He also expressed extreme anger that even 'beacons' of democracy like the United Kingdom and the United States have laws that allow intelligence agencies to detain and investigate suspected terrorists for a period of time without bringing formal charges against them.
"What's so special about India?" he asked repeatedly. "Why do we have no real laws specifically handling terrorism in the Indian Penal Code?"
Sahni further mentioned that anti-riot measures must be put in place following such incidents, and that youngsters should drown out the voices of those hoping to stoke flames of communal tension.
"Protest against politics of hate, against those who seek to politicise a national tragedy," he said. He added that the nature of coalition government made co-operation between a Congress-led Maharashtra and a Bharatiya Janata Party-led Gujarat difficult. "Our various state governments must make a coordinated effort when national security is concerned."
Raghunathan discussed how citizens can improve the process from a micro level. "Suspicious activity must be reported to the police. Maintain civic vigilance. There should be inquiries in each neighbourhood into the identity of new residents. Create local vigilante units, citizen action groups and hotlines, so that a network of information, communication and administration can be established."
Image: The young adults who participated included restaurant owners, writers, dancers, industrialists, research analysts, fashion designers and more.
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