TELEVISTA
Images of terror
Amita Malik

DURING the past week, the overwhelming number of horrific events has overtaken any attempt at pleasurable viewing. Both on the individual and the institutional level, it is a long time since we had such continuing horror in the news. Seldom has one seen anything like the video of the suicide bomber crashing into the gates of Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. The security guards first tried to stop the truck laden with explosives. Having failed to do so, they ran for their lives as it exploded. In fact, some of them fled too late and were killed.

Then we see the most horrible sight of all—the prestigious hotel going up in flames with the commentators constantly reminding us of those trapped on the upper floors. The Czech Ambassador, who had barely taken charge and was living temporarily in the hotel, was among several foreigners killed.

Some VVIPs attending an Iftar dinner just down the road had a narrow escape because the original target had been Parliament and other top government buildings, but the bomber had been stopped by security. It was a terrible sight to see the hotel engulfed in soaring flames, and one heard afterwards of the many who were charred to death as rescuers could not reach them.

On the individual level, there was first the assassination of one of the Capital’s specialist police officers, who made the fatal mistake of not putting on his bullet-proof jacket which, even to us amateurs, seemed incredible. The state funeral given to the gallant police officer, the sad sight of his mourning family, including his son, suffering from dengue in hospital and only allowed to visit his mother briefly but not to perform his father’s last rites, added to the anguish felt by all.

As someone pointed out, this is the first time the Capital’s citizens had come out in such large numbers, as they normally do only for politicians. It showed the way the general public felt about the brutal way in which this gallant police officer had died in the course of duty.

Then we saw the follow-up, the arrest of those responsible for the blasts in Delhi and the death of one of them. Truly has it been said that a good man is not easily forgotten. The truck decorated with flowers carrying the cortege, and the vast crowds accompanying the funeral procession were more than ample proof of that.

Then there was the shattering news about the CEO of a private firm in Greater Noida being bludgeoned to death by his workers over some dispute. Residents of Azamgarh, meanwhile, are indeed feeling worried and recalling their sons studying in Delhi home. It seems there is no peace of mind anywhere.

Compared with these man-made calamities, the terrible floods in Bihar and now Orissa at least show cheering signs of human courage—people clinging to their homes and livestock to the last and carrying old people and children on their backs through fast rising waters. One also sees our Army jawans risking their lives to rescue those stranded.

The Army has always played a splendid part in rescue work when it becomes too difficult for civilians to handle the job. As someone rightly said, our defence forces are one of the last bastions of Indian democracy as well as Indian efficiency. We are grateful to them.

My only reference to sport this week is our loss to Romania in the Davis Cup. Our reliable war horses, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, saw us through the doubles, which was predictable. So it was sad to see our younger players in the singles losing not because of lack of ability but because of lack of experience. However, Prakash Amritraj and Somdev Devarman are still young, and with experience they are bound to bounce back sooner than later.