The Spirit of Diwali : Heinous Acts of Terror Will Not Extinguish It

October 31, 2005

(Monday, October 31, 2005): Over the years, Delhi has been the

historical site of great violence. It has also been the natural

target of those who wish to attack the idea of India. The three

calibrated acts of mass murder that disturbed its Diwali and Id

preparations on October 29 must necessarily be read as part of that

continuum. Once this is understood, it becomes easier to examine

these events more dispassionately and respond to them with the

resolve, courage and action they demand.

The intention of the faceless perpetrators of these acts of terror

were three-fold. First, to spread mass panic and fear among

Delhiites. Terrorists, by making ordinary helpless and defenceless

persons their victims, expose at once the brutality of their project

and the cowardice that marks their moves. Second, to attack the

democratic republic of India with the aim of weakening it. Third, to

undermine its unity by pitting community against community at a time

of heightened tension. In none of these intentions did the

perpetrators of the recent outrage succeed. In that lies India's

victory. The people of Delhi, and its institutions, rose as one in

the face of the assault. The man on the street rushed to rescue the

injured and dying; fire brigade squads and hospital authorities

worked indefatigably to mitigate suffering, the police succeeded in

restoring calm quickly. Greatness is sometimes thrust on the most

unlikely in apocalyptic moments. The bus driver who threw the

explosive device out of the vehicle, hurting himself grievously but

saving innumerable lives on the bus, or shopkeepers in the affected

market areas who decided to go back to business the very next day

because they did not want to give the perpetrators the satisfaction

of having paralysed Delhi, these are the unsung heroes of the hour.

Together they demonstrated that heinous acts of terror will not

extinguish the lights and spirit of Diwali.

The inevitable question as to why the Capital was not adequately

secured at a time of great vulnerability needs to be asked. Bali

happened just the other day; London, just the other month. The

presumption that Delhi will some how be spared such strikes is a

dangerously flawed one in a country that witnessed the serial Bombay

blasts of 1993. If that was an old story, how about the recent

storming at Ayodhya? Or the Delhi cinema blasts some months ago? Or

the recent spurt of attacks in J&K after the earthquake? How much

more evidence does this country need that it is in the line of fire?

The resolve of terrorists can only be defeated if we display an even

greater resolve to defeat them.

SOURCE: The Indian Express

URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=81076

November 1, 2005

Where these terrorist Islamic? If so, why the hesistancy about

naming it as such? we all need to know who are doing these murders

and what their ideology is.

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta> wrote:

>

> (Monday, October 31, 2005): Over the years, Delhi has been the

> historical site of great violence. It has also been the natural

> target of those who wish to attack the idea of India. The three

> calibrated acts of mass murder that disturbed its Diwali and Id

> preparations on October 29 must necessarily be read as part of

that

> continuum. Once this is understood, it becomes easier to examine

> these events more dispassionately and respond to them with the

> resolve, courage and action they demand.

>

> The intention of the faceless perpetrators of these acts of terror

> were three-fold. First, to spread mass panic and fear among

> Delhiites. Terrorists, by making ordinary helpless and defenceless

> persons their victims, expose at once the brutality of their

project

> and the cowardice that marks their moves. Second, to attack the

> democratic republic of India with the aim of weakening it. Third,

to

> undermine its unity by pitting community against community at a

time

> of heightened tension. In none of these intentions did the

> perpetrators of the recent outrage succeed. In that lies India's

> victory. The people of Delhi, and its institutions, rose as one in

> the face of the assault. The man on the street rushed to rescue

the

> injured and dying; fire brigade squads and hospital authorities

> worked indefatigably to mitigate suffering, the police succeeded

in

> restoring calm quickly. Greatness is sometimes thrust on the most

> unlikely in apocalyptic moments. The bus driver who threw the

> explosive device out of the vehicle, hurting himself grievously

but

> saving innumerable lives on the bus, or shopkeepers in the

affected

> market areas who decided to go back to business the very next day

> because they did not want to give the perpetrators the

satisfaction

> of having paralysed Delhi, these are the unsung heroes of the

hour.

> Together they demonstrated that heinous acts of terror will not

> extinguish the lights and spirit of Diwali.

