05 January,2018 06:10 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day correspondent
Now that the bandh is over and the city is running normally again, will anybody will be made to pay for all the carnage and damage to infrastructure, or will the culprits go free?
Reports state that the Mumbai police registered 16 FIRs and detained over 300 people in connection with the protests. Many BEST buses and over 200 state transport buses were damaged by protesters across the state. Ticket windows were smashed at certain stations in the city and benches for commuters were damaged.
Those responsible for this vandalism need to be caught and punished. It is only by setting an example that we will see some deterrence of violence during other protests in the city. It is difficult to zero in on who exactly did all that damage on Wednesday. Yet, with the help of CCTV footage and reliable, credible witnesses, the authorities must identify and take action against the offenders.
We often see that such bandhs lead to rabble-rousing and large-scale violence under the thinly veiled guise of protesting against injustice. And yet, when the protest is called off, life goes back to normal, except it is time to repair all the damage. This, once again, comes at the cost of taxpayers - the very people who were inconvenienced and put in danger by the mobs.
Let us start changing the post-bandh narrative. Goons and thugs who have deprived Mumbai of their hard-earned infrastructure and facilities should be punished. At least nab those who are caught on camera, and have, without a doubt, indulged in arson and vandalism. Technology has been misused to spread rumours and fuel more unrest, but it can also be used for good. Zero in on the culprits and let them face the full wrath of the law.
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