P Ramakrishnan Aliran 3 October 2012
Exactly 18 days after the first break-in at the Aliran office, the thieves struck again for the second time!
They removed the same grille, forced open the same window and entered the same room. That was as far as they went.
On the first occasion, they had gained access to the rest of the building from this room but this time we had reinforced security and thus they were unable to move farther inside the building.
We discovered this break-in on the morning of 29 September 2011. They must have struck in the early hours of 29 September because we were in the office until midnight the previous day trying to wrap up Aliran Monthly.
Following the first break in some people commented whether those who committed the break-in were really petty thieves or something else. They had reason to doubt because these so-called thieves were only interested in the computers used by the past president, the current president and the serving treasurer. They were not interested in the two other computers, a printer and some petty cash in the drawer that were also there for the picking!
Now the same people are wondering if the second break in was meant to convey the impression that it must be the work of petty thieves – nothing sinister or ominous about the first theft! All that we can say is, “We don’t know!”
We do not wish to speculate or insinuate. That would not be right.
Most people are of the opinion that making police reports does not curtail crime or reduce their frequency. While we admit that the police cannot solve every crime that is reported, what is more disturbing is that criminals seem to realise this as well, and this only emboldens them.
Is this why they came back a second time in the knowledge that they would have their day and go scot-free?