Opinion Why Mumbai
Apropos of the editorial City/ State and Shekhar Guptas Mumbye,its not just the lack of intelligence and quality policing.
Why Mumbai
* Apropos of the editorial City/ State and Shekhar Guptas Mumbye (IE,July 16),its not just the lack of intelligence and quality policing that has encouraged repeated terror attacks. More responsible is the political leadership that seems least worried about Mumbais millions,who are taxpayers but many of whom are not their electorate. So the leaders ignore real issues and deprive citizens of governance. Mumbai also has some additional attraction for terrorists. It is densely populated and chaotically managed,where the quality and quantum of policing is tragically far below whats required and lacks in investigative technique,intelligence gathering and technology. Despite our tall claims,we display the most ill-equipped and backward-looking disaster preparedness.
Ved Guliani,Hisar
* Shekhar Gupta has rightly traced the helplessness and hopelessness of Mumbai to prolonged non-governance,which has reduced Indias financial and commercial capital to an urban nightmare. With a terrible neglect of infrastructure but a huge,burgeoning population from all over India and abroad,incompetent policing with primitive equipment and systems,terrorist and underworld nexus,topped with self-seeking,petty politicians,Mumbai is an easy target for repeated terror attacks. What a tragic decline and death of a once great,modern metropolis! Till the other day,Delhi seemed a big village in comparison with Mumbai.
M. Ratan,New Delhi
After America
* It seems the US may not be able to make a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan without losing its international prestige. The US still depends on Pakistan to root out terror in the region. India,Pakistan,Iran,China and Russia have high stakes in the region and the post-US withdrawal period will demand a greater role of these countries in protecting Afghanistan. Therefore,its time for these states to start a dialogue on their preparedness to deal with the situation.
C. Koshy John,Pune
Un-Gandhian
* M.K. Gandhi would have been agonised by the interpretations of Gandhism floated around today. A Gandhian,Anna Hazare,says he will seek the intervention of the Supreme Court to allow him to go on an unimpeded fast (Anna to move SC against possible police crackdown,IE,July 18). I dont recall Gandhi ever asking for prior protection of the law when he started his Satyagraha or Non-Cooperation movements they were precisely meant to be against the law. The very nature of the protest includes the willingness to take the consequences,whatever they might be. Its amusing that Hazare talks of a fast-unto-death and yet wants protection against repressive action.
Suren Abreu,Mumbai
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