The incident of mob fury on a Tanzanian national in Bengaluru is shocking (“ >Central team heads for Bengaluru ” and “ >Police did not come to our rescue, says victim ”, both Feb.5). Such unfortunate incidents, though rare, certainly erode the reputation of the garden city as being peaceful. However, to brand what happened as an example of racism (Editorial, Feb.5) may be a bit of an exaggeration. It is only a repeat of stone-cold inaction and insensitivity by our policemen in a moment of crisis. The pertinent point that must be in focus is the sheer callousness of our police in maintaining law and order.
Ravi Mannethu,
Pullad, Kerala
India is the land of peace and has always stood for upholding the ideal of equality. It is a pity that despite being inheritors of such a legacy, we now blatantly flout the very ideals on which our nation’s edifice was created. Action must be taken against the police who are alleged to have looked the other way when the attack was being carried out.
Subhaga Ann Varghese,
Thiruvananthapuram
The recurrence of such incidents reveals that the law and order machinery needs a drastic overhaul. Have we forgotten how we reacted as a nation when an Indian student in Australia was subject to a racist attack? Weren’t we so disturbed then? We were up in arms and our media played a crucial role in condemning the incident and the administration’s stance.
Sadan P.S.,
Kakkanad, Kerala
The incident has tarnished the image of Bengaluru and India. However, what happened could be a fallout of limits and the patience of locals being tested. This is because the behaviour of most foreign national students living in Bengaluru leaves a lot to be desired. In my area, many of them can often be found playing loud music even past midnight, driving rashly, drinking and then disposing of liquor bottles on the roads. They need to be counselled on how to live in harmony with the locals.
Manoj Kumar Naik,
Bengaluru
