27
Nov

RISE UP INDIA!

author: gsik       category: Crowdsourcing, India, Personal Projects, Photography, Politics, Social Media, Surreal

Mumbai Terror Attack 26/11

I’m at a South Bombay location as i type this. It’s been 16 hrs since Mumbai was attacked in most unprecedented fashion, yet the city remains under siege by a terrorist group. Nonetheless, away from Colaba—the epicenter of the attacks—there is light activity on the streets and most stores are open for regular business.

The audacity of the terrorists is alarming and there is no way to comprehend their motives or the negative impact it will have on the sub-continent’s stability and geopolitical relations.

Finally given a chance to get away from the sensational news reporting and endless #mumbai twitter stream, I have a moment to reflect, meditate, and pray. My thoughts immediately go to the innocent lives that have been lost to this atrocity and I pray for their families to find strength to persevere through these testing times. Setting aside all political malaise, I salute the brave men and women of the Mumbai police, NSG commandos, Naval marines, Anti-terror squads, and soldiers of the Indian Army who are risking their lives and going on the offensive to protect the people of India. Despite numerous terror attacks on India in the recent past, the government seems to lack adequate anti-terror strategies and infrastructure. But that hasn’t stopped these brave men to step in the line of fire to save Mumbai from total anarchy—no matter how primitive their support and protective gear.

Sitting at home last night I heard two loud blasts at 22:20, which was around the time I read @kapilb’s tweets about similar noises he was hearing. I tweeted about it and a flurry of tweets followed about a firing at Leopold’s Cafe. I put on the TV and watched in horror as the despicable events began to  unravel. The western world awoke unawares to the situation and turned to twitter for an up to the second update steam. I too was up all night live tweeting the developments as they broke on local news channels like Times Now, NDTV, and CNN-IBN. Various sites picked up my tweets for reporting purposes, CNN.com and Mahalo.com being the most notable. In fact, I was even called through the night for updates on the standoff by radio stations in Edmonton and San Franciso.

I’ve always been a huge Twitter fanboy but am still marveling at its worldwide adoption over the past several hours as an instant communication and event tracking tool! Tipping point for twitter? I think so. Here’s a CNN article that also heralds today as “the day social media appeared to come of age and signaled itself as a news gathering force to be reckoned with.” See for instance the way @Vinu risked his life while gunfire was being exchanged to bring us these photographs no sooner than the news broke.

Shockingly, the terrorists, all between the age of 20 and 25, exposed themselves completely while carrying out their heinous crimes. It’s discouraging to see young citizens getting disenfranchised by the system and rebeling so vehemently, especially in a country whose promising future lies in the hands of her 500 million youths. It doesn’t apply directly in this case, as most leads are not pointing to home-grown terror but its rise in India is a known fact. So what can we do about it? How can we include the youth by allowing them to express their emotions positively and make them feel like they’re making a difference or being heard. We often complain that the politics in India is outmoded, so how do we inject verve into our politics by making the youth feel like they have a duty to fulfill? After all, didn’t Gandhi say “Be the change you wish to see in the world?” I think that time has come for India. Barack Obama did it in the US and I’m certain that out of a population of 1 billion, someone can challenge the status quo and lead us towards real growth—socially, politically, and economically.

I recently purchased the domain riseupindia.com to build a social network to galvanize the large youth population in India and harness its diverse talents. I hadn’t thought through it, but now seems an opportune time as any to seed a discussion to build this idea in a collaborative format since many people are uninspired by the politics and leadership, or lack thereof, in India.

How can we build a social platform that will help increase transparency in our politics and give youth a real chance to lead our country in the forseeable future? I’d love to hear ideas and find folks to collaborate with. For how long can we have 81-year olds as leading candidates for our head of state position?

