Serial bomb blasts come to town
Rediff’s Vicky Nanjappa reports seven bomb blasts in and around Bangalore, killing three and injuring at least 20 people. (via email from Gautam John)
The Indian Express quotes the city police chief:
“Explosives were hidden in places which are refugee prone and on roadside. All six blasts were of low intensity,” said Bangalore Police Commissioner Shankar Bidri.
“The Bangalore police is fully capable of dealing with the situation. We request the people to carry on with their routine life. The affected areas have been sealed and completely cordoned off,” he said. [IE]
What the heck is “refugee prone”?
Rediff has some pictures of the blast site near Madiwala. Nobody seems to be scared, it is as if bomb blasts have become a part of daily life.
perhaps he meant bangladeshis ? those poor people are refugees you know
The list of terror attacks grows longer, the mind grows used to the ‘new normal’. Numbness, indifference and complacency will return – natural psychological defense mechanisms against a state of constant war. Perhaps.
Nitin, I am thinking these blasts are like training programs for younger terrorists and denotes the coming of age of the profession. How right am I?
Were all hotels instructed to black out TV? It’s not coming in my hotel, the manager says “Its because of the blasts” – whatever that means. My father is staying in a different hotel and even there all channels have been blacked out. Is this a Government directive? Do they think by strangling information flow, they’re going to suppress or encourage rumour mongering? Thankfully, the internet is still working and I’m able to access the news sites. Anybody else from Bangalore experiencing this?
Security and law enforcement agencies are a joke in our country. There were so many terrorist incidents and I doubt if there is any movement in investigation of any of these cases till now. I don’t know if this is the ineptitude of the investigating agencies and their political bosses or if they are strapped of resources (both in terms of number of people as well as technology).
Each blast without a response recalls this article by Gary Brecher (War Nerd). We are truly fags.
Mudit,
The argument to block TV and telephones is a bid to prevent troublemakers from using these blasts to trigger riots. These might have some first order benefits—arguably. But they would also lead to rumours that could create far worse conditions. The good news is that in this day and age, especially in a city like Bangalore, you can’t block information. People will know the truth and go about their lives.
libertarian, that article would have been funny if not for the sad truth in it.