Despite lack of leadership seeds of a New Beginning

I returned home from the ASEAN-India Car Rally 2012 all europhic and estatic and straight into this tragic story of the 23 year girl. And then suddenly Delhi saw some unprecedented scences on the parthway that lead up to the symbols of state power. Rajpath and the cerntral concourse have seen many agitiations over the years - the Jat farm land leader Tikait took complete control of the area, As the sheer intensity of the water cannons lifted the youth from their positions, as lathis rained on them and the police manhandled scores of protestors, it was obvious to the naked eye that the system had failed.

More importantly, there was a no ostensible move from any functionary within the government or the police appratus to cauterise or assauge the hurt. Every household in Delhi and elesewhere was seized of this shocking tale of bestatility and brutality. Meanwhile the gritty woman hung-on to her dear life, showing remarkable spirit and fortitude in the ensuing mayhem, She ofcourse subsequently could not hold-on and left her the holy abode to perhaps feel safer there than here !

To me, an ordinary citizen of this great country, it appeared that the state and its instrumentalities unfortunately seemed near collapse over the days the anger split on the roads. Gripped they were with a strange inertia and lassitude in the face of spontaneous surge of youth power. Unbridled and uncontrolled, lacking cohesion, but not bereft of conviction.

For want of a better turn of phrase, impotence would be right to describe the situation.

While there is no issue like corruption which saw the Anna Hazares, Ramdevs and Kejriwals take and centerstage in the past, the detoriating state of the hapless rape victim became a talking point, equally a symbol of repression and inefficinecy of the state.

The primacy of security and safety of our citizens cannont be lost on anyone, least of all those in government and the law and order machinery. The LG was holidaying , the Home Minister was switched on mute, the Home Secretary and the Police Commissioner were busy patting themselves on the back for quick resolution of the case, for more than 10 days the people in authority were deeply ensconced in the arms of Morpheus. Indignation gave way to angst and anger and finally resulting in pitched battels between the agitators and the police.

Nature it is said abhors a vacum, the unending paralysis in governance has once again thrown into stark relief the marked absence of a decision making political leader in the government.

The rest they say is history !..........and this unrest would hopefully carry seeds of a new beginning. For in this anger I find hope. From this gloom I hope will emerge a brighter India.