The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Malegaon blasts

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Monday, Sep 11, 2006
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Malegaon blasts

It is unfortunate that as many as 31 persons have been killed and 100 injured in the bomb blasts at Malegaon, even while the devastation of the Mumbai train blasts lingers in our minds. It should be easy to predict how the communal outfits on either side of the Hindu-Muslim divide will react — by blaming one another. Whatever be the hue of the perpetrators, the painful fact is only the innocent are caught in the vortex of violently competitive communalism. Only a firm course of action rooted in secular convictions can help.

S. Balu,
Madurai, T.N.

The motive behind the blasts on the holy occasion of shab-e-barat was obviously to trigger communal riots. The people of Malegaon deserve to be congratulated for keeping their calm and not reacting emotionally.

G. Gayathri,
Kozhikode, Kerala

That the attack was carried out soon after the successful completion of the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities demonstrates that anti-social elements bent on creating communal violence in the State cannot remain passive for long. Enough has been said on the issue of terrorism without any desired result. We are badly in need of a leader who can put an end to the menace.
L.R. Moorthy,
Thane, Maharashtra

The terrorist act is highly condemnable. The principal aim of the perpetrators is to foment large-scale communal violence between Hindus and Muslims and weaken our national unity. The criminals, irrespective of their community affiliation and organisational links, must be given the harshest punishment under the law.

Sudheendra Kulkarni,
New Delhi

Just when a meeting looks possible between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit at Havana, the Malegaon tragedy has struck. Clearly it is aimed at derailing the talks.

Anjum Husain,
Aligarh, U.P.

The Malegaon incident has put a question mark on the state's ability to ensure the safety of the common man. Whenever such incidents take place, the government indulges in rhetoric, blames the terrorist from across the border, and names a jihadi outfit. No excuse is acceptable now. The government cannot escape its primary responsibility of securing people's lives.

Alok Raman,
Varanasi, U.P.

It looks like India is becoming a paradise for terrorists. The Ministers do nothing more than visiting the site and announcing monetary compensation to the victims. Contrast this with the swift action by security agencies in London following the aborted bid to blow up planes. What are the intelligence agencies in India doing?

N. Sharath Chandra,
Bangalore

New Delhi, Varanasi, Mumbai, and now Malegaon. The incidents are the same, so is the reaction. Only the people who deliver the dialogues are different. The Chief Minister concerned calls for a high-level meeting, condemns the blasts, and declares ex-gratia for the family of the dead and injured. Visits by the Union Home Minister, the Prime Minister, and the President follow. The Prime Minister says no power on earth can divide the country, that the culprits will be arrested, and that the people should remain calm. News channels make merry. They talk to anyone who is ready to offer an opinion. After about a month, the incident is forgotten. At the end of the episode, the common man is left with nothing but condolences.

S. Dhananjaya Rao,
Hyderabad

The anti-terror squad will reach the site. The Chief Minister will issue a statement saying the situation is under control. The Prime Minister will call the blasts an act of cowardice. No culprit will be arrested. Another blast will take place in another place.

R.T. Narayanan,

Chennai

There is no place in the world that terrorism has not been able to infiltrate. Only timely action and swift justice can save humanity.

P. Maria Christopher,
Coimbatore

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