Why we are responsible for blasts in our cities ... ... ...

Why we are responsible for blasts in our cities ...

For far too long we've been blaming everyone else for much of the mess in the country. Especially for terror strikes. Including the latest Hyderabad blasts on February 21, 2013.

It is obviously easy to blame:

• The "self-centred, short-termist" politicians - across all parties
  
  
• The "lazy" bureaucrats
  
  
• The "inefficient" police
  
  

I personally feel that each Indian citizen ought to shoulder at least part of the responsibility. I had written a post on this subject in 2011 with reference to the Mumbai blasts. In case you missed it, you can read it here:

• Why we are (and I am) responsible for the Mumbai Blasts?

Apparently, nobody did anything and nothing happened.

And the Hyderabad blasts have taken place earlier this evening (on February 21, 2013) at Hyderabad.

I was watching the various news channels.

One obvious thing that was highly visible was:

• Two LPG Cylinders, apparently meant for domestic use, which appear to have been located at the eatery at or near which the blasts happened.

Here are a few questions for you and me, the ordinary citizens of the country:

• Why were we using domestic cylinders for commercial purposes? (I'm sure that the managers and/or owners who run the eatery are people like you and me and I'm including them among the broad subset of "you and me")
  
  
• When we were eating at the eatery or working in the eatery as waiters or cashiers, we noticed these domestic cylinders - and stayed silent. Why?
  
  
• When we were checking the LPG connection, we would have found that it is being used for commercial use - Why did we keep quiet?
  
  
• When we delivered the cylinders every other week, we would have visibly seen that domestic cylinders were being used for commercial purposes. And we didn't bother. Why?
  
  

The single simple answer: Corruption.

It may be a case of monetary corruption by way of bribe-giving or bribe-taking. Or it may be the corruption of silently tolerating corruption.

Once you and I tolerate corruption in this manner, once you and I behave in such a corrupt manner, we

• Lose the right to crib about corruption - and more importantly,
  
  
• Lose the courage to go and approach a law-enforcement agency (like the police, for instance) to complain about any form of corruption

Therefore, you and I

• Will not go and tell the traffic constable about the suspicious man hanging around with an odd parcel in his hand.
  
  
• Will not volunteer to be a witness and volunteer information even after the blast
  
  

And if you and I still think that terror strikes will stop, you and I are living in a fool's paradise.

The time has come for you and I to own our share of responsibility. 

Once we become reasonably "proper, responsible citizens", then, and only then can we expect "them" to ensure that such terror strikes don't impact us!

Regards,

N