BBC News
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| Hundreds were killed or injured in attacks on the train network in 2006 |
Some 700 people have been killed in more than half a dozen militant attacks in Mumbai since 1993, including the horrific assault in November 2008. And the violence shows no signs of abating.
The most commonly peddled narrative is that by attacking its much touted financial and entertainment capital, you deal a body blow to India and get global media attention. But that is only a small part of the story. Many residents will tell you that Mumbai began going downhill in early 1993 when it convulsed in religious rioting and murder for two weeks following the demolition of the Babri mosque by Hindu fanatics in December 1992. At least 900 people died, mostly Muslims. Two months after the riots, the underworld set off series of bombs to avenge the riots, killing more than 250 people. Many of them were Muslims too.
That is when the rule of law broke down, many say irretrievably. A 1998 two-volume report on the religious riots was ignored by successive governments, who failed to prosecute politicians and policemen involved in the rioting. At the same time, the authorities were seen to proceed swiftly with prosecuting those involved in the bombings, leading to allegations that the government was anti-Muslim. The seeds of mistrust between the two largest communities in India's most cosmopolitan city had been firmly planted.
The image of Mumbai as a liberal city ruled by law and reason has long turned out to be a chimera, according to Gyan Prakash, author of Mumbai Fables, a brilliant book on the restless city. Over the years, say many analysts, the state's authority has been eroded as a nexus of greedy politicians, a thriving underworld, unscrupulous property developers and a discredited police force seem to have been ruling the roost, undermining institutions.
Last month, gunmen shot dead the city's leading crime journalist on a rainy morning and zipped away openly on their motorbikes. A block of flats meant for war widows was allegedly grabbed by politicians, retired army officers and other such privileged folks, until the courts stepped in. "Conspiracies hatched by politicians, builders, criminals, Hindu militants and Muslim dons appeared to be the underlying dynamic of the city. Anger and violence ruled the street," wrote Mr Prakash of the city in the mid-1990s. Not much has changed - the poisonous cocktail endures, and makes the city easy to attack. The rich in Mumbai, as a friend says, live with one foot in New York and one foot in the city. The poor and the middle-class bleed.
Behind the deceptive facade of its glitzy nightlife, fancy ocean-front flats owned by film stars and businessmen, and India's most expensive building, owned by its richest man, Mumbai is a tired and bitter city, being eaten up from within. The majority of its people live in slums, and millions live on the streets. This cannot make for a very happy place, and the city's "resilient spirit" has now become the cruellest Indian cliche. And what attracts religious extremists to launch attacks here? They are appalled, says the city's most famous chronicler, Suketu Mehta, that Mumbai stands for "lucre, profane dreams and indiscriminate openness".
Many believe the city's explosive growth - Mumbai is expected to be home to 23 million people by 2015 - is driving it towards urban and social extremes. "If Mumbai is the future of civilisation on the planet," Mr Mehta famously wrote, "then God help us." In many ways, India's richest - and most vulnerable - city is also its most dystopic. For me, it conjures up images, all at once, of wealthy Manhattan, lawless Chicago during the 1920s, and the most infamous fictional metropolis, Gotham City.
(Courtesy: BBC News; July 15, 2011)
(URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14140991)
New York Times
New York Times
India exercising admirable restraint after Mumbai attacks: NYT
PTI | Jul 15, 2011, 10.52am IST
WASHINGTON: While commending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for exercising considerable restraint after the Mumbai terror attacks, a leading US daily has said that learning from past mistakes India should work towards perfecting its intelligence and counter-terror efforts.
"Indians are angry and asking why their government did not ensure their safety. Indian officials say they have made significant security reforms but it may never be possible to stop all terrorist attacks. That is true, but New Delhi still must learn from this experience and keep trying to perfect its intelligence and counterterrorism efforts," the New York Times said in a lead editorial.