>

> The inevitable question as to why the Capital was not adequately

> secured at a time of great vulnerability needs to be asked. Bali

> happened just the other day; London, just the other month. The

> presumption that Delhi will some how be spared such strikes is a

> dangerously flawed one in a country that witnessed the serial

Bombay

> blasts of 1993. If that was an old story, how about the recent

> storming at Ayodhya? Or the Delhi cinema blasts some months ago?

Or

> the recent spurt of attacks in J&K after the earthquake? How much

> more evidence does this country need that it is in the line of

fire?

> The resolve of terrorists can only be defeated if we display an

even

> greater resolve to defeat them.

>

> SOURCE: The Indian Express

> URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=81076

>

Where these terrorist Islamic? If so, why the hesistancy about

naming it as such? we all need to know who are doing these murders

and what their ideology is.

November 2, 2005

No REAL muslim will take part in these acts. But these are poor misguided sould

that believe that they are furthering teh cause of Islam but really bringing

together a conflict that will lead to the annihilation of islam.

In India we are very careful; we never name the "Christian" and "Muslim" fundies

as such. Because even mentioning their allged faith affiliation is an insult to

the religious groups to which they purport to belong, because they are not

members of THAT faith because their actions are against teh basic tenets of that

faith. So we call them members of an unnamed faith because there is no name for

the faith of fundamentalism.

ckeniley2003 <ckeniley2003 wrote:

Where these terrorist Islamic? If so, why the hesistancy about naming it as

such? we all need to know who are doing these murders and what their ideology

is.

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta wrote:

(Monday, October 31, 2005): Over the years, Delhi has been the historical site

of great violence. It has also been the natural target of those who wish to

attack the idea of India. The three calibrated acts of mass murder that

disturbed its Diwali and Id preparations on October 29 must necessarily be read

as part of that continuum. Once this is understood, it becomes easier to examine

these events more dispassionately and respond to them with the resolve, courage

and action they demand.

The intention of the faceless perpetrators of these acts of terror were

three-fold. First, to spread mass panic and fear among Delhiites. Terrorists, by

making ordinary helpless and defenceless persons their victims, expose at once

the brutality of their project and the cowardice that marks their moves. Second,

to attack the democratic republic of India with the aim of weakening it. Third,

to undermine its unity by pitting community against community at a time of

heightened tension. In none of these intentions did the perpetrators of the

recent outrage succeed. In that lies India's victory. The people of Delhi, and

its institutions, rose as one in the face of the assault. The man on the street

rushed to rescue the injured and dying; fire brigade squads and hospital

authorities worked indefatigably to mitigate suffering, the police succeeded in

restoring calm quickly. Greatness is sometimes thrust on the most unlikely in

apocalyptic moments. The bus driver who threw the explosive

device out of the vehicle, hurting himself grievously but saving innumerable

lives on the bus, or shopkeepers in the affected market areas who decided to go

back to business the very next day because they did not want to give the

perpetrators the

satisfaction of having paralysed Delhi, these are the unsung heroes of the hour.

Together they demonstrated that heinous acts of terror will not extinguish the

lights and spirit of Diwali.

The inevitable question as to why the Capital was not adequately secured at a

time of great vulnerability needs to be asked. Bali happened just the other day;

London, just the other month. The presumption that Delhi will some how be spared

such strikes is a dangerously flawed one in a country that witnessed the serial

Bombay blasts of 1993. If that was an old story, how about the recent storming

at Ayodhya? Or the Delhi cinema blasts some months ago? Or the recent spurt of

attacks in J&K after the earthquake? How much more evidence does this country

need that it is in the line of fire?

The resolve of terrorists can only be defeated if we display an

even greater resolve to defeat them.

SOURCE: The Indian Express

URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=076

Where these terrorist Islamic? If so, why the hesistancy about naming it as

such? we all need to know who are doing these murders

and what their ideology is.

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

November 2, 2005

This is the single most intelligent and perceptive

comment that I have ever read on the current world

phenomenon of "religious" fundmentalism. Thank you.

DB

--- sankara menon <kochu1tz wrote:

> we never name the

> "Christian" and "Muslim" fundies as such. Because

> even mentioning their allged faith affiliation is an

> insult to the religious groups to which they purport

> to belong, because they are not members of THAT

> faith because their actions are against teh basic

> tenets of that faith. So we call them members of an

> unnamed faith because there is no name for the faith

> of fundamentalism.

FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click.

http://farechase.

November 2, 2005

Very well put!!!

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