By V.S. Karnic, IANS
Bangalore : It won't take India's IT capital long to regain its image as a peace-loving city of professionals – an image that has been dented by its link to the British terror plots, say its residents.
Corporates, educationists, doctors, politicians and the common man here believe greater restrictions on Indians going abroad will follow now, but that will only help create more safety. They also believe the Muslim community here will not be viewed with suspicion because of this incident.
"I do believe this is a slur on Brand Bangalore for sure. However, this is a temporary blemish," Harish Bijoor, CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, said about three highly qualified Bangaloreans being prime suspects in the failed terror attempts in Britain last month.
"Brand Bangalore is made of tougher material. This is a brand that has been built bottom-up by the efforts of the IT industry at large," asserted Bijoor, a much sought after speaker at brand management meetings.
"We are no longer a small town. With that will come all the ills of a big city. Terror and such links is one. No city likes to import terror; or, for that matter, export terror. It has happened, I guess, as an aberration," Bijoor added.
"I do not believe there will be a flight of talent. Neither will there be issues on re-examining Bangalore as an investment decision."
K.E. Radhakrishna, a leading educationist and principal of Surana College, a reputed institution here, said: "The image of Bangalore has been affected but it will not have a deeper or lasting impact. Bangalore's reputation and growth will not be affected.
"Any big city will have criminals. Why single out Bangalore?"
C.K. Jaffer Sharief, a senior Congress leader and former railway minister, said: "Karnataka's and Bangalore's reputation and image as a peace-loving city will not be affected."
"Terrorism took birth in the West, and not Karnataka, and the West should remember this always," Sharief said, adding the suspected involvement of the three young men should not be used "to malign either a community or the country they belong to".
Kafeel Ahmed, a mechanical engineer, his doctor brother Sabeel Ahmed and their cousin, Mohammad Haneef, also a doctor, all from Bangalore, are the suspects.
Kafeel, who passed out securing fifth rank from an engineering college in Davanagere in central Karnataka, about 200 km from here, is battling for life in a Scottish hospital after suffering 90 percent burns after he drove a blazing jeep into the Glasgow airport terminal building June 30.
His brother Sabeel, a graduate of B.R. Ambedkar Medical College in Bangalore, has been detained by British police and cousin Haneef, also a graduate of the same college, has been held by Australian police when he tried to leave Brisbane for India on a one-way ticket.
Leading doctors do not want to be quoted as the issue involves two from their fraternity, but say the alleged involvement of the three professionals in the terror plots will not affect the city for long.
Most, however, feel that Indians planning to go abroad will now face restrictions.
"I do believe the US, the UK and Australia for a start, which import a lot of our engineers and doctors, will be all the more watchful. Countries that import our academics will be watchful as well," Bijoor said.
"This is for the good. If a country imports people with impeccable reputation and a no-terror profile, all the better. There is likely to be more of safety all around.
"Why look outside India? I do believe tech companies in India and of course the BPO industry will be watchful as well on this count. There are going to be tougher reference checks for sure," Bijoor said.
Radhakrishna said greater restrictions would be a passing phase. "It is better to check and be safe than be lax and regret."
On the effect the involvement of Kafeel, Sabeel and Haneef would have on the psyche of Muslims in Karnataka and whether the community will feel under siege, most Bangalore residents said "no".
"The issue needs to be treated sensitively. If handled with care, Karnataka will avoid the pitfalls of such polarisation of the religions and the people who practise these religions. Karnataka at large is an embracive society. It is an inclusive culture that will go on," Bijoor said.
Congress leader Sharief said: "Karnataka is a peaceful state. Nothing like that is going to happen. The community is not disturbed because of the suspected involvement of some of its youths."
However, he said: "It is shocking and surprising that such highly qualified men are said to be involved."
(V S Karnic can be contacted at [email protected])