Mumbai security: Post 26/11

Are Mumbai's security promises anywhere close to being fulfilled? Are the police really trying to protect the people in this city, or are they simply setting up security posts for a show?

Last night's meeting of the Jagrut Nagrik Manch (JNM) at the Gateway of India, the place where the terrorists attack began, filled with people carrying the Indian flag with pride, took place within "security zones" set up by the Police in that region. It is refreshing to know that there were such security at entry points, where metal detectors were set up and every bag searched, until one looks at it a little closer. Firstly, the number of people entering into the arena through the metal detector was enormous, and, unlike normal practices, people passed through the detectors as if they were just a mere decoration; the normal manner of letting only one person through at a time was completely ignored as people flocked through the detector in groups. To add on, the policemen at the detector only did a visual check on almost everyone, only stopping those that had a massive bag; even if the metal detectors did give off the resonant beep, the police ignored the warning. This is not where it ends. The exit, attended to by only 2 policemen who were too busy chatting with each other, was packed with people trying to get out, and getting in through there was only a matter of little physical force. Is this all the security arrangements that have been put in place?



This only gets worse; boats carrying people from islands to the city come in through the Gateway, where there were no security posts at all! The very same entry points for the terrorists that invaded India and attacked several high-profiled locations lacked any kind of security. This arena, set up for the JNM to host their "monthly meetings", with speeches going on in every corner of the venue, had very poorly maintained security posts on one end, and complete absense on the other. Although the chances for another attack on the same location are slim, is this the police force's way of showing that they truly care about the public? Or moreover, is setting up non-functional, just for show, checkpoints, or lack of it, the government's idea of protecting the public?