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Viewing 22 Comments

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    The 44th U.S Presidential elections showed us the power of new media and how it can actually mobilise an entire nation towards change. Your RiseUp idea is very promising. Somehow, in India, people don't really take us youngsters and our voices as important. We are at best used for pseudo NGO efforts and internships or as debaters on subjects on 24*7 news channels. But how far does our voice count in shaping the country? We have fresh ideas and perhaps aren't even as prejudiced and disheartened as some of the elders are because of the terror attacks. Over at Desi Pundit.com, I have been trawling the links and have seen quite a few reactions where people are saying if they actually want to bring children into this kind of an anarchic society. But I think it is the youth and the children who can be major agents of change. And coupled with New Media tools we can become major forces to reckon with. :) :) I think being young, the greatest advantages we have is we are very zealous and also open to many more ideas.
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    First, anyone in metros who believes their vote doesn't count, get's their registration form together and votes in the next election.
    Second, we institute a one year compulsory training for anyone passing 12th standard towards community service - education/ disaster mgmt/ fire fighting a la isreali style. We create a generation that has brawn and brain power.
    Third, we engage in debates/ pass appraisals with/of sitting politicians. and I don't mean in front of the tv cameras but in front of main rds in their constituency.
    Lastly, we live up to our tag, the "educated" class and persevere to stay informed. whining should only be for the dogs.
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    We, the ordinary people of India, need to come up with a Citizen's movement to change the socio-political system in India. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY OUT. Let us stop blaming our politicians if we cant do any better than them. Also we must not allow our politicians to divide us this time.UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL.

