May GOD save the city and us
0 Comments Published by Apocalyptus on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 at 10:23 AM.
Mugging, theft at knife-point, assault. All in the space of a month in the heart of town. What's happening to Bangalore?
Yes, this is going to be yet another post on our own Bangalore, and unfortunately, it's not going to be one to be going ga ga about.
This, coming across articles like this while going through any leading daily, is not a rare phenomenon any more.
A city that was famous for its public-safety-system and more famous for its outstanding night-life once upon a time has gradually turned into one where the inhabitants feel staying outside for whatsoever reason after 8:30-9:00 at night is not really worth taking the risk it may involve.
The crime rate in Bangalore till a couple of years back was very low. But it has started to rise alarmingly. At any place on earth (not only Bangalore or any other Indian city) crime usually originates from the grass-root level of the society , i.e , the lower and lower-middle classes and is the result of more need than greed due to social and financial insecurity. No exception here.
First only the Software Engineers, who were and still are believed to be coming from outside and taking away all the money and thus deprieving the children of the local lower and middle class, were the first victims of these people.
Then the range of targets got extended up to 'outsiders' working in any field, not only in IT and finally the motto of these people have become 'NOBODY WILL BE SPARED'.
What is worse is nowadays not only non-localites but also the localite Kannadigas are being targetted.
Policemen, if approached, usually advise the victims to be more alert and try to prove that these incidents are happening only because of the sheer callousness and carelessness of people (My first-hand experience when I went to lodge a complaint in a Police Station after my cell phone was snatched in the broad daylight : The officer-in-charge had told me the only reason of crime rates going up in Bangalore was IT-people not realizing the value of money and carelessly handling their money and valuable possessions and the cops couldn't really help much unless the IT-guys became more alert).
The TOI correspondent writes :
July 12 : At 9pm, a 17-yearold student had returned a DVD to a store on Church Street and walked to Museum Road to catch an auto. He was accosted by two young men who accused him of being a part of a rowdy gang. He handed over his phone to them to 'make a call' to verify their claims. They disappeared with his phone.
What is a common man to do in order to defend himself under these circumstances?
And, here is the take on this issue by the Who's Who of Bangalore:
Nisha Millet, former swim champion
Ten years ago, Bangalore was not like this. The police must shift focus from shutting down nightclubs and concentrate on law and order. When I'd go for swimming practice at 5am, I'd never see a single cop around. Even in a car, you don't feel safe. I've learnt to be street-smart and now, even when I take an auto during the day, I keep my cell phone in my hand. Bangalore is losing confidence in its police. Plus, the ratio of cops to people is low.
Rohit Barker, RJ
If we can't take a walk down the street, then we're jailed in our own city. Bangalore is exploding and like any other metro, there will be crime. When you look for help, is there ever a cop? The onus is on the police to keep citizens safe. When I return late after my radio show, I don't see any signs of police presence. They keep harping that they're understaffed. Where is the tax money going? Bangaloreans need to say they can't take excuses anymore.
Jaya Javeri, artist
What's happening is scaring me. I'm concerned even if I'm out for a late-night movie. I think twice about going out on my own.
Rubi Chakravarti, actor There's a fear psychosis in the city now. Today I'm afraid to walk out, even at 8pm, to catch an auto. Is a Hoysala full of policemen required to shut down a pub or nightclub at 11.30 pm? Fine, do it then, as long as there's also a whole Hoysala full of policemen preventing people down the road being mugged.
The cops are busy collecting fine (most of the times without any receipt of acknowledgement) from people who haven't parked their vehicle at the proper place or may be have jumped the red-light by a fraction of a second. They are more keen on raiding the pubs, bars and discs in order to make sure anything that remains open till late night is fined.
Can't they first try to solve the problems which are harming common people and which may not smell of money but are far more serious and grave than either Parking issues or serving-of-alcohol-at-night issues?
Yes, this is going to be yet another post on our own Bangalore, and unfortunately, it's not going to be one to be going ga ga about.
This, coming across articles like this while going through any leading daily, is not a rare phenomenon any more.
A city that was famous for its public-safety-system and more famous for its outstanding night-life once upon a time has gradually turned into one where the inhabitants feel staying outside for whatsoever reason after 8:30-9:00 at night is not really worth taking the risk it may involve.
The crime rate in Bangalore till a couple of years back was very low. But it has started to rise alarmingly. At any place on earth (not only Bangalore or any other Indian city) crime usually originates from the grass-root level of the society , i.e , the lower and lower-middle classes and is the result of more need than greed due to social and financial insecurity. No exception here.
First only the Software Engineers, who were and still are believed to be coming from outside and taking away all the money and thus deprieving the children of the local lower and middle class, were the first victims of these people.
Then the range of targets got extended up to 'outsiders' working in any field, not only in IT and finally the motto of these people have become 'NOBODY WILL BE SPARED'.
What is worse is nowadays not only non-localites but also the localite Kannadigas are being targetted.
Policemen, if approached, usually advise the victims to be more alert and try to prove that these incidents are happening only because of the sheer callousness and carelessness of people (My first-hand experience when I went to lodge a complaint in a Police Station after my cell phone was snatched in the broad daylight : The officer-in-charge had told me the only reason of crime rates going up in Bangalore was IT-people not realizing the value of money and carelessly handling their money and valuable possessions and the cops couldn't really help much unless the IT-guys became more alert).
The TOI correspondent writes :
July 12 : At 9pm, a 17-yearold student had returned a DVD to a store on Church Street and walked to Museum Road to catch an auto. He was accosted by two young men who accused him of being a part of a rowdy gang. He handed over his phone to them to 'make a call' to verify their claims. They disappeared with his phone.
What is a common man to do in order to defend himself under these circumstances?
And, here is the take on this issue by the Who's Who of Bangalore:
Nisha Millet, former swim champion
Ten years ago, Bangalore was not like this. The police must shift focus from shutting down nightclubs and concentrate on law and order. When I'd go for swimming practice at 5am, I'd never see a single cop around. Even in a car, you don't feel safe. I've learnt to be street-smart and now, even when I take an auto during the day, I keep my cell phone in my hand. Bangalore is losing confidence in its police. Plus, the ratio of cops to people is low.
Rohit Barker, RJ
If we can't take a walk down the street, then we're jailed in our own city. Bangalore is exploding and like any other metro, there will be crime. When you look for help, is there ever a cop? The onus is on the police to keep citizens safe. When I return late after my radio show, I don't see any signs of police presence. They keep harping that they're understaffed. Where is the tax money going? Bangaloreans need to say they can't take excuses anymore.
Jaya Javeri, artist
What's happening is scaring me. I'm concerned even if I'm out for a late-night movie. I think twice about going out on my own.
Rubi Chakravarti, actor There's a fear psychosis in the city now. Today I'm afraid to walk out, even at 8pm, to catch an auto. Is a Hoysala full of policemen required to shut down a pub or nightclub at 11.30 pm? Fine, do it then, as long as there's also a whole Hoysala full of policemen preventing people down the road being mugged.
The cops are busy collecting fine (most of the times without any receipt of acknowledgement) from people who haven't parked their vehicle at the proper place or may be have jumped the red-light by a fraction of a second. They are more keen on raiding the pubs, bars and discs in order to make sure anything that remains open till late night is fined.
Can't they first try to solve the problems which are harming common people and which may not smell of money but are far more serious and grave than either Parking issues or serving-of-alcohol-at-night issues?
Labels: Bangalore, Fun, serious, South India
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