Author: PTI
Publication: The Hindu
Date: December 14, 2008
URL: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200812141920.htm
Social activists and celebrities of a group
on Sunday knocked on the Prime Minister's door asking him to appoint a Security
Minister to take concrete action and prevent another terrorist attack like
the one in Mumbai.
Mumbai-based group 'Staying Alive' headed
by eminent personalities like thespian and social activist Alyque Padamsee,
writer Vinita Nanda, actor-director Kaamal Khan submitted a ten-point charter
of demands to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"We are very very angry...its not just
enough to have a police commissioner, we need a separate security minister."
Padamsee told reporters here.
Directing his anger towards Pakistani artistes,
Kaamal Khan of the 'Deshdrohi' fame said performers from Pakistan should stay
put in their respective homes and should not visit India.
"The government should immediately serve
notice to these artistes, whether its Adnan Sami or anybody, and ban them
from performing in India," Khan demanded adding that they must be stopped
from earning money in our country.
Writer Vinita Nanda said even after the Mumbai
attacks "the coastline remains poorly guarded".
Asking all sections of society, especially
celebrities to take action, Nanda said, "Celebs can't afford to stay
aloof. They are also a part of society. We won't forget the wound easily this
time."
Padamsee was optimistic that after the Mumbai
incident at least people will "come out of their 'chalta hai' (it happens)
attitude".
"Normally, in the aftermath of any terror
attack, people go back to their normal lives," he said, "but fortunately
this is not happening this time and it keeps alive the fight against terrorism."
The group visited cites like Ahmedabad and
Jaipur, which have recently witnessed terror attacks, and assessed the security
situation.
Among its other demands, the group proposed
setting up of a "federal terror agency which would be run by the public".
"If government has no time to provide
us protection, it's better we look after the security situation ourselves,"
social activist Aruna Bhatt said.
The group also demanded that terrorists like
Ajmal Amir Iman, the lone attacker of the Mumbai carnage caught alive, should
not be provided legal aid.
Further, the group said it has plans to make
documentaries and films on the subject. It has even composed an 'anthem' --
Ye haq hamara hai (this is our right) -- to make people aware of their rights
to demand safety.
Nanda has already started making a documentary
on the Mumbai terror attacks for the BBC.