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So should be the response

In an eloquent op-ed after the Malegaon blast investigations took a new turn, Pratap Bhanu Mehta had expressed concern over the repeated questioning of the states’ legitimacy by different groups and political parties. He had pointed out that the even the resilient Indian state would face difficulty surviving repeated questioning from those in the mainstream of politics and ideas.

In light of the brazen and unprecedented attack on Mumbai–nothing less than a declaration of war–Mehta’s warnings have renewed salience. As the Indian state is engaged in exterminating those who have attempted to cripple India’s financial capital, it is incumbent upon those of us forced to watch from the sidelines to support the state in its need of its hour.

Because the state in a modern nation-state is much more than the government. The government is merely its representative facade which may change with each electoral cycle. The state on the other hand carries the collective faith of the Indian people–in many ways embodies the idea of Indian nationhood it self. Questioning the state at this juncture wounds the idea of India.

There will be time for recrimination, for angry postmortems; and yes for accountability. But for now, as the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and leader of L.K Advani demonstrated, it is time to stand as one.