Terrorist attacks at Mumbai ( disjointed comments )

· It is a systemic fault. Sacking a Union Minister is
essentially an attempt to cleanse the collective guilt. The Minister may be inefficient. But responding to terror requires a war time like machinery which is all the time alert and there is total co-ordination. Their requirements of personnel, material and money should get priority.

· Politicians have been pilloried. But then politicians are incapable of handling this subject. It is that of experts on the subject. Yes, politicians should not interfere with the job of such experts.

· What is missed is that lethargy of babus which is often the cause for not upgrading the mechanism and machinery.

· Intelligence failure, so said most of the people and fourth estate . Then USA also failed. So also U.K. So also many other countries. The problem in tackling terror is that terrorist attacks when least expected and it is always difficult to find out in advance the place where the attack would occur.

· The whole nation mourned the death of police personnel. There were ceremonial functions related to cremating of the dead. Well deserved and our hearts went for those who laid their lives. But then what about police personnel gunned down by Naxalites. A small news item in the press. Is there no contradiction.

· Visual media reporting was reduced from one of objective analysis ( as was the case with BBC ) to exhibition of empathy with the victims. Sympathy was alright but empathy gives a different colour to the event. Repeated visual presentation of gore was an ungainly sight.

· Overtaken by grief and anger, there were a lot of impractical and a few juvenile suggestions. Let us give training to children in schools for one year on how to tackle such situations. Let us give intensive training to fight terrorists to all the security people in buildings, let Mumbaikars refuse to pay taxes, let us nuke terrorist outfits in Pakistan, etc., ( Did we not support LTTE. Then we stopped the support and sided with Sri Lankan Government. That led of murder of Rajiv Gandhi. Now Tamil Nadu Government is openly supporting LTTE. What would be reaction of Sri Lankan Government to that ).

· Apart from the antics of the main opposition party ( not going along with Congress Party to Mumbai, not attending the all party meeting, offering money to the family of slain policemen, etc.,), and seeking the head of the Home Minister, the party had not come out with any practical suggestion to prevent such attacks.

· ‘ It is a horrendous act ‘ so said most of the Hindus. ‘ What about Malagoan. ‘ ‘ Yes, that is unfortunate, i. e., if there is truth in the case made by the police.’

*****