March 12, 1993 – Bombay bomb blasts, 257 deaths.
February 14, 1998 – Coimbatore blasts, 46 deaths.
October 1, 2001 – Terrorists attack Jammu-Kashmir assembly, 35 deaths.
December 13, 2001 – Attack on Indian parliament in New Delhi, 7 deaths.
September 24, 2002 – Terrorists attack the Akshardham temple in Gujarat, killing 31 innocent people.
March 13, 2003 – A terrorist bomb attack on a commuter train in Mumbai kills 11 people.
May 14, 2003 – Terrorists attack an army camp near Jammu, killing more than 30 people.
August 25, 2003 – Simultaneous car bombs in Mumbai, 52 deaths.
August 15, 2004 – Bomb Blast in Assam, killing 16 people, mostly school children.
July 5, 2005 – Shri Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya
October 29, 2005 – Three powerful serial blasts in New Delhi at different places just two days before Hindu festival Deepawali, 70 deaths.
March 7, 2006 – 21 people killed in 3 synchronized terrorist attacks in Varanasi in Shri Sankatmochan Mandir and Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station.
July 11, 2006 – 200 people killed in a series of 7 train bombing during the evening rush hour near Mumbai.
September 8, 2006 – 37 people killed and 125 injured in a series of bomb blasts in the vicinity of a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra
May 18, 2007 – 13 people were killed, including 4 killed by the Indian police in the rioting that followed, in the bombing at Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad.
August 25, 2007 – 42 people were killed in two blasts in Hyderabad’s Lumbini park and a restaurant.
May 13, 2008 – 63 were killed in 9 bomb blasts along 6 areas in Jaipur.
July 25, 2008 – 2 were killed and 20 injured in 8 low intensity bomb blasts in Bangalore.
July 26, 2008 – 29 were killed and over 110 injured in 17 serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad.
November 26,2008 - Mumbai under seige - Taj Mahal hotel,Nariman house,Trident complex,200(approx) killed
February 13th,2010 - Pune
And latest,yesterday - 14th July 2011,Mumbai.......again! - 17 dead,130 injured....and the show goes on.
Blame game? No way.We are above such mundane activities.How long do we look to the government for help,who consistently stand shame-faced. There is a limit to our patience too. So the public look to themselves for solace and support.They pick up their own pieces,help people in close quarters,to survive,for even if the governance has failed,humanity manages to survive,thankfully.
It speaks volumes about the large-heartedness of taxi -drivers are other vehicle riders in Mumbai who offered to evacuate the victims and rush them to the nearest hospitals,for free!In Bangalore,on the other hand, taxi drivers were charging double yesterday as private taxis were prohibited from entering the premises of the BIA airport due to heightened security on account of the high-alert!
.Same nation. 2 mindsets. Welcome to India.Probably Mumbai has seen way too much grief when compared to Bangalore - the blasts,the rains, the sensex (being the financial capital),frivilous lifestyles and higher rates of heartbreaks in general. But the one thing you can't take away from Mumbai is -busy,hardworking crowd.They slog,day in and day out to present the image of glam and glitter to the rest of the world,while only they know the amount of work that goes into keeping up that image.
So why should a terror attack hold them back?The government may fail,the intelligence may fail,law and order may fail.Too bad for them.Mumbai however can't afford to make these rookie mistakes.
Check out Mumbai on the day after the terror attacks:
Buses on schedule.Trains on schedule.Schools and offices are open.Shops are open.It's Business as usual.And that's why it is still Mumbai - the most sought after career destination in India,no matter how threat-ridden,or how cut-throat.
As for the terror situation - 33 crores spent on the well-being of a terrorist caught live on CCTV on 26/11/2008.Sure,it sends a wonderful message to all those others waiting in the wings.Or if India really wants to send out a strong message,they'll have to be less on the paper and more taking to book.
How?
1.Train general public on crowd behaviour in panic situation.Half the injuries were due to panic-ridden stampede.
2.Speed up the UID procedure so every Indian citizen has an ID on them.The non-indians can be weeded out. Agreed the population is vast and the problem is not small.
3.There are several govt offices that languish with lack of work/or will to work,difficult to say.Put them all to work on background verification in turns.It provides employment and a background verification of individuals in any locality.The most feasible one being the post-office,as the local postman is aware of most addresses and people therein.
4.Migrant employees will need bonafides from employers and should be expected to furnish these on demand.The onus of this background check will lie with the employer if suspicion falls on the employee.
5.In case of local artisans,traders,small time vendors or slum dwellers,the local police station should be in charge.The concept of a beat police which existed once upon a time has slowly become extinct.Time to reintroduce these men/women in 3 or 6 hour shifts 24*7 at every 2km radius. 4 constables covering the same area,preferably residing at the vicinity.Identification and familiarity could be an added bonus.To avoid ganging up,an impartial superior could be posted.
6.Indians contribute to half the foreign intelligence.If fair and adequate opportunities were provided to Indians, maybe the lure of the overseas would turn into a reverse brain-drain and Indian talent would be applied where it originated.
7.Unless a sense of pride doesn't touch the heart of Indians,all the above suggestions may well remain pipe-dreams.We are all agitated and frustrated.We can work towards the solution,if we really try.But are we willing to try?
1 comment:
The suggestions you have given are good. Its time Government should tighten security across borders and sea. These are the places which are vulnerable and from where terrorists can enter our country.
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