The Day The Earth Did Not Stand Still

Dear Leaders of the World,

Don't you really resent the Tsunamis, the Katrinas and the 7.6s on the Richter Scale.

Heard someone commenting the other day about the recent earthquake, the lethal tsunami that levelled the land that two armies once pockmarked with pride. This person put the toll at about a thousand indians and about 30000 terrorists. A comment that I am sure many more 'proud' Indians would be making. A comment that would be equally callous even if each one of the dead had the blood of many on their hands.

Then I read in the newspapers and hear it on the news, the words of our leaders and our people - 1300 Indians dead. Duh! Am I missing something here? How is it that we take offence if a piece of paper shows PoK as disputed or part of Pakistan but do not recognise the people that inhabit the land as our own. Is it for that that we have been at loggerheads with Pakistan for more than half a century. An itsy bitsy piece of land. Mostly useless. Now more so.

This also made me reflect on a thought that struck me with equal force when the Tsunami snuffed out lakhs of lives. Squeezed in between the widespread coverage of the disaster were reports about five Israelis dead in Gaza or two and a half Americans injured in Baghdad. Pales into insignificance, doesn't it? It's as if nature's cocking a snook at the bin Ladens and the Bushes of the world and crowing, "Let's see you top that!".


This has been a year of disasters and perhaps when we look back at the year there will be very few who will be talking about war and terrorism. Wouldn't it be great if we never have to discuss 9/11, PoK, Baghdad or the West Bank at New Year's Eve? Ever!