TERROR ATTACKS ONCE AGAIN ON MUMBAI!

The Islamist terrorists have struck again with impunity and achieved success in Mumbai. As usual all bigwigs in India and Pakistan have condemned the terrorist attacks in strongest terms. Condolence messages have been delivered to the bereaved kin, compensatory money promised and alerts sounded in seventeen places all over India. Appeals have been made to good citizens for donating blood.

21 Indian citizens have died in the three savage bomb blasts in Mumbai on 13 July 11 and 130 lay injured at the last count a little before midnight.

All political and social bigwigs travelled to blast sites under police protection and ensured that the Press and electronic media noticed them for Page 3 stories. Never mind that in the bargain, important forensic evidence was lost and rubbed off before being lifted by the forensic experts.

WHY TERRORISTS TARGET MUMBAI

1993 , 2003, 2006 and now 2011, Mumbai has been targeted by terrorists many times. Mumbai is the financial capital of India and terrorists wanted to squeeze the last penny from the business community of stature. In the light of this, no one should be surprised that Zaveri Bazar, a hub of diamond and bullion merchants of Hindu Gujarati descent, has been invariably the main target of terrorist attack. The merchants suffered losses but recouped in no time and bounced back in big business of diamonds.

The terrorists might have succeeded in mounting number of attacks and escaped undetected every time but they lost the battle of attrition. The business is booming in Mumbai and the Zaveri bazaar is dazzling bright as if they were celebrating Diwali every night, night after night. Indeed a decisive victory of the diamond merchants of Gujarati descent and naturally a financial defeat of terrorists from across the border.

Of course, the financial victory of merchants of the Zaveri Bazar does not absolve the Mumbai Police of the charge of dereliction of duty. It is indeed unpardonable that the Police Intelligence was caught napping. They did not have the slightest idea of this terrorist attack going to be mounted with impunity. P. Chidambaram, Home Minister of India, who talks big but is small on action, and the entire Intelligence set up must hang their heads in shame for knowing nothing about the attack on 13 July 11. All concerned with the internal security of the country have been caught with their pants down. This has been happening every time terrorists choose to strike.

The Government of India just reacts and never acts before the attackers. This speaks volumes on the inefficiency of the Police department as a whole and the Intelligence dept in particular. One of the reasons for this slackness is lack of Accountability. No officer or foot soldier has ever been punished, leave incarceration aside, for not knowing about a terrorist attack in advance. After the terrorist attacks are over, the blame game goes on for some time and after a couple of months all about it is forgotten. Everyone goes forward with back slapping colleagues and the mood of forgive and forget prevails.

The terrorist outfits know of this psychological angle of “forgive and forget” and they just bide their time before mounting another attack on the slumbering Mumbaikers.

THE FUTURE

President Barack Obama of USA called the terrorist attack on Mumbai “Outrageous.”The President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan also dutifully condemned the terrorist attack. All fingers pointed towards the Indian Mujahideen for killing and maiming so many Indians. The common man stands united. Aishwarya Rai, the celebrated actor and Bachhan Bahu, chose not to accept the French honour in view of this misfortune fallen on fellow citizens. So far so good. But what about the Future? Will our Prime Minister and others confine themselves to making just phone calls to each other and just sit quiet thereafter.

It is time for action and not just making phone calls to each other and asking people to remain calm. The people are angry that the govt is so incompetent that it cannot prevent terror attacks. Notwithstanding all the talking nationally and internationally, the culprits of 26/11 terrorist attack have not been brought before a court of law to stand trial.

The govt of India must carry out sentences passed by Supreme Court and other courts of law. There is no point in showing mercy to terrorists like Afzal Guru as it encourages other terrorists to be bold in mounting attacks on India. It is the weak kneed policy of our govt that is a morale booster for terrorists and a morale dampener for law-abiding citizens.

The need of the hour is Action; tough action against enemies of India.
By Chitranjan Sawant