    As a first step, let us all Mumbaikars meet at Gateway of India on Wed,3rd Dec 08 at 6pm to show our solidarity against terror. IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP, INDIA...
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    Came here via desipundit.
    Gaurav-- this truly is the best time for mobilization efforts; it's also not just the youth either that should be targeted. Been a part of community activity efforts, and one of the biggest disappointments to any citizen who is trying to be part of the change is to commit time and effort to an activity or organization that goes no where.
    An online platform would be of great help. Coordinating the activities otherwise of various groups and NGOs gets difficult.
    Also-- this mobilization needs to have multiple branches: not just an online forum, but also learning cells in universities and colleges, the creation of non-partisan think tanks, radio shows, and city/nation-wide participation-building events. The most important thing is to keep it grass-root-- no big names, no big donors, and only non-partisan guidance because otherwise, like everything else in our beautiful country and world, it will become politicized & media-blitzed and ergo-- useless, at least to the end in question.
    We need a new way of doing things, minus the bells and whistles of most attempts at social change that come up in India.
    I've blogged on this @ http://rageagainsthefishbowl.blogspot.com/2008/...
    Leave me a message if you'd like to talk. I'm coordinating discussions right now regarding the setting up of dialogue cells/learning centers/youth-oriented think tanks in India, in the context of global democracy and its ahem, challenges.
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    very nice post...i think we really need a citizen's movement to combat terrorism and violence in India...
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    As someone who has grown up with family in Mumbai and has lived and walked around south bombay, and often visited the Taj, just hearing about the news is absolutely horrifying. The Taj is one of the landmark location of Mumbai located right across from the Gateway of India. This beautiful building has housed so many memories - personally, my parents had their wedding celebrations there and have worked there for a number of years from generation to generation.... Seeing flames billowing from various rooms and various quarters of the building makes you fee absolutely helpless and really, just incredibly angry and confused as to why people would commit such heinous crimes against innocent civilians. I am still struggling just trying to make sense of the situation, but so far I cannot. I dont understand how a city that has been severely hit many many times in the last 20 yrs has still not come together with a definitive strategy on anti-terrorism, as well as the technology & trained officials to assist in the same. We cannot be sending in policemen with little armor and just a hand pistol against trained terrorists with boat-loads of ammunition.
    At this point the only thing India can and should do is to come together and ensure that our government makes the right move towards greater security. No matter what we stand for, as a country we have this as a common goal which we need to achieve in this time where we are constantly reminded that we are vulnerable to attack. Rise up india would be a good start. I hope more people come together with the same idea.
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    Type your comment here.
    Where are the Thacakreys??? Where is the Prime Minister?
    Sad, Indian leadership has again failed us. I have been watching the developments on CNN and other Indian Newspaper websites. Kudos for NSG for doing such a terrific job. It's a shame a city being held hostage by a handful of people. I think the mumabaites have had enough.
    Whati don't understand is how ill equipped the mumbai police force looked. We have had terrorism in this country for the past 2 decades, yet our police force equipment is anitquated. We can spend millin on Z force security for our "good for nothing" politicians but can't protect the scoring millions who pay for it.
    I am truly shocked at the lack of leadership shown. Where is our " Guiliani". We need one for India. Kudos to the hotel staff who helped people inside the hotels as the drama unfolded.
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    I hope you realise that my comment is not directed against you, but against all of us, even me. It will be very honest of you if you don't delete this. I have chosen your blog as this has some attention now and people might just read this. I will be following comments here.
    Right now, Nov 28, 2007 is when a few people have held a metropolis of India, Mumbai, hostage after a series of attacks and killings. The dead and injured is a decent sample of the entire population of the city, including people from every level of the society. If this doesn't go enough far to convince everyone in India that they are not safe, maybe more is surely on its way.
    And who are the criminals?? India is a democracy. The very people who make great scientists, software engineers, businessmen, craftsmen, doctors and BPO executives are the people who also share responsibility for the shape their, my, country is in. They share the responsibility of electing and empowering a certain few from among them whom they authorise to be their leaders, their protectors. These people are, supposed to be, in charge of progress & protection of the country. And this doesn't end here. More people are needed to run a country than can be selected and singled out in just a few round of elections every four years. An unimaginable size of this country's population is needed to run the public works, the inland security, the armed forces, the corporate entities, businesses small & big. And where do these people come from?? Us. We go there, to work in water supply departments, police forces, army, air force, railways, everything, you name it. But do we really want to be there?? And even if I am not there, am I asking them if they really are doing enough?? If all the courage I have in my guts is enough to make me stand my ground in front of a unsuspecting biker and collect two hundred bucks for whatnot, but not enough to face a gunman on rampage in the heart of the city or even make an attempt to get anywhere close to him, I am surely not worthy of donning a uniform which comes alongwith the responsibility of protecting the people of its country.
    I haven't owned the responsibility. No one owns a responsibility here. Everyone is living doing just enough to survive till death's sweet embrace. I, we, shall have it. And if enough people of a country think this, we will have it sooner than you know. Some are having it right now.
    I am not asking my government questions about what happened to muslims in gujarat or christians in orissa but I am asking questions when I am the victim. I am not asking them about what happens with the tax I pay. I don't even know what rights I own and how can I exercise them. I haven't voted even once and its been 9 years since I have this right. I am fully aware that the orphans left from the recent communal riots and atrocities have nothing better to do other than adopt the path of violence looking for retribution. These young gullible minds are the terrorists of tomorrow, who will be looking for me, my family. And I will demand for special forces to kill them, but I won't raise a voice now against those rioters, in some cases recognized political parties, and neither am I doing anything to help the orphans and homeless. I am not vocal enough. And if I remain silent for a bit too long very soon no one will be able to hear me.
    I am sure India hasn't forgotten that her prime minister was shot by her own bodyguards. I am sure India hasn't forgotten that the Abu Salems have killed people of their own country and left orphans when they listen to his thoughts on his ex wandering off with some other sorry lout on reality shows. I am sure India is not going to forget the family of the GM of Taj who had to die like they did. We all are vulnerable. If this is forgotten, we are in danger, of our very existence being compromised anytime now.
    I vow to own my responsibility, which now has grown to epic proportions. I have to change something. I need to get my hands dirty like never before, like no one else, like it never will, and clean some part of this country, this sytem, this society. I will vote in an election, fight in an election, never ask for a favor or respect a demand for same, and do more. This list will never end and I am sure I will find new ways to help my country each passing moment.
    Terrorism may look big in India at the moment, but surely is not a worry on the minds of people in Kuwait[Iraq attacks], Lebanon[Israel attacks], Iraq[Us attacks], Georgia[Russia attacks]. When you are done with terrorism, think about what challenges face your very country, and what are leaders elected by you, paid with your tax money doing?? Haven't you seen pictures of mothers wailing next to the amputated bodies of their sons and daughters?? They neither did ask questions nor tried to answer questions that matter, in time. And you thought that is far enough. Now its in my neighbourhood, unedited, uncensored. Maybe we all need to take some time off, stroll, and relate. They too must have thought politics and other such responsibilities are 'dirty' things for them or their children to be in. Big surprise that they no longer exist?? Do my parents think the same way?? Do I agree with them?? Then I definitely know where I am going.
    And when I am done saving my country, I shall realise that I have a bigger responsibility, to save this world. We all share the same pain, the same enemies, the same plight. If we don't yet realise that what goes around, comes around, we will cease to exist very soon. First cities, then countries, and then this world shall vanish owing to the negligence of its own denizens. What is coming around now is the sum of all mistakes of this entire humanity.
    And a Barack Obama??, ... if the quote goes like 'be the change you wish to see', no one better than everyone of us to turn things around. If anyone is still looking for god, wait till you are dead.
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    Hi @gsik. this is @gryphusnick here.

