Until a few decades ago, one could walk freely anywhere, any given time and nobody would question. Things today sadly are very different; one could die even on a shopping spree, who knows when there’d be a blast next. The whole feeling of being unsafe is so predominant.
No one is spared; not a single city in this world. Turn on the TV and there’ll be news of blasts and terrorist activities all over. I simply don’t have the assurance any longer, if any of my near ones who go out today, will return safely. This fear is engraved deep in many a heart; are we really safe anywhere?

Every time there is ‘breaking news’ flashing on channels and websites, a deep chill runs through me. A simple evening in Mumbai turned many a fate. Words like blasts, siege, grenade, NSG has left me ponder over the issue of safety. And why only Mumbai, Delhi shared a similar fate. Even smaller towns like Kanpur are not spared. I’m sure it is difficult to single out any city which has not witnessed a single evidence of terrorism.

Any explosion, gives me a deep chill. Recently there were a couple of blasts in Bangalore and the whole city was terrorised. Surat and Ahmedabad shared a similar fate. I didn’t know of the blasts till a general call to India made me aware. Sweat trickled down my neck as I heard this. My brother is in Bangalore, moreover the whole thing about blood and dead bodies, people crying for their loved ones, this whole scene started in front of my eyes like a montage of some new movie. Instantly, the thoughts of young boys and girls in office, college and school going kids crossed my mind. To lose a loved one like this, how heart wrecking can it be. Nothing is safe. No place in the world.

In US at least I see how professional and brisk things are. A normal man is terrified in a single traffic violation. May be that is why terrorists attacked through air. The security is hard to break, why is it that we can’t have such stringent laws and security in India? I don’t really want a comparison between India and US but things cross my mind when I think about blasts and more threats to bombard busy places making headlines often.

How brisk is our security system? The commandos got late to reach in time to Mumbai because a plane could not be arranged in time for them. In Delhi when ever there are such threats, it is just another routine thing for the police, set up metal detectors and as people pass through, randomly picking some for a personal check of belongings.

We do have security present everywhere, but how competent is it? In movie halls, the security men at the gate will do his routine by stopping you car before entering the parking lot and check with a mirror for a bomb. Does he really know how a bomb might look or do we know about it for that matter. Will that frail looking security personnel is able to handle a terrorist, if they plan to attack an over crowded mall. My experience in UK was worst. In the movie halls, no one even checks on you. May be it is simply impossible to keep a tab on such large number of people, provide security. Why do we pay taxes then? Don’t we expect our governments to guard us?
I don’t want to talk about our ‘desi cops’, we know enough of their competence.

While my flight to US, I was reminded again and again that we must be responsible for all our belongings and inform authorities on anything suspicious. I kept asking myself throughout the flight, how a terrorist might look? Will he be wearing a turban and a beard? Will he have dark and deep eyes and will I be able to identify him or will he be like any other person around us, with really deep plans in his mind? I kept questioning how easy it will be for them to be able to get across the security point. If they are carrying liquid, they will be allowed well past the airport till the boarding area actually. I carried eight bottles of 100 ml each for my daughter and nobody questioned me till the time I was about to board the plane and in the final security round I was asked to put it in trash. In fact even in US guests are allowed till the security point and nobody checks you if you are carrying anything at all till there.

Anything can happen anywhere. What is the guarantee that someone will not come over and shoot inside our schools, offices or even Parliament? In the name of terrorism, are ‘these fanatics/ jihadis’ trying to be God? Only in destruction; in massacres of innocent everywhere.

Just imagine what a blast or a single encounter of terrorism leaves a family with? I have met people in the New York subway who claim to be afraid to travel, just because it is so vulnerable. Fear is in the mind, the fear that we might lose our loved ones. This fear is killing us every second.

The word blast is blasphemous. Come to think of it, in the name of God who wins? The terrorists, the people, the commandos or the politicians? Nobody! It is a war that will have no victory.