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Turkey

Ankara Attack, The Government Must Share The Blame

Saturday's bombings in Turkey's capital may be the worst in the nation's history, with a toll approaching 100 dead. Some point the finger at President Erdogan's ruling AKP party.

Oct. 11 commemoration walk for the victims of Saturday's bombings in Ankara
Oct. 11 commemoration walk for the victims of Saturday's bombings in Ankara
Ahmet Hakan

-OpEd-

ANKARA — Of course the government did not organize the bloody attack in Ankara. You have to be insane to believe that the AKP government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would put suicide vests on two bombers and send them to Ankara's central train station.

And yet, this question does not end here. There is a "but" that we cannot ignore. So we say: No, the government is not guilty of organizing the deadly bombings, but …

  • The government is left without a single country in the region — or in the world — it can truly call a friend, thanks to its foreign policies of the last three years. We came close to war with at least eight countries. As a result, Turkey has turned into a training ground for terrorist organizations. On this count, the government is guilty.
  • The government has been practicing a policy of polarizing the people, causing hostility among the groups of society for the past five years, hoping that this was the right strategy to keep its majority vote in Parliament. Turkey is thus fertile ground for any kind of provocation. On this count, too, the government is guilty.
  • The intelligence operations of Turkey have failed. The government could not take the necessary precautions. The government could not guarantee the security of its citizens who wanted to practice their democratic right to assemble. In short, the government just watched as dozens of its citizens were slaughtered in the center of the capital. Here too, regardless of who carried out this crime, the government is guilty.

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Migrant Lives

A Train Journey With Bengal Migrants Looking For A Living Far Away

Finding a seat on the Karmabhoomi Express is close to impossible. A closer look at why so many migrant workers travel on it, and out of Bengal, offers a grim picture.

image of a train

The Karmabhoomi Express runs from Kamakhya to Mumbai in a 3 day journey.

India Rail Info
Joydeep Sarkar

WEST BENGAL — Welcome aboard the 22512 Kamakhya-LTT Karmabhoomi Express — a metaphor, if any, of the acuteness of Bengal’s unemployment problem.

It is 10.28 pm at north Bengal’s Alipurduar Junction and the crowd has swollen to its peak. This is when the Karmabhoomi Express appears at the station. It is bound for Mumbai. Finding a seat on it is close to impossible. It is always chock full and there are always hundreds struggling to get a spot in the unreserved general compartment.

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