Hoardings try to calm anxious Gujaratis

AHMEDABAD: The 26/7 serial blasts that rocked the city shattered the myth of the government that the state was immune to terrorism and laid hollow the claims made by Chief Minister Narendra Modi during the election propaganda .
Post the blasts the city is still in a state of fear and shock with the scale and the unprecedented nature of the terror attack sinking in.But just a week after the blasts Sunday visitors to SG highway were greeted with a hoarding which shows a bomb exploding.
The bomb exploding in a dark background is accompanied with text in Gujarati which reads Nahi atke atankwadthi Gujaratni vikas kuch (Gujarat's development will not be stopped by terrorism.)
This hoarding sponsored by the Ahmedabad District Co-operative Bank (ADCB) says space has been provided by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
Psychologist Hansal Bhachech says, "People can see the discrepancy between the government's tall claims of its capability to fight terror and the blasts in the city and the large number of bombs found in Surat. Surely apart from the news about the large number of fatalities and casualties, the fact that within 5 minutes of the CM passing by a bomb is found in that place is scary enough, these incidents have created a sense of insecurity and fear psychosis for common people who has no security cover to bank on," adds Bhachech.
"If Gujarat is progressing so be it, why challenge the terrorists in the process. The terrorists have shown that they are ready to accept the challenge and also displayed what they are capable of. People are wondering why needlessly provoke them now at this stage by putting up such hoardings is uncalled for and people are more scared as a result," he said.
"The state government has focused only on industrial growth but all the claims made the Chief Minister about secure and safe Gujarat has fallen flat. I no more feel off the hook, which the Modi wanted Gujaratis to feel," says 26-year-old businessman Hardik Bhatt on seeing the hoarding.
Chairman of ADCB Ajay Patel said, "We decided to sponsor the hoarding so that people remain vigilant, and have on our own initiative, we were not asked by anyone " When asked about the reason as to why the exploding bomb was used as a visual, Patel had nothing to say.