Marathi press blames ATS, both Patils

IN Regional Media | 29/11/2008

Most of the Marathi newspapers have editorially commented on the terror attack on Mumbai with sharp criticism about the method and manner of investigating agencies and lack of proper weapons and precautions needed to counter such attacks. What precautions should be taken in order to either avoid or successfully face such attacks in future is also suggested, besides focusing on various aspects of terrorism.

Daily Sakal has commented on the lack of vigilance of the concerned government agencies as the terrorists entered Mumbai via sea route which is not duly checked by the Naval security agency and their entry into Taj is also not duly checked. The government is expected to consider the global spread of the terrorism and should form a certain policy on national security without any political consideration and this aspect should be followed by all political parties.

Pudhari has pointed out the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) was concentrating for a month on the suspected Pragya Sadhvi and col.Purohit without checking at the same time what the Jihadis and their organizations are doing in our country. Even the UPA government was more keen on disclosing how Hindus are also terrorists with the result that Jihadis got free access to carry out their plan to enter Mumbai with AK-47 guns and grenades.      

Maharasthra Times (of the Times group) has analyzed the way the terrorists selected the five star hotels just to target foreign terrorists and businessmen besides Jewish tourists whom the Al Quaeda is targeting as per its agenda. Nariman House is selected to target Israel nationals who normally stay there. From their point of view, the terrorists have been successful in so far as they have almost destroyed the Indian security system and secret intelligence agencies. While state politicians are discussing on vada pav and kanda pohe, the attack has pinpointed that the nation does not need these eatables but a sound security system comments the editorial.

 Lokmat has pointed out that the lethargy and leniency shown by the home ministers of both the state and the Centre (R.R.Patil and Shivraj Patil) in previous attacks and blasts in Mumbai has added strength to terrorists who could safely enter Mumbai and carried out their plan. After the  attack on the World Trade Centre no further attack has been possible in America and the credit goes to very strict and harsh security system which cannot be compared to the verbal style of both Patils who are at least expected to learn something from the American security system.  

 Lokasatta (of the Indian Express group) has stressed the global nature of the terrorism and if previous such attacks in various parts of  the world are verified it will be disclosed that terrorists are not necessarily belonging to Iran, Afghanistan or Pakistan but they were youths of Saudi Arabia, Christians, Tamil terrorists (who are Hindus by religion) as also Sikhs who exploded bomb in Air India’s Kaniskha plane. Global terrorism has connotations of Arab-Jews and Islam-Christians dualism also, and their religious and sectoral fundamentalism which encouraged the relevant terrorists to take both the politics and weapons in their hands. The vital question of such global terrorism cannot be wiped out merely by killing terrorists but by clearly understanding the geo-political situation of the world after the cold war. The attack on Mumbai should therefore be viewed on a larger canvas in order to plan an effective strategy to combat it in future.