July 25, 2008 11:50 AM PDT

Terrorism hits India's high-tech hub

by Jim Kerstetter
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Whatever the motivations were for the apparent terrorists who exploded a series of small bombs in India's high-tech hub Bangalore earlier Friday, one thing they're not likely to succeed in doing is slowing that city's progress.

As Om Malik notes, residents of several cities in India have grown accustomed to terrorist attacks (Reuters has an account of the explosions that appear to have killed at least one person and injured many more.). They are a terrible part of life in a country that has struggled with extremism in various forms.

Bangalore, of course, is of particular interest to the tech industry. In addition to the large Indian outsourcing companies and smaller software outfits headquartered there, American companies such as Intel and Texas Instruments also have major offices in the city.

Bangalore is no stranger to bombings. The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom (note: The Guardian also reports two people were killed in Friday's attacks) reports that a courthouse in the city was bombed in May. Authorities there suspect the bombing was linked to a banned Islamic student group.

Were the bombs intended to send a message, and spread fear in a progressive city full of western investment? Definitely. But no one should expect that investment to screech to a halt. Plenty of cities--Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Paris, London, and let's not forget New York and Washington, D.C.--have been attacked by terrorists over the last few decades.

All those cities, especially New York, dealt with the tragedy of those attacks and have gone on to thrive. Let's hope Bangalore is no different. History is on its side.

Jim Kerstetter has been writing about the high-tech industry for more than 13 years, as a senior editor at PC Week, a Silicon Valley correspondent at BusinessWeek, and now an executive editor at CNET News. He moved back to Boston because he missed the Red Sox. E-mail Jim.
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by ghostofitpast July 25, 2008 1:11 PM PDT
A cynic might conclude that the point of this piece is that atrocity should not interfere with progress; I offer a calmer (but not necessarily optimistic) reflection at:

http://therehearsalstudio.blogspot.com/2008/07/innovation-and-security.html
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by thelemurking July 25, 2008 1:24 PM PDT
Well darn, I guess I'll still be getting transferred to India when I need to call tech support. Outsourcing is the cancer that is killing this country!
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by kieranmullen July 25, 2008 3:06 PM PDT
Actually India is getting expensive so call centers are moving to the Philippines. Next it will be Africa.
KieranMullen
http://360oregon.com
by sanjaykrishn July 25, 2008 7:12 PM PDT
The American reaction to this even is interesting read this blog it has the same tone as ghostofitpast's comment
http://stockparadise.blogspot.com/2008/07/reaction-to-rising-communal-violence-in.html
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by giftyyadav January 20, 2009 2:36 AM PST
The terrorist when we are listen this word for a moment every one shivered. But why this violence is spread by terrorism. Even

Terrorist don't see or they can't find any difference between the poor and rich people. You can see in India that so many people

dies only because of starvation. So what this terror' s wants i think they all hunger for lives of small children or poor people.
GOD will never give peace to all kind of people. <a href=" http://www.pokerroomchips.com"> poker chips supplies </a>
Reply to this comment
by giftyyadav January 20, 2009 2:38 AM PST
The terrorist when we are listen this word for a moment every one shivered. But why this violence is spread by terrorism. Even

Terrorist don't see or they can't find any difference between the poor and rich people. You can see in India that so many people

dies only because of starvation. So what this terror' s wants i think they all hunger for lives of small children or poor people.
GOD will never give peace to all kind of people. http://www.pokerroomchips.com
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