2
2008
What can you do when terror starts to affect your daily life, to an extent that you think twice before you go to the local grocery store, and when you do, you dart in and out of the area, viewing every young man on a motorbike with suspicion? The answer, unfortunately is, not much.
India has witnessed so many bomb blasts in the last five months that, unbelievable as it may sound, people have started to lose count. After serial bombings in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, New Delhi, India's capital, was struck with terror on September 13 in which 24 people died and more than 100 were injured.
On September 19, a special unit of the Delhi police, under pressure to nab the terrorists, raided an apartment in a predominantly Muslim part of the city, which also houses a Muslim University - Jamia Milia Islamia. In the encounter that ensued, two young men, wanted for the recent bombings in Delhi and Ahmedabad were shot dead, while one was arrested and two others escaped. Police claimed the men were key members of the extremist group, 'Indian Mujahideen' - a group said to have links with Pakistan - that has claimed responsibility for the recent bombings. The shootout also claimed the life of a police officer, Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who had won umpteen bravery awards, including the President's gallantry medal.
The Delhi police have since come under scrutiny by several groups that are demanding an inquiry into the encounter, which, claim some residents of the area, was conducted on a fabricated pretext. That apart, some of the arrests of Muslim students, made after the incident, have also been criticized as communal profiling by the police. The university has come forward in giving legal aid to some of these students, who, they maintain, are innocent until proven guilty.
Still, the terror strikes continue unabated in Delhi, as well as in other parts of the country. In fact, now the attackers are getting even more brazen, sending a clear catch-me-if-you-can message. On September 27, two men on a motorbike zipped through a crowded marketplace in the capital throwing a plastic bag full of explosives on the road. A nine year old boy, who picked it up and ran behind the men in an effort to return what he thought had been dropped by mistake, was killed as the crude bomb inside it went off. The incident claimed two lives and left many others injured.
Not that it ended there. Shockingly, two identical incidents occurred a day later in different parts of the country and, again, three people were blown apart. The method was the same; bombers rode in on motorbikes and threw bags into the market crowds, which exploded soon after. In these cases, however, the victims were Muslims who had gone out shopping for the festival of Eid, a fact that has thrown the police's claim about the Indian Mujahideen's involvement a bit out of gear and instilled more doubt to go along with the general fear.
Do attacks on Muslims mean there are other groups responsible for the attacks as well? Also, if the terrorist raid killed the masterminds of the blasts, then who is calling the shots now? The answers are not clear and, in a diverse country like India, it will be a while before they are.
What is clear, though, is that this upcoming festive season - for everyone - is going to be shrouded with fear. October marks the start of the festive season in India, especially for the Hindus. It's the beginning of an auspicious time, which will culminate in the celebration of Diwali - the festival of lights - on the October 28. This holiday is a bit like Christmas, and brings with it similar feelings of merriment and joy, with families getting together, gifts being exchanged, people donating to charity, and the like. But this year, in the light of the recent bombings, the mood is somber. What's more, it was during this festive season, three years ago, when several bombs had exploded in popular markets in Delhi, killing scores of people who had been out shopping for Diwali. The recent blasts have only refreshed those gruesome memories.
The only question that the citizens of India are now asking, is when all this will end. And no matter what the actions of the police so far, the belief is that this is far from over, that more is to come - one day you could be watching it on TV, the next, it could be you, your child, your husband who has fallen victim. It's really the luck of the draw, a continuing fear.