Mumbai should not become Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan: Mahesh Bhatt

Terming terror as a monster, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said concrete steps should be taken to ensure Mumbai does not meet the fate of cities in countries Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (which keep facing the scourge of terror).

“It was time to put words into action. We need to fight for freedom from these terrorists. This monster called terrorism is thriving on fallout of internal fights amongst us. Our fights are making him triumphant,” he adds.

“It’s easy to blame and feel that we have done or said something on the issue but now that it is happening, it was time to show them what we are capable of. We need to attack the root of the problem. If the government is weak, that too is our fault as we have chosen them. If the system is week, we have to correct it,” says the filmmaker.

“As a Mumbaikar, I understand when we get angry, when people take us for granted by saying, ‘Mumbai bounces back’. But frankly we do not have a choice.”

Advocating a stern action to weed out the problem, he said, “Terrorising the ordinary people and instilling fear in them may be the purpose of these anti-social elements and we are waiting for solution. Pouring our hearts on virtual world is not our duty as a responsible citizen. This mayhem needs to be addressed in a stern manner. Terrorism is a global phenomenon and certainly we do not want Mumbai to be a city like the ones in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.”

Also, he said, most importantly we need to “support our country from within” first rather than wait for the United States to come up with some solution.

Bhatt said these attacks are a brutal blow on our faces. Moments like this do evoke anger and frustration amongst us, but that all? Now countries like Israel also have realised the value of fighting against terror. So why can not we, he questioned.

Sacking heads of police department or a minister is certainly not a feasible solution. It’s just respite from our anger and does not provide constructive result, he said. “We need to be more vigilant and up our surveillance. It is also time to put words into action,” he concluded.