Salute Mumbai heroes by fixing the rotting system

Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, London

By D.S. SOMAN
Published 4 December 2008

Dec. 3: Hemant Karkare and other policemen who died as a result of the bullets fired at them were victims of the apathy of the government, both at the Centre and state. Terrorism is nothing new to India. Indeed, we have been facing terrorist attacks since the 1990s. The most striking attack was on March 12, 1993 when 12 bombs went off in Mumbai, shaking its very foundations. Since then there have been many attacks by terrorists from across the border - in Delhi, on Parliament, temples and vital establishments in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Surat.

Our reaction to all these attacks was to condemn them and point the finger at our enemy across the border. In general, the public were told that security is being stepped up and intelligence improved. On ground, the public hardly felt or saw any difference in the situation. The governments, both at the Centre and the states, meanwhile, continued in their laidback style. Politics took precedence over everything else and it hardly crossed their minds that something basic needs to be done to tackle the menace. Terrorist acts were treated as a law and order problem which the state concerned was expected to deal with. more