Continued from Part-I. Dear All: I am opening this thread to avoid overload of comments on the previous thread. The last few comments have been reproduced here.
Please continue the discussion on this new thread. Thank you.
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Comment by Sid:

Just to add some discussion here:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100730/jsp/frontpage/story_12749135.jsp Note the last para:
“Attacking Hindu terror works fine for us. But taking on Muslim extremism is a very sensitive issue and so we should be careful. Achuthanandan is sounding like the Bajrang Dal and the central party is backing him,” said a senior …

There is a new kid on the block. (S)he is called “Hindutva Terror” (aka “Hindu Terror”).  Chances are you have heard the word before; Chances are you have got annoyed, perhaps just a little bit angry and moved on. Chances are you have never paused to think who – and what – is this “Hindutva Terror”? Until a few days ago, I was in the group of people who – when they heard the word – would get a little annoyed, perhaps a little angry and then move on.
हिंदी अनुवाद …

Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi indicates that…

…Hindu organisations may be behind the Pune German Bakery blast.

This, on the same day as Maharashtra Home Minister Sh RR Patil announces an enquiry against Sh Azmi for the latter’s visit to relatives of the suspected terrorists arrested by the ATS earlier this week.
Image courtesy: http://www.abuasimazmi.com/

*** A ROLL CALL OF SHAME ***
PTI News:
Army captain, jawan, militant killed in J-K encounter
Srinagar, Feb 23 (PTI) An army captain, a jawan and a militant were killed in an encounter between ultras and security forces in Sopore district of North Kashmir early today.
DNA India:
Gun battle ends, 3 soldiers killed in Kashmir
Srinagar: Militants holed-up in a house at Chinkkipora village of Sopore on Tuesday killed three soldiers of Special Forces who had gone to flush out the ‘high-value target’.
Hindustan Times:
Sopore encounter: Two army men, one militant killed
An Army officer and …

I am writing this at midnight from Bengaluru.  Thanks to a hectic schedule and travel, I have slept for just about 13hrs since Thursday morning…yet I am finding it hard to sleep.
What happened in Pune is tragic but neither surprising nor unexpected. Pune was very much on the “list”. It was only a matter of time.
Some reports have linked the timing of the blast to the killing of Shahid Azmi, who was defending Fahim Ansari (26/11 accused).

Others have suggested that the heavy police bandobast for MNIK may have distracted the …

On the occassion of Martyr’s Day
Please take a moment to remember the ones who did not come back
And have a look at this series on National Heroes
|| Jai Hind, Jai Bharat ||

Start this weekend with a story on Hyderabad’s links to Islamic terrorism
Next, read Sandhya Jain on the apparent unravelling of Jammu & Kashmir
Then read a retelling of the story of Shantanu by Jai Joshi
and finally, a personal request from Sanjeev Sabhlok, founder-member, Freedom Team of India.
Excerpts from all the articles below, as always.
.
*** Excerpts from How Indian-born Islamic …

UPDATE: The total amount raised now stands at £400*. Sincere thanks to everyone who pitched in (list below)
***
Yesterday evening, 20-25 souls braved the sub-10 degree temperatures and the London rush hour to join us at a small gathering to remember the attack on Mumbai last year.
We did what most of you felt we should have done.
We honoured the memory of those gave their lives to protect ours…and we had an open discussion on terrorism and ways to tackle the challenge.
Highlights: A presentation by Amitabh Soni that brought back the memories …

Note: Up to 2 multiple-choices allowed
***

How should India remember 26/11?(opinion)

***
Pl. also read: Pearl Harbour, 26/11 & Another Day of Infamy
UPDATE: Additional options included

On the eve of the first anniversary of the attack in Mumbai, below are excerpts from the preface to Sh B Raman’s latest book on 26/11 (emphasis mine).
*** Preface to “MUMBAI 26/11 – A DAY OF INFAMY” by B Raman – Excerpts ***
Even while holding talks with the US on peace in the Pacific, the Japanese Empire secretly and treacherously planned and carried out massive surprise attacks from the air and the sea on Pearl Harbour in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, killing a large number of American military personnel …

… as in paying “taxes” to “militants”… or is it “protection money”?

If you ever wondered how bad the situation is in the North-East, look no further.  Courtesy this news-report by Rahul Karmakar (HT)*: Ministers Too Pay Tax to Militants in North-East (emphasis mine):
It’s out in the open. Ministers in the Northeast do pay `taxes’ to militants. A top leader of a faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland has claimed while drawing a line between extortion and levies imposed by underground `governments’.
…”Yes, we collect taxes and there’s nothing illegal …

Home Minister P Chidambaram:
“I’ve been warning Pakistan every time…I’m warning Pakistan for the last time.
If Pakistan attempts to send terrorists into India again, India will not only foil those attempts but also give them a crushing response”
.

Reminded me of someone else doing some tough talking.
Also see:
Quote of the week – Living in Hope
Waiting for a “fitting reply”*
Past quotes are here.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee:

I will teach them (Maoists) a lesson in the future…

.
Full context of the quote:
Asked whether the State government, by agreeing to the swap (of tribals in exchange for a police officer), sent out a message to Maoists that abducting police personnel was a certain way for to secure the release of their sympathisers , he said: “If they learnt this lesson, they are wrong. I will teach them a lesson in the future.”
Related Post: On Naxals, Red Corridor and Operation Green Hunt
Past Quotes.

Last evening as I was trying to explain to my 14-year old why a possible US withdrawal from Afghanistan could be bad for India, I realised how hopeless the US case for continued involvement in Afghanistan looked.
In a statement that sounded pretty unconvincing, David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to President Obama said:
We have a different situation in Afghanistan. It is actually the place…where the folks who attacked us on 9/11 are holed up and plotting against us still…
It’s a threat that still exists. We have to deal with it and so …

Excerpts from Pakistan’s fifth column by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, National Post (emphasis mine)
…As the campaign (against Taliban in Swat) winds down, and local residents begin to return, significant questions remain about future counterinsurgency operations. For example, while Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has asked Washington for his own armed Predator drones for use against the Taliban, regional newspaper Dawn reports that U. S. intelligence officers oppose this move — in part because several years ago “American officials gave Pakistan advance word of planned Predator attacks, but stopped the practice after …

How to be on Time courtesy Guy Kawasaki
Secret files on Veer Savarkar and others kept in London
Transcript of the Dec 4 Discussion on Mumbai Attacks over at the CounterTerrorism Panel
Did Jesus really say to Love Your Enemies? courtesy Andrew Sullivan
The discussion on INS Arihant over at Bharat-Rakshak.com forums.
All the past weekend posts here.
Stay Healthy, Stay Safe. Enjoy the weekend.

Excerpts from Understanding the jihadis, by way of Sun Tzu by Sebastian Gorka (emphasis mine)
*** Excerpts Begin ***
…Sun Tzu advised us that if we wish to guarantee victory, we must know two things: who we are and who the enemy is.
In regard to the Taliban and al-Qaeda, the latter question is mudded by the scores of talking heads and self-appointed military experts who have swarmed the North American media since 9/11. Far too many bandy about the terms Taliban and al-Qaeda with abandon, never taking a moment to define what …

This is a very sad story. I first heard of this courtesy BarbarIndian and it shook me to the core. Here is a news-article from almost 8 years back, 18th Oct 2001 to be precise, headlined:
“Archana case: The longest legal battle“.
…The violent waves of the naxalite movement were gradually dying down and “special cell” of the city police were busy executing the mandate of uprooting this ultra-left movement, the chief target of state repression, by hook or by crook. But, never in their dreams, did these police officers think that …

Please continue the discussion on Mumbai attacks, 26/11, Pakistan’s role in terrorist activities etc on this thread. I am closing comments on the earlier thread due to comment overload.
Thanks.
UPDATE: Am reproducing the last four comments from the earlier post below for the sake of continuity.

Even as “normalisation ” of relations with Pakistan continues apace (meeting of leaders in Russia, followed by Foreign Minister’s meeting in Italy followed by a meeting of Foreign Secretaries sometime soon, likely to be followed by another meeting of PMs in Egypt in July) courtesy BBC, comes this disturbing bit of news (emphasis mine):
Militant groups banned in Pakistan are expanding operations and recruitment in Pakistani-run Kashmir, according to a government report seen by the BBC.
The observations are from a detailed secret report submitted to the region’s government on the …

Look at the news-reports below. Notice anything strange (hint: look at the words in bold)?
Body of major killed in Kashmir brought to Gujarat
Ahmedabad: Body of a major from Gujarat who was killed in a fierce gun battle near the LoC in Kupwara district of North Kashmir was brought here tonight. Major Rishikesh Vallbhbhai Ramani(27) of the 23 Punjab Regiment and one of his colleague were killed in the gun battle when army confronted a group of heavily-armed militants at Gulab Post, 130 kms from Srinagar when they were attempting to …