The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Bloggers salute spirit of IISc. staff, students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 03, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bloggers salute spirit of IISc. staff, students

Govind D. Belgaumkar and Raghava M.

`Fool-proof security in open places is virtually impossible. But specific targets need to be made more secure'

Govind D. Belgaumkar

and Raghava M.

BANGALORE: The recent terrorist attack in Bangalore has attracted national and international attention, if 300-odd weblogs on the subject is any indication. (A weblog or blog is a diary published on a Web page by Internet users.)

Bloggers have published their comments and sought reactions from others on the topic. Thousands have visited these blogs and given their opinion.

They are happy that the students and teachers on the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) campus, where the attack took place, have taken it in their strides.

Bloggers have looked at the issue from many angles and have even given graphic details of the scene of incident on December 28.

They have also criticised Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh and the sensationalism of the media.

They have also attempted to analyse terrorism and ways of tackling it.

T.A. Abinandanan, an IISc. faculty, who gives a first-person account of the incident, informs Internet users that things have quietened down back on the campus.

Most students are back at work, just as they normally are. He adds, "Whatever spin one puts on this incident, it is clear that it is big for Bangalore, and even bigger for us in the IISc..."

Blogger Ravikiran, says "... this kind of terrorism is the most difficult to combat. [It is] Tough to provide gun-totting security for every scientific conference and information technology company... one doesn't know if it was a random act of violence or one that points to greater challenges ahead. ... we, [Bangaloreans, Indians] have to be prepared for the latter."

R. Dows of Orlando, Florida, points out that the attack occurred hours after Abu Salem, extradited from Portugal last month, was brought to Bangalore for a lie detection test.

Blogeshwaran takes a TV channel to task thus: "Within a few hours of the attack, ....channel loudly proclaimed that there has been an intelligence failure. And on what basis? ...While I can find many faults with our police, this seems really harsh... It is irresponsible journalism..."

Blogger Pradeep thinks that it is a very sad commentary on our administration.

"But terrorists are no fools. It did not need our Chief Minister to say that the attack was a planned one. Terrorists obviously knew that Bangalore doesn't care for anything beyond IT firms."

He concedes that Mahatma Gandhi Road, Brigade Road and malls are packed with people especially in evenings and that fool-proof security in open places is virtually impossible. "But at least specific targets need to be made more secure."

On learning that those in the IISc. have come to terms with the sudden development, a blogger, who identifies himself as Abhinav Goyal says: "We salute the spirit displayed by IISc-ians to go back to work undeterred. This is the best possible reply..."

At least one of the bloggers, Vinayak, is yet to come to terms with all this.

He wonders: "How many times have I crossed IISc. on my old Bajaj Chetak, never even imagining once that this place could be sprayed with bullets and splattered with blood."

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