The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Hyderabad blasts

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Saturday, Sep 01, 2007
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Hyderabad blasts

That the twin bomb blasts in Hyderabad, which claimed over 40 lives, took place despite the Intelligence Bureau warning five days earlier, speaks volumes about the callousness of the Andhra Pradesh government. Had it acted in time without bothering about political compulsions, the blasts might have been averted.

The argument that pre-emptive police action could have led to communal tensions is untenable.

V.J.V. Srinivas,

Tanuku

Hardly 100 days after the Mecca Masjid blast, Hyderabad was hit by terrorist strikes. Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy’s response that the police cannot do much to foil plots hatched in other countries is irresponsible. As the head of government, he has to rise up to the challenge and take effective measures to protect the people’s lives. It is a pity that the Prime Minister proposed the setting up of a permanent fund for the victims of terrorism. Are compensation packages an answer to terror strikes?

As the security of the common man is at stake, the governments both at the Centre and the State should aim at efficient law enforcement, and adopt counterterrorism measures in the communally sensitive metropolitan city.

Thadigiri Potha Raju,

Karimnagar

In the wake of the blasts, there are calls to enact a POTA-like law to deal with terror attacks. A number of laws are already in place to curb such activities but they are not used properly.

The need of the hour, therefore, is implementation of the existing laws and not another version of POTA.

Abdul Khabira,

Jammu

The media could have avoided showing images of the blasts. While the news dissemination efforts of the television news channels are laudable, some thought needs to go into editing the visuals. The unfortunate victims deserve dignity amid their travails.

Sekhar Rayaprolu,

Secunderabad

While such horrible incidents get all the condemnation, cases of bombs being defused go unnoticed. Why don’t we care to say a word or two in praise of the authorities in those times? This ought to be asked of opposition politicians in particular, who always pick up such difficult times to say the government ought to be thrown out of power — as if such ill fate has never come in times of their own governance.

Srikant S. Iyer,

Chennai

The article “Terrorism and human security” (Aug. 27) says there is need to strengthen the law-enforcement machinery. Knowing the way our police function, it is not going to be easy.

As for the suggestion that social and economic inequalities should be reduced, India is not the only country that is facing Islamist terrorism; even the developed countries are. Recent terror attacks have shown that neither were the perpetrators economically backward nor did any of their relatives suffer in any attack. On protecting human rights and civil liberties, I think the first and most important human right is the right to live.

Rupal L.K. Pathak,

Indore

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