Bangalore Sweatbox

Excerpts from posts on Bangalore Buzz:

Police and fire response were ineffective, some said:

Raj deserved a much better farewell
Deccan Herald

A day after rioters took over Bangalore, Bangaloreans, from retired police officials to IT honchos to film-makers, are yet to come to terms with Thursday's "shameful" developments.

Mr N R Narayana Murthy, Chairman of Infosys Technologies, said "what happened yesterday was really sad for Karnataka".

"Rajkumar was an extraordinary person who wanted the best for Kannada cinema and culture. This is not the way we should have paid our tributes to him. He deserved a much better farewell," he said.

"Yesterday's violence is a blot on Bangalore's image. The public perception of the City is bound to change. The unruly behaviour of mobs is making Bangaloreans feel insecure," said Kannada writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa.

"Rajkumar deserved an honourable funeral, the fans made a mockery of it. Even his family members had to plead with them to give their final farewell. There was nothing right in the last rites," said producer-actor C R Simha.


Police blamed

Several fingers were pointed at the police department, for "poor planning" and "soft handling of the issue".

Retired senior police officials including M D Singh, C Dinakar and H T Sangliana minced no words when they accused the law-keepers of "lack of proactive action".

"Through past experience, the police should have realised that anything related to Rajkumar could spark off unpredictable reactions. There was no contingency plan made in anticipation of violence. The police should have planned Rajkumar's cremation, in coordination with family members, the film industry and the government. Ambiguity regarding Rajkumar's cremation added fuel to the fire," said M D Singh.

Meanwhile, Mr Dinakar believed that public sentiments had no place when the law and order situation was at stake.

"The police should have taken care of the rowdy elements rather than giving them a long rope," said Mr Dinakar, who was heading the State police when riots broke out following Rajkumar's abduction in 2000.

Mr Sangliana pointed out that the police should have arranged for reinforcement of personnel from neighbouring districts.

"Saying that there were not enough forces is a bad excuse," he said.

"Even the response from the fire department was very slow," he added.

Chief Minister says police bear no blame for the chaos that descended on Bangalore following the death of a famous film star.

HDK blames 'forces' for trouble during Raj funeral
Deccan Herald

Chief Minister H D Kumaaraswamy on Friday refuted allegations that the government and administrative machinery had failed to contain mob violence during the funeral procession of actor Rajkumar on Thursday.

He reiterated that the violence was "incited by some people" after reviewing the situation with top police officials.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Kumaaraswamy said the incident is not a black spot on the image of the government. "There are several things I know, which I do not want to discuss in public," he said refusing to name the forces 'responsible' for inciting violence.

He said the situation would have gotten worse and more innocent people could have been affected, had the police not acted with restraint. Police had taken 563 persons into preventive custody after violence broke out following the demise of Rajkumar, he added.

In an editorial, the Deccan Herald said it was a shame -- taking the opportunity to use my new favorite word, "rowdy-sheeters":

The violence that shook Bangalore during the funeral of Rajkumar is a blot on the fair image of the people of the city. It is unfortunate that eight people lost their lives in violence and police firing in the city, including at the Kanteerava Studios, where the thespian, known for his humanistic outlook, was laid to rest. Among the dead was a Karnataka State Reserve Police constable who was lynched by a mob. The earthly remains of the thespian had been kept at the Kanteerava Stadium from Wednesday night till the cortege left on Thursday, for the countless admirers to pay their last respects. Rajkumar held sway over the minds and hearts of the people of the state, and it was only natural that thousands of them turned up to pay their homage to him. The state government and the police should have anticipated the crowd control problems and deployed police personnel in sufficient strength. It is shocking that there were only 2,000 policemen at the Kanteerava Stadium where more than one lakh emotionally-charged people had gathered. The government could have requisitioned additional police personnel from different districts of the state, besides more men from the Central Reserve Police Force.

It is a known fact that rowdy-sheeters and other anti-social elements take advantage of crowds to kill people, loot shops and houses, and set fire to vehicles and shops. As soon as the government received information about the death of Rajkumar, the police ought to have rounded up all rowdy-sheeters in Bangalore. But they did not as they failed to realise the gravity of the situation, though they have in the past -- particularly during the period Rajkumar was a hostage of Veerappan -- faced trouble from a section of fans and anti-social elements. During the funeral procession, hooligans set fire to 16 buses, 30 cars and two-wheelers and two petrol stations. It is the responsibility of the government to compensate those who have lost their property in the riot.

Many genuine admirers of Rajkumar, including some who had worked with him in his 45-year-long career in the film industry, did not get a chance to pay their last respects to him. Even Rajkumar's family could not mourn in peace. The violence forced the family to complete the burial in a hurry, and Rajkumar's son Shivrajkumar went to the Kanteerava Studios late in the night to complete the religious rites. It's a pity, indeed.