Open thread on attack in Varanasi*
Kashi – one of my most beloved cities is under has been attacked…once again…
I am still gathering more information but would like to open this thread so that you can share thoughts and comments…
This thread is likely to be continuously updated over the next several hours..stay tuned for more.
Related Post: Anger, tears and despair
***Â UPDATE 1Â ***
UNBELIEVABLE RT @KVSarmaJ “NDTV anchor just went on air forgetting he was still on air “Tell Ananth not to mention IM mail.” Great!
From Dainik Bhaskar: One girl dead and another device defused; IM claims responsibility and mentions retaliation against 6th Dec.
वाराणसी. बनारस के शीतला घाट (विशà¥à¤µà¤¨à¤¾à¤¥ मंदिर के ठीक सामने दशाशà¥à¤µà¤®à¥‡à¤§ घाट के नजदीक) पर आज शाम करीब 6.30 बजे हà¥à¤ à¤à¤• धमाके में  à¤à¤• बचà¥à¤šà¥€ की मौत हो गई और 19 लोग घायल हो गठहैं। हालांकि आधिकारिक तौर पर सात लोगों के घायल होने की बात ही बताई जा रही है। उतà¥à¤¤à¤° पà¥à¤°à¤¦à¥‡à¤¶ के à¤à¤¡à¥€à¤œà¥€à¤ªà¥€ बृजलाल के अनà¥à¤¸à¤¾à¤° धमाके में सात लोग घायल हà¥à¤ हैं।
…पà¥à¤²à¤¿à¤¸ को कà¥à¤› देर बाद घटनासà¥â€à¤¥à¤² से थोड़ी दूर à¤à¤• और विसà¥â€à¤«à¥‹à¤Ÿà¤• मिला है। इसे समय रहते निषà¥à¤•à¥à¤°à¤¿à¤¯ कर दिया गया।
*** UPDATE 2 ***
Indian Mujahideen sent an e-mail to media houses claiming that the blast in Varanasi was in retaliation to the verdict in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janambhoomi title suit case. [ link ]
Worrying…What next, I wonder? Blast in retaliation for reporting a certain incident?
*** UPDATE 3***
A copy of the email sent by IM can be downloaded from here: http://www.box.net/shared/rfc2sazjsd
* This post was earlier published with the title, “Jihad in Varanasi?” – Given what we now know about the attack (essentially a low-intensity explosive), I have changed the title.
Image of Ahilya Ghat in Varanasi, courtesy: Ken Wieland, via Wikipedia
“Blast aimed at weakning our resolve to fight terror”: MMS.
Sir, “resolve” also means: “decide; bring to an end; settle conclusively http://bit.ly/e47BQ0
Reclaim Bharath..And it has to be to be Akanda Bharath, why not ? they are killing us enmasse, and we say this is forgettable? Why? Cant stand this…Occupy POK, negotiate with Chin, they will come forward, all they want is gas..So, its all ours..
Worst, last 2 days i went around to see how many temples were demolished by TN Govt bcause of a SC order???
My anger has to diminish to type the stories..sorry
Jai Hind..Vande Mataram
how long are we going to tolerate this, our home minister is busy picking up colour for terror, who will fight these a**holes??
How dare you? You named Indian Mujahideen!! Do not you know that they are supposed to be secular (because they are a minority in India) and fellow travelers of our self righteous symbols of integrity like Burqa Futt and Coward Singvi. See, likes of NDTV did not even name the organization (because the supposed email was being verified). How dare you put their name without talking to them. This is communal. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!
What is damning is that MMS has not other answer. This has been a well rehearsed answer since the day he was appointed as PM.
NDTV and IBN which had no qualms or hesitation in pasting Om and Trishul with a dhamaruka as background pic for reporting on cases related to Sadhvi did not find it necessary to use Crescent or green color as background for their reporting on this blast. Heck, they didnt even make it a topic of discussion on primetime.
I may be over-reacting but back in 2008, series of attacks ending with 26/11 happened over a period of time. Is this the start of next series? We do not know. With this govt, we cannot be sure that they have a strategy for such a possibility.
When we were thinking about forgetting the brutalities done against us and begin negotiation with them via the constitutional rights and laws granted to us, they are adamant on making us blast with anger. But I believe we are going through a phase of self challenge and realisation. In the end the constitution alone wont be able to tie up this anger inside us.
Jai Hind.
Now ask PC what does he call this, green terror???
