LETTERS: Shame and valour - I

P>The horrendous terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, need to be condemned and investigated rigorously. Over a 100 people have been killed and over 300 injured, in about 24 hours!

a) Who are these men who came via boats to Mumbai, ran through some slums and then held a city of 22 million to ransom?

b) Who are the people on the ground who provided them support and help, if any?

c) What can be done to improve security of public places like hotels, airports and malls in the future?

d) How do we augment the preparedness of India’s security forces to deal with such emergencies in the future? These issues need immediate focus.

Whilst we grieve for the victims and wounded of these wretched acts, we must not falter in preparing for such situations in the future. With the latest and most visible attack in Mumbai, terrorism in India has entered a new phase. There is no harm in working closely with agencies like the CIA, the FBI and British security to learn how they deal with terrorism. We are moving into a world where terrorism is becoming a facet of daily life and must learn to deal with terrorists ruthlessly and mercilessly.

Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai