Tears for a nation

Shock.Horror.Disbelief.

A city was under attack and we sat glued to the television sets feeling useless. It'd been more than ten days and the feeling was yet to go completely. Anger on the streets. Candle light vigils, peace marches. And of course speeches by these erudite, competent men who ran the country. They were busy playing the blame game when we were mourning the dead.

Did it really matter if they were Pakistanis? Would knowing their nationality have kept us safe? Two countries were on the brink of a war and these politicians were trying to safeguard their positions.

Disbelief. Fury. Shame.

Where were the leaders? For that matter, where were the community elders? The parents? The friends? Bright young men of both countries took up arms and the society remained silent.The world talked about terror camps, training methods, religion and forgot that it took a whole village to raise a child. Where did we go wrong in raising them? When a young man decided to join a group that believed in hate, he ceased to belong to any country. Would destroying the camp help when his mind had already been destroyed? Shouldn't we try to prevent the men from joining rather than bombing these targets?

Shame. Pity. Anger.

What were the parents doing when the boys were picked up by the fundamentalists? Had they become so disconnected that they no longer cared what their children did?Did they not, even for a second care that their beloved boys, had taken up arms, bent on destroying a country? Did they not teach their children compassion, love,kindness?

Anger. Despair. Sorrow.

A nation of a billion people being run by a handful of pathetic men and women. Not enough schools to teach our children right from wrong. No health care. No water . No power. Not even basic housing for the majority of us. A government that rejoiced reaching the moon, but forgot to reach out to it's own people.

Ten days ago a handful of men ruthlessly gunned down innocent people doing their everyday things. A city came to a standstill. Ashen faced leaders addressed the nation. Made empty threats. Started to prepare for the next election. A billion people watched.

Sorrow. Fear. Hopelessness.

Cry, my beloved country.