Thanks for sharing your thoughts all…Will respond later…
In the meantime, a copy of the email sent by IM can be downloaded from here: http://www.box.net/shared/rfc2sazjsd
I do not expect anything better from NDTV. The brand of secularism promoted by NDTV in general and Barka Dutt in particular can only be called ISlam-E-CULAR. NDTV has lost its credibility and has been in the forefront of spreading disaffection among communities and passing of views and opinions as News and facts. The sponsors would always like to avoid bad publicity; this aspect should be fully exploited to the hilt. Whoever can influence sponsors should make the sponsors to avoid certain anchors. We can collectively write to the sponsors making our case.
The good news is that NDTV has hit bad times. It is time to hit back where it hurts most. NDTV is running at a huge loss, so you can imagine how it is being kept afloat. The economic package that was announced by the govt before the elections was for the media and that too without anybody asking for it. That should explain the strong nexus between the journalists and Congress politicians. The complicity of ‘the media stars’ in the various acts of omission and commission is slowly coming out despite the media’s blatant attempt at totally blacking out the news.
I would like to bring the following links regarding the health of NDTV to the notice of your readers.
Once a glamour stock, NDTV headed for sickness?
http://www.moneylife.in/article/10977.html
NDTV-ICICI loan chicanery saved Roys
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/a/1082,
NDTV CEO gives reply, Guardian responds
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/a/1083
NDTV juggles funds, shares abroad, avoids tax
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/a/1088
Sarathy.Amudhan
Shame on you NDTV. Better be a propagandist channel rather than a news channel.
Attack on varanasi in attack on ethos of bharat.
Innocent 1-year toddler (girl) gives up life for an stupid adult (male) culture trying to prove that their version of fiction kicks ass …
These things always happen in November-December … i think we should see the pattern and beef the security up …
proper way to respond to this attack is to demolish few more mosques, for each bomb blast by muslims, one mosque should be demolished, may be they will learn a lesson that way
It boils my blood to hear that the little girl who was supposed to celebrate her 2nd birthday on 18th Dec died in this blast. And we are told to maintain peace and calm. Have we no shame? So, what color is this terror Mr. PC? Pak cannot be doing anything without local support…but we have no guts to tackle that….we are secular and we have the ultimate tolerance only towards minorities!
CRUSH THEM ELSE PEOPLE WILL CRUSH YOU.
Came across this condemnation by Muslims of this event:
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/12/muslims-condemen-varnasi-terror.html
Manmohan Singh is the most able and efficient administrator. He condemned the blasts just within 24 hours. Nobody else could do that!!!
This is shocking and one wonders who is in collaboration on this as well. Of course, it will take away attention from the other ills that ails The Ruling Party.There may be several plausible explanations as to why this occurred at this point in time.
It is starkly obvious, that the Hindus who revere all life, are apparently ‘helpless’ to act in a demonstrative way to protect their own, and the tourists, in their own country. If the elected representatives cannot show that they can protect the citizens, then what is the point of paying taxes and having elected representatives Anarchy may indeed prevail.Very worrying
Fear and chaos will prevail, for some time again, with no timeline for a conclusion and closure on these crimes.
Not surprisingly, the incident has already been forgotten. Like one of your old posts on this issue says sir “chalta hai attitude” has taken over us.
The thought that it could have been me sends a chill down my spine. I cant imagine what Mr. Santhosh and his family is going through. 2 years old girl child. Girl child is treated as Mahalakshmi in a hindu house. and Mr. Chidambaram had his record ready “we deeply regret”. I say it here “the Government of India is the reason why Swastika Sharma is dead. She could have become an Einstien or a Mozart or a Saina Nehwal, who knows! Who is responsible for this loss if not Government of India.”
Remember how the whole of Israel mourned when Moshe lost his parents? When we will our people come to the realization that every life lost is the loss for the whole nation?
@Vivek,
We are a billion plus people. One …even a thousand would not matter to the Hindus until they are a reduced minority group in the very land they are born. Trust me, after rapid conversion and killing by secular terrorists (remember, terrorists have no religion), when a few million Hindus will be left (that may well be 2040), we have to create an agressively protective Hindu state for our own survival. Till then, our stupidity and secularism would screw us. Look at the history of jews and learn.
Arun Shourie once written that “We do not have a price and world should know it”. I think the reverse is true. We all have our price, we sell ourselves dirt cheap and not only the world knows this, they laugh at it.
“Here’s how politicians come to terrorists’ aid”
Suspected Varanasi blast plotter, Dr Shahnawaz Khan, was almost nabbed after the 2008 Batla House encounter; political influence helped him evade cop net.
This is from Mumbai Mirror. Read the full article.
http://bit.ly/dGCLOa
Who is responsible for snuffing out the life of the innocent little Swastika ?
Please have a look at this news report from TNIE :
http://expressbuzz.com/nation/post-2611-congress-played-religious-politics/230408.html