Looking death in the face

Sir ? A day after the serial blasts in Mumbai?s local trains, which killed about 182 commuters and maimed and injured hundreds, the media, the intelligentsia and the politicians were found appreciating the indomitable spirit of the Mumbaikars. But is it the Mumbai spirit or Mumbaikars? legendary apathy towards the fate of their less fortunate fellow men that has brought back normalcy so soon? The city?s residents are known to often sidestep dead bodies on the street or ignore the ailing so as not to disrupt their daily routine. Despite repeated terrorist attacks, there has been no concerted protest or a genuine show of concern for victims. Thirteen years after the 1993 blasts, no one has been booked for the crime. Well-organized crimes such as this can never take place without local accomplices, and finding the latter is not an impossible task for any police force. But without public pressure, the law-keepers will never act.

Yours faithfully,
S.B. Gupta, Calcutta

Sir ? Perhaps India should exert pressure on the United States of America to convince Pervez Musharraf into giving up the path of violence, and unless he does so, to deny the Pakistani dictator all international aid. The Group of 8 summit is the right occasion for India to start the process.

Yours faithfully,
R. Sekar, Angul, Orissa

Sir ? It is unfortunate to witness the shameful state of our surveillance system. My fervent appeal to the government ? stop the futile space programme and concentrate on the ground realities.

Yours faithfully,
P. Misra, Calcutta

Sir ? Be it the Lashkar-e-Toiba or the Jaish-e-Mohammad, we know where they come from, who trains and arms them and provides them safe passage into this country. If George W. Bush and Tony Blair continue with their claim of fighting terror while mollycoddling Pervez Musharraf despite his sins, then the two world leaders should be held equally culpable for the crime in India.

Yours faithfully,
Ashis Biswas, Calcutta

Sir ? The Mumbai blasts prove that there is a strong terrorist network in India and it lacks neither in sympathizers nor in active members. But the Indian government is wont to overlook any activity linked to minority terrorism. Let us also not forget that India is a country where elected representatives unanimously passed a resolution to free a terrorist responsible for the killing of innocent people. Even the so-called champions of secularism appreciated it as a humane gesture.

Yours faithfully,
Udita Agrawal, New Delhi

Sir ? It is time we took some simple security measures on our transportation networks ? bus and rail, particularly the Metro. The police and railway protection force should check buses and train compartments at terminal points just before departure for things left behind. This may cause a slight delay, but it is in the best interests of the commuter. In places like Mumbai, there could be a Metropolitan Rail Protection Force. Special training should be imparted to them.

Yours faithfully,
S. Kamat, Bardez, Goa

Sir ? It is sad that every time there is a terrorist attack, accusations are made against Pakistan without the government even making a full investigation into the matter. It appears that our neighbours are being made an easy scapegoat to cover up for the government?s failures.

Yours faithfully,
Rahul Roy, Calcutta

Sir ? Instead of criticizing our intelligence agencies and the government, we should work out a comprehensive anti-terrorist strategy. In densely populated cities like Mumbai, it is practically impossible to frisk all commuters of local trains during rush hour. Therefore, we need to focus on the basics. To start with, resource procurement ? money through hawala transactions, or huge amounts of RDX, hand grenades and other explosive devices.

The ease with which the terrorists find escape routes to other countries through our porous borders also needs to be looked at. We must gear up our telecommunication surveillance capabilities, if required, with the help of upgraded legal safeguards that would provide greater freedom to the intelligence agencies.

Yours faithfully,
Antara A. Dutta, Calcutta

Sir ? If countries like the US could have enacted the Patriot Act after 9/11, why do we have to pussyfoot on having legislation like the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act in place? But for our politicians, the issue of national security can go to hell if certain communities can be obliged.

Yours faithfully,
Ranjan Khastgir, Calcutta

Sir ? Mumbaikars have always believed that their city is nothing short of Manhattan. It is as if professionalism and hard work exist ?only? in Mumbai. It is perhaps not the individual?s fault, but a certain way of thinking has set in that looks down on the migrant worker and certain communities. While recuperating from the bloodshed, the city must look within itself.

Yours faithfully,
Manjira Majumdar, Calcutta

Sir ? Their survival needs more than their resilient nature got Mumbaikars back to work hours after the blasts. After all, in an era of such intense competition and rivalry, no Mumbaikar can afford to lose his chance. Be that as it may, there is no denying the horror and scepticism in the mind of each commuter on Mumbai?s suburban railway network.

Yours faithfully,
Arnab Sarkar, Calcutta

Sir ? We cannot erect fences on our own territory to stop infiltration or issue identity cards to genuine citizens for the fear of offending the ever-swelling numbers of foreigners. We also do not have the guts to introduce the uniform civil code for fear of losing our secular image. Instead of fostering a common bond of nationality irrespective of colour and creed, the government?s vacillation on several issues is creating a sharp divide between people, making it easier for inimical forces to exploit the situation.

Yours faithfully,
P.K. Bhattacharjee, Calcutta

Sir ? The life of a common Mumbaikar, or that of any ordinary Indian, is cheap. The only lives to be valued are that of our beloved politicians. Had any minister been killed in the attack, who knows, we might have started a war by now.

Yours faithfully,
Swarnava Banerjee, Bokaro