Inspector Sharma-India salutes you

Its a sad day for the nation as it bids the final farewell to Delhi police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma. He died on Friday in an encounter with the terrorists who were involved in the Delhi bomb blasts. The nation could've rejoiced today with the successful operation of killing 2 terrorists and nabbing one, if not for the painful loss of this brave soul. He was the first one to enter the building where the terrorists were said to be hiding. Just think of the courage displayed by this man in the hour of need. As he knocked on the door, he heard some commotion going on inside. So he went inside through another door and was shot at. His team members swung into action after this and it was all over in the blink of an eye. Though he was taken to the hospital, Sharma succumbed to his injuries soon. He was a tough cop who has taken part in many successful encounters and brought laurels to the Delhi police force, but sadly this one proved his last.

The terrorists who were killed were not mere gun-totting puppets. Atiq alias Bashir, one of the dead, is said to be the 'mastermind' behind last week's Delhi blasts. They were traced with the help of valuable intelligence inputs provided by Gujarat police. This is a much needed shot in the arm for the police force in India. They've been bearing the brunt of the blame game that heats up after every other blast in town. Officers like Sharmaji proves that the police force is not 100% corrupted afterall. Men like him are prepared to lay down their lives for the sake of the country in true police spirit. One thing I wonder is why these men were not given bullet proof vests, even when it was known that they were going for a high-risk encounter. I really doubt whether they have enough stock(or no stock at all?) of such safety equipments.

An issue that crops up related to yesterday's happenings is the question of human rights. If not for the policeman's death, we would've heard a huge outcry over the gunning down of the terrorists. Self-proclaimed human rights activists of the ilk of Arundathi Roy would be releasing statements such as "Its a blatant violation of human rights. In Pakistan, they won't shoot terrorists like this. But in Delhi, there's no value for the life of a terrorist. So the only solution is giving Delhi independence or gifting it to Pakistan". This hipocrisy in the name of human rights been going on for too long. The shining example being the parliament attack case in which many of our security personnel laid down their lives. But, in the end we had tears being shed for the convicted terrorist Afazal Guru. Petitions containing mercy pleas were flying around thick and fast. We had stories on his helpless family whereas the kith and kin of those who died defending our nation were conviniently forgotten. Politicians made sure that he'll continue to live luxuriously in the prison rather than be sent to the gallows. I really wish atleast the one terrorist whom they caught yesterday be blasted off the face of the earth after extracting all possible information from him. To hell with the idea of fair trail for a terrorist.

Lets all salute the brave man who died for all of us. Hope this incident serves as the starting point for India's fight against terrorism. The Government should get its act together with stringent laws and swift actions in this regard. Else, the soul of martyrs like Sharmaji would never forgive us.

PS-Home minister Shivraj Patil can now breath easy. Last week during the Delhi bomb blasts, we saw him changing his dress 3 times in a timespan of 1 hour. His fashion show had kicked up such a storm that at one point he was thinking of shedding his clothes forever and join the Digambaras of Jainism. Now that one of the main brains behind the attack is dead, he can breath easy for the time being. To celebrate this sudden turn of events, he is reported to have ordered for 100 new suits to be worn in the next 2 days.

Cross posted at crusadertvm