    Appreciate your effort. Here's my suggestion on how we can start making the changes:
    Instituional changes take weeks and months to implement. Radical departures from one's routine can never be sustained for long, and die down with the hype and hysteria.
    Terrorist Attacks are on the rise. While we do need to fight them and reduce them, let's start by first preparing to face them and reduce their impact.

    1.Awareness needs to be ramped up about what each of us ought to do in times like the last 40 hours. The Govt doesnt have to go and tell people what to do in the hour of need. We should be ready for that in advance. A large scale viral campaign using OOH & Social Media about a fixed point readiness bulletin seems like the most logical preparedness first-step.

    2.A central Information source, capable of sustaining massive web traffic needs to be setup. All the efforts seen over last 2 days point to this. We are not ready yet. but we are capable. so let's do something about it. If the government has difficulties managing relatively New techonologies, then let the Social Media proponents offer their help. Barcamps , Tweetups & blogmeets are ideal for us to offer and network our efforts to this end.

    3. We seriously need something like www.ready.gov I'm sure if we bloggers / Twitter folk make a dedicated effort, we can find a backing Public figure who is aware of the implications of Social Media trends to help us out and interface with the government.

    4.The biggest glaring fault that leaps to my eye regarding the #Mumbai attacks is the lack of centralisation. NSG is fully capable. as is ATS. Marine Commandos were swift in their response and are amongst our most elite teams. and yet, this ordeal has already spanned close to 40 hours. People need to figure how they can help the government unify the working of it's defence and police forces. I agree complete integration is impossible and unheard of anywhere. but we need to improve our response speed greatly.

    5. Lastly, our government needs it's Internet Task Force. #mumbai has shown the world that India is web-aware and online. we need to harness the social tools made available to us, and help our country's government function better.
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    I'm with you. I think this warrants a more full fledged discussion thread - things might get lost here. If you need any help setting things up, let me know.
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    what do you suggest? a wiki or discussion forum? Maybe we should setup on riseupindia.com

    Look forward to your thoughts and thanks for your offer!
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    and yeah, i can set it up if you want.
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    Sorry for the late reply. I think something like Pligg (http://www.pligg.com/) would do well. That way, people can suggest ideas and push articles up so the good ones have a way of getting to the top.
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    "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

    Margaret Mead
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    me too

    have created a facebook group called Naya Bharat - its open -
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    Definitely interested - have some experience with social networks as well. Let me know how I can help.
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    Great post. I've lived in New Orleans for the past six years, went through Katrina and the Flood and Twitter has recently emerged as a great social communication medium in the last year. It helped us quite a bit while the city was evacuated during 2008's Hurricane Gustav.

    I am all for your Rise Up concept. As young folks in America and India, we are never far from being directly affected by the dual-headed threat of poor national security / terrorism by disaffected ideologues and useless government officials. War cannot continue to be the answer and we need solutions that are sustainable. For one, we need to agree that the solution is secular and for those with foresight and funding to come forward and claim responsibility towards finding a solution

    If you need any help, please let me know. I'm in.
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    thats correct...we need to have a collaborative place where people like us can express emotions let it be joy, sadness, anger...
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    thanks for the tweets. Having grown-up in the streets of South Mumbai but now in US, I could vent my anger and frustration by following the tweets and pics posted by regular folks
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    'All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing' - E. Burke.

    I heard this quote yesterday and still wonder what can the good man (woman) do, now is probably the time for a few good men to stand up and be counted...
    I feel almost cynical saying this but when something like this happens, our attention is usually focused for a few days and then twitters away! maybe, maybe not.
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    Great insight on what is going on in your part of the world. I can't imagine what you and your people are going through and feeling right now. I have always been a strong believe in the power of social media, especially Twitter, in events such as this. I certainly hope that the unrest will come to an end soon with the guilty party apprehended.
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    Awesome thought to end with. Am sure you can make a difference.
 

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