World’s flat, so is terror

BANGALORE: Bangalore’s Indian troubles can be blamed on its English weather. A century ago, J.N. Tata concluded that the salubriously warm days and cool nights of the place, a kilometre above the sea level, could do more than produce the world’s best roses.

The cool and dust-free atmosphere of the “garden city,” he thought, was perfect for science. Thus came the “Tata Institute” in 1909 that is today’s Indian Institute of Science.

Since the city had the right weather and a good number of scientists coming out of the institute, Seth Walchand Hirachand decided in 1940 there could be no better place than this for his Hindustan Aircraft Ltd which is now Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Ten years later Jawaharlal Nehru was struck with the idea that Bangalore, which had good weather, no dust and plenty of manpower, besides being far from the borders with Pakistan and China, was the most appropriate place to set up a “sensitive” industry.

The outcome was Bharat Electronics Ltd in 1952 and its many ancillary units later. Nehru proceeded to call Bangalore “India’s future intellectual capital.”

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was set up in 1972. This led to a demand for more manpower, which led to the setting up of dozens of engineering colleges, which led to more manpower and then more companies.

It took some more time for electronics to evolve into computer science and later into IT. In 1981 came Infosys. Four years later the world was surprised when Texas Instruments of the US set up its Asia base here.

And there was no stopping. Thus was born India’s tech capital which became a must-see place along with Taj Mahal in later years for visiting heads of state.

But besides prosperity, the tech success brought in its wake overcrowding, chaos, corruption and a complete collapse of the city’s infrastructure. And crime. Since 1971 Bangalore’s population has grown by four times to 65 lakh, making it Asia’s fastest growing city.

With close to three lakh tech workers with disposable incomes flaunting their wealth, petty thieves and robbers thrive. Over time the city has also become a convenient hideout for terrorists after they commit their crimes elsewhere.

Lakhs of migrant workers who flock to Bangalore for jobs have made it a cosmopolitan society and criminals have found it easy to get lost.

The first proof of this was available when in August 1991, Sivarasan, the chief suspect in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination and six others were flushed out dead from a house in the city. help to militants of hues. What was good for Tamil militants was good for Islamic terrorists as well.