The terror attack in Ahmedabad

It is a matter of extreme worry and grief about what happened on Saturday in Ahmedabad. The terror attack was another deliberate and brutal attempt against the innocent populace of this ill-fated country. The nation was glum to observed the empty and feeble stares from the swollen eyes of a gravely wounded little child Yash Vyas, his lips quivering in unbearable pain. The blood tainted hospital floors and patient trolleys, scattered human bodies and body parts, lamenting fathers-mothers-sisters of the poor victims are some of the several images of deep agony flashed live from Ahmedabad. The most alarming part is, for the first time public hospitals were under the attack where hapless victims were rushed for emergency treatments.

As pointed out by a Times of India report, there was a clear design behind the blasts that indicates that the Muslim extremist group planned the malevolent act as revenge to the Gujarat riots of 2002. The bombs were planted in selectively chosen areas those are notably related with Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Gujarat assembly Speaker Ashok Bhatt and VHP leader Pravin Togadia, the three main faces alleged for stimulating the post-Godhra genocide. Gujarat and its Hindu leaders were always on top of the list of probable extremist targets. The attack was also another terrible failure of the country’s security agencies and the concerning central and state governments. Particularly when a similar attack took place the previous day in Bangalore and the whole country was supposed to be under high alert.

A surprisingly stupid and baseless confidence was prevailing among the government authorities, the ruling party, and the general public in Gujarat that the extremists will not dare to strike a major assault to this state. What was the basis of this confidence? It was the result of a perception widely propagated by the Hindutva forces that in Mr. Modi’s Gujarat, Muslim ‘menaces’ are dealt with an iron hand, whoever may try to break the rules of the Hindu order is appropriately ‘paid back’ here. Gujarat under Mr. Modi is therefore the safest haven for Hindus in India where minorities can survive only when they agree to obey the superior Hindu diktats. This fascistic believe of might was shattered by the weekend blasts which confirmed again that jingoistic method and ideas could never prevent the long reach of terrorism. In the contrary, it subsequently fuels the possibility in a greater extent. This fact has being proven again and again all through the world and now in Ahmedabad, the vibrant Gujarat city.

Who did mastermind the serial blasts in Ahmedabad? A local front for the international Jihadi groups called ‘Indian Mujahideen’, arrogantly describing themselves as "radicals of Islam” has claimed the responsibility through an e-mail send just before the blasts to some television channels under different ID’s. In this e-mail, they have challenged the security agencies to try to foil their future terrorist plans. Earlier this group had similarly claimed responsibility for the serial bomb attacks in Bangalore, Jaipur and Uttar Pradesh and in all the cases their modus operandi was alike. Their rages are particularly aimed against a multi headed socio-cultural nationalist organization of this country. No matter what may be their raison d'être, this group must be immediately nabbed and sternly punished for their horrendous crime against humanity.

Whatever advance security measures are essential to tackle this terrorist surge in India, should be demarcated and immediately acted upon. This is a specialized job and therefore must be handed over to the experts from the respected fields to deal with. Our politicians must ensure to constrain themselves from unnecessarily interfering them. Instead, they should focus more on the social aspects of terrorism. A discriminated society is the perfect breeding ground for terrorism. Would it be possible to resist terrorism by keeping a large number of religious minority people segregated from the mainstream and by treating them as second-class citizens? Certainly not. Our politicians therefore should be more on the go to abolish the dividing wall and work on building social harmony. To ensure peace, unity among the masses is essential.

If the present political bosses of Gujarat and their socio-cultural associates realize this truth, it will be the only positive outcome of the Saturday blasts.

Image courtesy: NDTV.com