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This refers to Mita Kapur’s “Surviving terror”. The need of the hour is to strengthen state-policies with technology and a national criminal intelligence database so that the movement of terrorists can be tracked and strict vigilance can be maintained. In this regard, the Centre should keep in touch with states regarding security and provide more assistance to tackle terrorism.

The Pink City’s resilience in the aftermath of terror attacks needs to be appreciated. It is alarming that the terrorists now strike in any city. The government’s failure to combat the menace has only worsened the crisis. The central government is more concerned about maintaining the nation’s secular image. It wants to foster relationships with its neighbours by introducing train and bus services to Lahore and Dhaka, which aids the easy movement of terrorists into our country.

The article was well written. But the beginning itself tells you why the blast occurred. “I would give anything to plunge in to familiar chaos, the madness of no-traffic sense, scurry, the battle of the blaring horns rather than see Jaipur silent.” The chaos, the no-traffic sense, blaring horns that symbolise indiscipline and selfishness among the masses. Any terrorist can take advantage of this. Unless the majority behave with courtesy and decency, terrorists who are in a minority will have the upper hand.

The article made a thorough analysis of the Jaipur blasts and the need for the State to act. It is clear that the terrorists aim at crippling the business interests and economy of major cities in the country by such terror acts. It is heartening that there was no communal fall out and all communities worked in unison to help the blast victims. The author is right in saying that it is not enough if we simply appreciate the resilience of the ordinary people after every such incident instead of taking deterrent action against the perpetrators. The state should act instead of remaining passive to the sufferings of the common man.

Mita Kapur’s article reveals how stale and stereotyped the media and the public are in their reaction to the recurring acts of terrorism. They condemn the crimes strongly, shower plaudits on the citizens for their admirable resilience and, strangely, choose to remain passive till another act of terrorism awakens them. If people pay heed to her exhortation that they should keep making noise about such terrorist acts, it will certainly pay rich dividends.

Rajnish Wattas’ interview with R.K. Narayan’s granddaughter Bhuvneshwari (“Memories of Malgudi Man”) kindled nostalgia in my mind. His simple and narrative style are still alive in the readers’ minds. Each novel is like homemade meal. That his books are in perennial demand shows that Malgudi is still casting its magic spell.

Bhuvaneshwari’s account of her grandfather’s penchant for perfectly-made coffee, mangoes. It is indeed fortunate that the responsibility of carrying forward the rich legacy of the great writer (through his enterprise, Indian Thought Publications) has been shouldered by his kin.

R.K.N. was one of the most popular writers. He wrote with elegance and care with a unique style generating humour. To know a humble man like him is only to love him. It is heartening that his granddaughter has taken the lead to carry forward the task of the writer’s publications. The idea to convert his ancestral home into a museum is a grand idea, which one hopes will materialise soon. Once it comes through, it will be a befitting tribute to a great writer and a noble soul.

Dr. R. NArasimhan’s “To breathe free” was informative and thought provoking. Smoking is dangerous not only to the smokers but also to the people around them. There is no point in allotting separate places for “smoking” in offices and other places. It is a pity that even after fully realising that smoking causes great danger to health, there are people who oppose the moves to ban smoking. Smokers, the public and also the manufacturers of tobacco products should co-operate with the government’s initiative to drive this evil away from the society. In this connection, it is worth recalling the Government’s to make the five big cities — Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad — completely smoke-free by 2010.

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