I RECENTLY visited India's biggest commercial and economic hub Mumbai and eastern Uttar Pradesh after a period of six years.

To my surprise, I found Mumbai a very peaceful city where the crime rate is believed to be only 10 per cent of what we experience in Karachi, though Mumbai is more populous and cosmopolitan than Karachi.

There was hardly any case of car theft, cellphone snatching, and targeted killings. The main reason for this peaceful environment in Mumbai is that both central and provincial governments keep this city under close scrutiny and they are fully committed to the development, particularly in respect of infrastructure, education, law and order, etc.

On the other hand, Karachi is not owned even by the provincial government in terms of development and maintenance of law and order though it is the hub of our economy.

I also visited Sultanpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh. I found it peaceful. Cases of kidnapping, cattle theft, honour killings, robbery and other crimes are rarely reported. The police do not carry any firearms.

The most striking feature of this area is an increasing literacy rate, particularly at the village level where more and more people are coming out of the poverty line because of increasing agricultural output and income.

Schoolgoing boys and girls can be seen on bicycles and on foot across cultivated fields and deserted places for schooling without any fear or risk. This was something unbelievable.

The Indian government provides free lunch to students in all government-run schools up to primary and secondary levels. Unemployed and poor persons are provided food items on subsidised rates through ration cards.

The only positive thing we match with India is independence of judiciary and freedom of the media.

ABAD AHMED    Karachi