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Deal with terror

It is no secret that the Andhra Pradesh government has gone soft on terrorism. It is yet to punish those behind the Mecca Masjid blasts. It invited the naxalites for talks that resulted in nothing but gave them the time to procure arms, medicines, and cash. On the recent twin blasts, Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy has said the State cannot do anything to foil plots hatched in foreign countries. Does he imply that we should get police forces from those countries to patrol Hyderabad? He should accept his failure and take effective measures to prevent such acts of terror in future.

A. Paramesham,

New Delhi

The Hyderabad attacks have jolted the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government from the slumber they went into after the Mecca Masjid blast. The Prime Minister and a long line of Ministers and MPs have called the blasts acts of desperation. Compensation packages have been announced (the Prime Minister has even talked of setting up a permanent fund) and external forces have been blamed. Isn’t it difficult to believe that such attacks can be carried out without the support of locals? I do not know about terrorist sleeper cells but I know for sure such cells exist in our governments, security forces, and intelligence services — they seem to be sleeping all the time.

P.S. Neelakantan,

Chennai

Agreed, it is difficult to predict where and when the bombs will explode. But the fact that the State government was complacent despite being warned of possible attacks cannot be overlooked. This is the government that did virtually nothing, thanks to its vote-bank policies, when an MLA openly threatened Taslima Nasrin with dire consequences if she set foot in Hyderabad again.

S. Raghavendra Rao,

Nellore

Political leaders are urging people to remain eternally vigilant against terror attacks. It is not lack of vigilance on the part of people that is behind terror attacks; it is the inefficiency of the State administration that is. Much of the fault lies with the failure to take stern measures against disruptive forces irrespective of their caste or religious affiliations.

Sibani Sankar Samantaray,

Mysore

Terrorism can certainly be contained. We have a precedent in Punjab from where it was rooted out years ago. It is important for the entire Muslim community to condemn inhuman, terrorist acts. It should take the lead in strengthening the government’s hands by holding demonstrations all over the country condemning the terrorists and their so-called cause.

S. Rajagopalan,

Chennai

The authorities should stop giving excuses. Any warning or intelligence report should be taken seriously.

Shlok Kumar,

Bangalore

Successive governments have failed to provide security to the common man. If the state of affairs continues, the people will have to protect themselves. The government should accept its failure. It cannot continue to shirk its responsibility to protect the citizens and get away by just condemning such incidents.

V.S. Mishra,

Pune

The government should have the will to put down terrorism firmly. There should be no hesitation to take stringent measures fearing loss of votes. As long as the measures are honest and do not cause distress to any community, they are welcome. All political parties should view terrorism as a common enemy and not as a tool to improve their fortunes.

C.N. Parthasarathy,

Hyderabad

It is true that terrorists who mingle among the people are difficult to curtail. But it is not possible to execute acts of terror in isolation. There must be some kind of supply chain for making bombs. Which means there exists a well-established and managed network to carry out these acts. It is possible to trace and break these networks if we develop a system that can think continuously, gather information and evolve strategies to curb terrorism.

V. Srinivasa Reddy,

Nizamabad

Terrorists attack the values that open societies cherish. The violence directed against civilians is aimed to provoke an irrational and exaggerated response from society. What is needed to deal with terrorism is efficient law enforcement and intelligence gathering without infringing on the civil rights. Providing the law enforcement authorities with modern tools for surveillance (closed circuit television cameras, for example) and training them in their use are the need of the hour.

Ninad R. Bondre,

London

Terrorism is not inherent in society. Its emergence has much to do with social, political, and economic factors. Political parties should provide space in their agenda for the aspirations of the powerless, vulnerable, and alienated groups in a more honest and spirited way than the cynical manner we often see.

Ramakrishna Bantu,

Hyderabad

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