If it is any consolation, most of the TV channels have now termed the terrorist attack in Mumbai as an attack on India. A full 48 hours after the attackers went berserk in the economic capital of the country.

Is it an attack or war on India because five-star hotels have become targets where rich and the famous go and dine? Or is the attack being termed a war because the realization has now dawned that terrorism is actually a war being waged against the nation?
Whichever way you look at it, it is definitely not a comforting thought to think that it takes so long for us to understand the nuances of a situation.

Was the attack in Chinore on innocent civilians not an attack or war on India? Were the attacks on Raghunath mandir and Jammu railway stations also attacks on India? Were the massacres of innocent Hindus and Muslims in Doda and Rajouri attacks on India?

Security and defense analysts from world over have been saying that terrorism is nothing but a war on nations. Only it is not a declared and open war in the conventional sense with defined borders being violated, where opposing Armies get ranged against one another.

The ding-dong battle that the National Security Guards (NSG) and Marine Commandos had to wage against terrorists was watched by the nation, LIVE. Even as the operation was going on, dozens of people crowded on the streets around the venue.

The crowds shouted Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Ganapati Bappa Moreya even as the security forces went about their job. Did that help the NSG commandos and others in the operations? Certainly not is the answer but no effort was made by the officers in charge of the situation to send the crowds packing.

The politicians of the country, who should be the one to mobilize the masses and lead, in such crisis situations, were the only people conspicuous by their absence.

Why the crowds could not be sent home? Because they were angry and do not trust the politicians in the country. The crowds were out in an outpouring of frustration and disbelieve. No politician had the moral courage to appeal to them to go home and leave the operation in the hands of professional soldiers and security personnel.

When the Maharashtra chief minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, appeared on the scene, it did not take him too long to attack his Gujarat counterpart, Mr Narendra Modi. Mr Deshmukh was provided the opening by a reporter who asked a leading question.

It would have been perhaps far better for Mr Deshmukh to have kept his mouth firmly shut and not responded. If Mr Modi was in Mumbai to politicize the situation, there was no reason for Mr Deshmukh to have responded in kind.

It is partly the ineptness of the intelligence apparatus that Mr Deshmukh heads which created the situation of havoc in which Mumbaikars found themselves. Partly it was the failure of the Ministry of Home Affairs headed by Congress leader, Mr Shivraj Patil.

On Thursday night, Sohail Seth was scathing in attacking Mr Patil whom he termed as the worst home minister India has had till date. Trust us, Mr Seth, people in Jammu and Kashmir already know that for a fact.

During the recent Amarnath land row, Mr Shivraj Patil had taken some decisions (or rather failed to take) which worsened the situation, instead of improving it.

In case of Mumbai attack also, Mr Shivraj Patil is one person conspicuous by his absence from facing the TV cameras.

It was left to sauve Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Union minister for external affairs, to face the reporters. This should essentially have been Mr Patil’s job to brief the reporters and the nation but he has not been seen anywhere.

Any criticism of Mr Patil at this juncture may again be termed as politicization by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). But is the criticism unwarranted and isn’t it the time for Mr Patil to pack his bags?

Any other home minister with an iota of self-respect would perhaps have tendered his resignation and excused himself to escape from scorn but not our dapper Mr Patil. He continues to believe that he is doing an excellent job of leading the home ministry. In fact, the way he presents his case, it appears to suggest that he believes his subordinates are not doing enough.

The citizens of the country need to shed some of their liberties, if that is required, and help the security agencies to discharge their duties better. They will have to bear with repeated searches, questions from security forces and such other inconveniences if they want to feel secure.

This is something that Israel has done, this is what America has been doing and the whole of the West is following. May be in India we will have to submit ourselves to checks by security agencies and help them. By being vigilant, always.