The Hindu Business Line : Mumbai blasts: Tough response missing

The real spirit of Mumbai was seen in its putting forward its most resilient face to deny the terrorists their principal aim of dividing its citizens along communal lines. The best tribute to the memory of the victims would be to crack down hard on anti-national forces and deliver the harshest penalty in the shortest time possible to those who plan, aid and execute such heinous crimes, says RASHEEDA BHAGAT.

IT MAY be business as usual for Mumbai commuters but it cannot be so for the police until the culprits are detected. — Paul Noronha

Mumbai has been savaged yet again. And the frequency with which the country's financial capital is being targeted by terrorists is alarming. Even more frightening is the precision and professionalism with which these heinous acts are carried out by terror networks. Leaving explosive-packed bags in railway compartments, and setting off blasts in quick succession was the modus operandi of the train bombings.

The advantage for the perpetrators is that, unlike in suicide bombings, they don't have to blow themselves up and, if not apprehended, can strike again and again.

That the culprits still remain at large is a matter of grave concern. After butchering 183 innocent people and exchanging notes of "congratulations," who knows what new diabolic plots they are hatching, at the behest of their masters either in India or across the border.

Much has been written on what many Mumbaikars have now perhaps become allergic to — the rest of the nation complimenting them on the "spirit of Mumbai". And this is understandable. How long can the city bear the brunt of brutal acts of terror, and cremate or bury its dead?

How long can its people shrug off the tragedy and move on with their lives without being affected? There are moments when even the bravest soul doesn't want to keep up the appearance of courage and stoicism.

Power of unity

As Mumbaikars have pointed out, just because they used the same suburban train network to return to work and routine life the next day, it does not mean the reality of terrorism tightening its hold on this remarkable metropolis doesn't petrify them.

But the real spirit of Mumbai could be seen not in the city limping back to life the very next day of the tragedy, but putting forward its most resilient face to deny the terrorists their principal aim — divide Mumbai's citizens along communal lines, make them reach for each others' throats, trigger a chain of mindless violence that would send the death toll soaring beyond the 183 killed in the serial blasts, and the equity indices diving.

The real aim of the 7/11 attacks was to trigger events that would inflict far more severe damage on the city's soul; something of the kind that happened, so predictably, in the aftermath of the 1992 bomb blasts. But the next (July 12) morning, instead of crashing, the Sensex rose — aided, no doubt, by spectacular quarterly results from Infosys Technologies — and communal calm reigned.

Of course, bitter, and not unjustifiable, accusations were made on how the majority community was targeted, particularly the economically well-off Gujarati community in the jewellery profession. That was the reason for choosing only First Class compartments; only the upper middle-class can afford to travel first class.

Also, let us not forget that on the same day Srinagar was also targeted, but terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir have become so common — invariably a daily occurrence — that they fail to devastate us anymore.

Returning to Mumbai, and its ability to keep peace, it is to the city's credit that the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi's visit to Mumbai went off smoothly. The Mahrashtra Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, had earlier urged the BJP to cancel Mr Modi's visit.

Though the criminals must be disappointed that no communal carnage was triggered and Mumbai managed to hold itself together and present a face of harmony, this does not absolve those who govern and those in charge of intelligence for failing to prevent the blasts in the first place.

Intelligence failure

Surely, much more is required from our intelligence agencies than broad warnings on how Mumbai and Delhi are on the terror radar.

Also, there is no getting away from not only doing whatever it takes to sharpen our intelligence gathering skills and capability, but also tightening security norms and cracking down on terror networks.

In the latest massacre in Mumbai the finger points to the banned SIMI outfit. It is obvious that even if the masterminds were nurtured in Pakistan or elsewhere, without getting local support and patronage, it would have been impossible to carry out such co-ordinated acts.

Defending the indefensible

In this context it is incongruous that the UP Chief Minister, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, should have rushed to defend the group, later of course retracting much of his statement, while some other Congress leaders just kept mum.

Both have their eyes on the Muslim vote-bank in UP, where Assembly elections are due next year, and both have done a great disservice. They have actually insulted the Indian Muslim by thinking that adverse comments on SIMI, if it is involved in this bloodshed, will not fetch them Muslim votes.

And when the culprits are finally apprehended, they have to be put through fast-track courts. It is all very well to say that democracy operates but slowly; let these delays prevail when it comes to raising petrol prices or getting our airports in shape. However, when it comes to dealing with the scourge of terrorism, the mindless and heartless tragedy it causes to totally innocent citizens, no delay should be tolerated in giving the ultimate punishment to the perpetrators.

Whatever one's opinion on the Bush-Blair pair, it must be said with admiration that a 9/11 or 7/7 elicits such a tough response from the administration in terms of crackdown on forces inimical to the nation, that a repetition becomes almost impossible.

Despite our population and limited resources, our security and intelligence agencies have the wherewithal to crack down on such nefarious designs, given the right direction and motivation.

The only tribute we can pay to the memory of thousands of Indians who have become victims of terrorist activity on our soil in the last few years is by cracking down hard on anti-national forces and delivering the harshest penalty in the shortest time possible to those who plan, aid and execute such heinous crimes.

Needless comparison

But the last comparison we need, as is being mentioned in some quarters, is with Israel. It has committed no great act of heroism by responding to the Hezbollah's killing of a couple of its soldiers and kidnapping of two of them by mercilessly bombarding Lebanon.

At the last count, over 200 innocent Lebanese civilians, including over a dozen children, had been killed in the latest Israeli offensive. Lebanon's civilian infrastructure, such as Beirut's brand new airport and its flyovers, have been devastated by the Israeli attacks, though its leaders are only too aware that the lame duck Lebanese government, blessed by the US for its "democracy", but having a Hezbollah representation too, cannot control a single militant.

But in West Asia, the deadly Shia-Sunni political drama is playing out. The Hezbollah, which is estimated to have 13,000 missiles and rockets mostly from Iran, is targeting the Israeli military as well as civilians in the border town of Haifa, where over 25 Israelis — solders and civilians — have been killed. In doing so it is being backed by the predominantly Shia Syria and Iran, while the Sunni Muslim world, led by Saudi Arabia, is watching and wondering if the Shias will walk away with the glory of having humbled Israel, if that happens at all. Highly unlikely, though, if you consider Israel's military might, against which the Hezbollah arsenal appears like a bag of toys.

Meanwhile here's an aside from Mr Bush to Mr Blair on Monday, on the sidelines of the G-8 summit at St. Petersburg, as reported by The New York Times.

On the question of the UN pressing for ceasefire in this latest conflict, the report said: "Mr Bush's pungent conclusion, as he summarised it to Mr Blair in Russia was: `What they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit, and it's over'."

Mr Bush said other colourful stuff too, which was lapped up by the media for a full four minutes, before the more alert Mr Blair realised that the microphone was on and switched it off!

(Response may be sent to rasheeda@thehindu.co.in)