"After the 2008 attacks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned that his country would retaliate if hit again. We applaud his continued restraint and urge both sides to think hard about the horrifying cost of a war," the daily said.
Referring to the July 13 bomb blasts in Mumbai, the paper said: "Indian citizens deserve answers to their many legitimate questions. So far, Indian officials seem to be reacting in a measured and responsible way."
"Pakistani leaders condemned the bombings. But words are cheap. They need to work with their Indian counterparts to find whoever is responsible. If Pakistanis were behind this latest horror, Islamabad must ensure that they are brought to justice this time," the daily said.
Noting that Pakistani officials previously acknowledged that the 2008 attacks were partly planned on their soil, it said instead of cooperating with India's investigation, they insisted on handling the case themselves.
"Pakistan has four suspects in custody, but the trial is moving too slowly to be considered credible. Pakistani courts are notorious for acquitting most terrorism suspects," it said.
With US President Barack Obama offering American investigative help to India, The NYT said: "He and his advisers also need to be having blunt conversations with Pakistan about the cost of any more foot-dragging."
The Pioneer
"Indians are angry and asking why their government did not ensure their safety. Indian officials say they have made significant security reforms but it may never be possible to stop all terrorist attacks. That is true, but New Delhi still must learn from this experience and keep trying to perfect its intelligence and counterterrorism efforts," the New York Times said in a lead editorial.
"After the 2008 attacks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned that his country would retaliate if hit again. We applaud his continued restraint and urge both sides to think hard about the horrifying cost of a war," the daily said.
Referring to the July 13 bomb blasts in Mumbai, the paper said: "Indian citizens deserve answers to their many legitimate questions. So far, Indian officials seem to be reacting in a measured and responsible way."
"Pakistani leaders condemned the bombings. But words are cheap. They need to work with their Indian counterparts to find whoever is responsible. If Pakistanis were behind this latest horror, Islamabad must ensure that they are brought to justice this time," the daily said.
Noting that Pakistani officials previously acknowledged that the 2008 attacks were partly planned on their soil, it said instead of cooperating with India's investigation, they insisted on handling the case themselves.
"Pakistan has four suspects in custody, but the trial is moving too slowly to be considered credible. Pakistani courts are notorious for acquitting most terrorism suspects," it said.
With US President Barack Obama offering American investigative help to India, The NYT said: "He and his advisers also need to be having blunt conversations with Pakistan about the cost of any more foot-dragging."
The Pioneer
India bleeds again
July 14, 2011 11:11:24 PM
Inept Government pleads ignorance
The Prime Minister’s attempt to reassure the people of Mumbai (and presumably the rest of the country, too) that there’s nothing to worry as his Government is determined to not allow such terrible acts of terrorism, as were witnessed at three different places in the city on Wednesday, to be repeated would serve as a soothing balm only for those who are either indifferent to or ignorant of the reality that prevails. Nor will his astonishingly banal statement, that “this time there was no prior indication of the attack and hence terrorists had the advantage of surprise”, serve to calm mounting anger. Surely the Prime Minister does not believe that terrorists provide prior information about their plan to attack a city so that the Government can take adequate measures to foil the attack?
The point is that this Government has failed, once again, to ensure adequate intelligence gathering for security agencies to be a step ahead of the terrorists. The scale of failure can be measured when compared to the swift manner in which security agencies of other countries that face the threat of terror attacks, especially in Europe, intervene to prevent terrorists from carrying out their deadly missions. Obviously, no lessons have been learned from the ghastly blood-letting that the world witnessed along with a shocked India when Pakistani terrorists attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008. Soon after that grand plans were announced to streamline and strengthen the intelligence gathering mechanism through new security structures like the Natgrid.
But like everything else promised by this Government, all of that has proved to be no more than tall talk with little to show after three years. There is cold comfort in the assertion that the Government has been successful on 99 per cent occasions to prevent terrorist attacks; it’s the one per cent which matters because lives are lost, people are maimed and faith in the state’s ability to protect its citizens is eroded.
