Financial Times, UK
Roadside bombs rock India's 'Silicon Valley'
By Amy Kazmin in New Delhi
Published: July 26 2008 03:00 | Last updated: July 26 2008 03:00
India's information technology capital, the southern city of Bangalore, was rocked yesterday afternoon by a series of eight small bomb blasts that killed at least one person and injured nearly a dozen others.
The blasts happened in quick succession, and caused temporary traffic chaos in the city, which is the hub of India's global software outsourcing business. Known as India's Silicon Valley, Bangalore is home to 1,500 companies such as India's Infosys Technologies and offices of global groups such as Microsoft, IBM and Intel.
Authorities said the bombs were placed at roundabouts, near bus stops and other locations along important thoroughfares, including the road to Electronic City. They were triggered by timers and contained metal bolts to maximise their impact.
Shankar Bidri, a police commissioner, appealed to Bangalore's residents, which include foreign executives and hundreds of thousands of young IT workers from all over India, to "carry on their normal activities without any fear".
"There is no doubt that it has been intended to cause some panic," a Bangalore police officer told NDTV. "But people have been very resolute and they have taken the blasts in their stride."
In recent years many Indian cities - including the popular tourist town of Jaipur - have been hit by serial bomb blasts, often causing serious loss of life.
While authorities suspect militant groups eager to fan hatred between Hindus and Muslims, and raising tensions between India and neighbouring Pakistan, police rarely succeed in identifying the perpetrators.
Mohandas Pai, chief financial officer of Infosys, said the Bangalore attack highlighted the need for greater investment in policing. "It's a wake-up call," Mr Pai told an Indian television channel. Other local executives echoed his call.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
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