back to is the local beat constable having his ears to the ground wherever suspects belong.
One dreads at how a heavy vehicle in India could play havoc on a crowded citizenry on a heavily trafficked day in a populous area.
A lone wolf with a skewed philosophy could wreak untold damage. It may still happen. But if there are far higher number of the old Thana beat constables on foot and on bicycle mingling with us on roads and in tea shops, places of worship and market places and the like — the "intelligence" they could gather could be phenomenal.
Crimes could be prevented not endured with resilience.
Yes, Manchester Arena concert on June 4, 2017 must go on. Yes, the India-Pakistan Champions trophy clash must go on. The general elections on June 8 will go on. They must. But this in the name of resilience would be mocking at the lives lost and the limbs maimed.
"Enough is enough" must become our creed and difficult conversations the rule. Not by taking sides based on religion, but on the side of the safety of our lives.
In the same vein, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook and their like also need to understand the difficult times we live in and "cooperate with the state" not necessarily "conspire" against it.
At the same time, the local Thana beat constable must be welcomed as a long last relative and friend of society.
These changes alone may be insufficient. But not ineffective.
Worry not, we have that panacea for such monstrosities, despite our safety measures. The ultimate safety valve. We of course have it in abundance. Forget not. It is called resilience.
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