It could be argued, and justifiably so, that there’s nothing called fool-proof security; that in a country as vast and populous as India, it is impossible to rule out the possibility of terrorists, either homegrown or exported by Pakistan, striking with devastating results; and, that no Government, irrespective of the party or coalition in power, can secure the country from terrorism of all kinds. But those who proffer this argument forget that the people expect the Government to do its best and take all possible steps to eliminate the chances of terrorists having the advantage of surprise. Also, people expect the Government to deal with terrorists and their facilitators with a firm hand so that others are deterred from following in their footsteps.
To fulfil both expectations, the Government requires political determination and courage. Sadly, the regime headed by Mr Manmohan Singh lacks both. It has drifted so far away from popular aspirations that it cannot even fathom the need to be seen as being proactive in dealing with a problem like terrorism. Instead, it is eager to embrace and appease a terror-sponsoring state which continues to demonstrate that it has neither the intention nor the inclination to abandon cross-border terrorism as state policy. For, the inspiration to kill innocent people in cold blood comes from the crucible of global terrorism, also known as Pakistan. Mr Singh prefers not to acknowledge this fact.
July 14, 2011 11:11:24 PM
Inept Government pleads ignorance
The Prime Minister’s attempt to reassure the people of Mumbai (and presumably the rest of the country, too) that there’s nothing to worry as his Government is determined to not allow such terrible acts of terrorism, as were witnessed at three different places in the city on Wednesday, to be repeated would serve as a soothing balm only for those who are either indifferent to or ignorant of the reality that prevails. Nor will his astonishingly banal statement, that “this time there was no prior indication of the attack and hence terrorists had the advantage of surprise”, serve to calm mounting anger. Surely the Prime Minister does not believe that terrorists provide prior information about their plan to attack a city so that the Government can take adequate measures to foil the attack?
The point is that this Government has failed, once again, to ensure adequate intelligence gathering for security agencies to be a step ahead of the terrorists. The scale of failure can be measured when compared to the swift manner in which security agencies of other countries that face the threat of terror attacks, especially in Europe, intervene to prevent terrorists from carrying out their deadly missions. Obviously, no lessons have been learned from the ghastly blood-letting that the world witnessed along with a shocked India when Pakistani terrorists attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008. Soon after that grand plans were announced to streamline and strengthen the intelligence gathering mechanism through new security structures like the Natgrid.
But like everything else promised by this Government, all of that has proved to be no more than tall talk with little to show after three years. There is cold comfort in the assertion that the Government has been successful on 99 per cent occasions to prevent terrorist attacks; it’s the one per cent which matters because lives are lost, people are maimed and faith in the state’s ability to protect its citizens is eroded.
It could be argued, and justifiably so, that there’s nothing called fool-proof security; that in a country as vast and populous as India, it is impossible to rule out the possibility of terrorists, either homegrown or exported by Pakistan, striking with devastating results; and, that no Government, irrespective of the party or coalition in power, can secure the country from terrorism of all kinds. But those who proffer this argument forget that the people expect the Government to do its best and take all possible steps to eliminate the chances of terrorists having the advantage of surprise. Also, people expect the Government to deal with terrorists and their facilitators with a firm hand so that others are deterred from following in their footsteps.
To fulfil both expectations, the Government requires political determination and courage. Sadly, the regime headed by Mr Manmohan Singh lacks both. It has drifted so far away from popular aspirations that it cannot even fathom the need to be seen as being proactive in dealing with a problem like terrorism. Instead, it is eager to embrace and appease a terror-sponsoring state which continues to demonstrate that it has neither the intention nor the inclination to abandon cross-border terrorism as state policy. For, the inspiration to kill innocent people in cold blood comes from the crucible of global terrorism, also known as Pakistan. Mr Singh prefers not to acknowledge this fact.
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