Prashant Mahajan, Environmentalist, BNHS
“A terror attack so gruesome seems like an assault on the social fabric of Mumbai but I am still optimistic that our city will bounce back. Having said that, I admit, my belief in the city’s safety has taken a beating.

Such attacks cause a lack of confidence within the city — not just among the residents but also other stakeholders. Tourists — vacationers well as business persons — will definitely be wary of visiting Mumbai now. In that way, the attacks seem to be aimed specifically at our tourism industry. Now, it depends on what security measures our government takes to gain the confidence of the tourists. Till then, tourist flow is going to be affected. As a result, the economy will take a beating too but hopefully, it will change soon. The only good thing is that Mumbai has time and again shown a strong resilience to bounce back. However, at such times, people search for a hint of political will.”

P Sebastian, Human Rights Lawyer
“The root cause of the problem needs to be addressed. Looking at terrorism in isolation is no answer or solution to a blow of such high magnitude. Laxity at several levels is definitely one of the primary reasons for what Mumbai witnessed, however even a vigil city cannot control an attack until in understands the psyche behind it.”

M N Chaini, President of Indian Merchants Chamber
“It is obvious that the terrorists had chosen these sensitive sites in Mumbai — where a large number of western businessmen and tourists usually stay,with the sole objective of undermining their confidence in India’s economic future. That the terrorists succeeded in holding hostage a large number of western businessmen and tourists in both the hotels only reinforces this conclusion. I apprehend that in the near future, there will be a sharp fall in the flow of visitors from western countries. I call upon both the state and Centre to act in concert to plug the security loopholes.”

... contd.