Image Courtesy - VinitNeo url: I have always been fascinated by top-ten ratings. I love the VH1 ratings, US Billboard Hot 100 singles, Super Hit Muqabala (i.e a tad bit unsophisticated). My favorite is "The top ten of everything". Top 10 of Everything is an internationally distributed illustrated reference book of quantifiable Top 10 lists on a diverse variety of subjects, written by Russell Ash and published annually. I love the process of quantifying, the art of making things simple for pea-brains and sometimes to make the mundane things sensational. Continuing the tradition and also keeping up with the times I present "The Top 10 disastrous attempts of terrorism in India"
10. Hyderabad blast: August 2007
Synopsis: Three bomb blasts just minutes apart. One exploded at a street-side food stall - two others detonated at an amusement park during an open-air laser show packed with families -Three other devices were found across the city - including two in cinemas - and defused without causing any injuries. In a separate incident in October 2 were killed in a blast inside Ajmer Sharif shrine during Ramadan.
Verdict: Hyderabad the populous city in southern India which is not the favorite among terrorist is inundated with explosives and 3 detonated with precision. Not much is heard about this attack but really goes out to show the network these terrorist have. Terrorist motivated by fear-vulnerability and not by religion.
9. Sarojini Nagar blast aka Diwali Blast: October 2005
Synopsis: 3 explosions near Paharganj-GovindPuri-Sarojini Nagar. 62 killed -200 injured- LeT (Lashkar) suspected.
Verdict: The main suspects behind these blasts were the Kashmiri separatist and the Islamic terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba. Paharganj & Sarojini Nagar are densely populated areas in Delhi and targeting such places before a major festival was seen as an act of cowardice. However, terrorist were pleased at the ease of ripping apart the market place in the capital city. Marketplaces like Karolbagh, Sarojini Nagar etc now have camera surveillance.
8. Delhi blasts and miscellaneous explosions: 2008
Synopsis: Busy year for terrorists – total chaos – the author wonder how can this happen in a civilized country – maybe India is worse than Africa – but hey India has IT superpowers and over 100 Hindu Gods to pray to? Here is a list of terrorist bomb blasts in last 6 months:-
November 6, 2008 twin blasts in Guwahati – high intensity – one near a court
September 27, 2008 Blast in Delhi's Mehrauli flower market killed 1 and injured 23.
September 13, 2008 Serial blasts in Delhi killed at least 24 people and injured more than 100.
July 26, 2008: Serial blasts in Ahmedabad killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 100.
July 25, 2008: Nine explosions in Bangalore create terror killing two people and injuring twelve.
May 2008: Eight serial blasts rock Jaipur in a span of 12 minutes leaving 65 dead and over 150 injured.
Verdict: Hardly ever you’ll see words like “miscellaneous explosions” but it has been a nightmare this year. There was not much news about the blasts in Jaipur and Guwahati since the media feels they are small cities of no real significance. I feel India is crippled with a myopic media and a blind home minister.
7. Kandahar Hijack IC-814: Decemeber 1999
Synopsis: This eight day long hijacking was most awful and perhaps inspiring to people like J.P Dutta. The 155 passengers/hostages left the plane at Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan - as did the five hijackers - after India agreed to free three Kashmiri militants from prison. The end of the drama came about quickly after the three released militants - along with the Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh - arrived at Kandahar airport from Delhi. View Details: http://www.liveindia.com/news/zzzzu.html
Verdict: The Bharitya Janata Party (self-styled champion of Hindu cause) was ruling party at the centre. The Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, said in a New Year's broadcast that the government had been able to scale down the hijackers' demands considerably. Where most western country would have quipped Indian PM made a mark. Not only did he negotiate with the terrorist but got a bargain. This event left an indelible mark on the budding jihadis and urban-militia. This was a source of inspiration and the fact that you can be a broker a deal with Indian government was a satisfying reassurance.
6. Akshardham temple: November 2002
Synopsis: Militants with guns and explosives attack the Akshardham Hindu temple in the western state of Gujarat, 31 killed, More than 80 injured.
Verdict: LeT were the suspects and the whole taking over the temple drama was filled with action with firing from the NSG commando and the militants. When the siege was over media was overwhelmed by NSG bravado and the security lapse faded from public memory. Few lessons were taken the new Akshardham temple in Delhi seems to have security gaurds. My friends have been there but with pious intentions.
5. Indian parliament attack: December 2001
Synopsis: 5 terrorist breach watertight Parliament security – assault weapon of choice AK47- 6 cops killed – all 5intruders killed – no parliamentarian injured
Verdict: Major ego boost for the terrorists. However valiant attempts by Delhi police cops and security staff averted the attack. This brought the Indian citizens realise that their elected lawmakers cannot assure their own safety at the workplace. India was found to be a soft target yet again.
4. Mumbai train blasts 2006
Synopsis: 7 explosions in various trains – all in 11mins spans – crippling the only transit mode in the city the railway.
View detailed pictures: MumbaiTrainBlast
Verdict: This event brought the city to halt since the Mumbai local is lifeline and the only mass transit scheme in Mumbai. Since these trains are overcrowded 174 people died and many were severely injured. Instead of taking any preventive measures or at least making any gleeful attempt about planning any surveillance measure, the very next day everyone was talking about the resilience of Mumbai's public. I could only smile at the ignorance after reading editorial views in the paper which wrote paeans about the Mumbai chaotic lifestyle and how merry people are living such a lifestyle. I thought such resilience to accept incompetence will be tested.
3. Mumbai blasts: March 1993
Synopsis: Series of car bombs were detonated - all public landmarks across the city- including the stock exchange - killing 257 people
Verdict: Was first major terror strike on Indian mainland. Pioneering attempt by underworld criminal Dawood Ibrahim. Apart from a powerful explosion in Bombay Stock Exchange Three hotels, the Hotel Sea Rock, Hotel Juhu Centaur, and Hotel Airport Centaur, were targeted. Banks, the regional passport office, hotels, the Air India Building, and a major shopping complex were also hit. Bombs exploded at Zaveri Bazaar, area opposite of Century Bazaar, Katha Bazaar, Shiv Sena Bhawan, and Plaza Theatre. A double decker bus was very badly damaged in one of the explosions and that single incident accounted for the greatest loss of life - perhaps up to ninety people were killed.
These events have been carefully depicted in the Hindi ( Bollywood ) movie "Black Friday" view details: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400234/
It is a popular refrain "India is as good as the Bollywood movie" and this is what happened. The movie glorified meticulous efforts of the police in nabbing the bomber/terrorist while barely pointing out to the fact that it took ten years to sentence all these people. Some were booked under TADA (special terrorism act) yet the lethargic legal architecture was found to give way to the enormity of this bombing case.
2. Mumbai terror attack aka Indian 9/11: Nov 2008
Synopsis: Taj Mahal hotel captured – guests mostly foreigners open fired – affluent people made targets – Jewish priest killed in another hostage situation at a separate kidnapping venue – top cops of the city assassinated
Verdict: India is a soft state with lax border security. The terrorist came on boats from the sea shore adjoining the hotel. This attack showed terrorist have no disregard for security and the police. Shock & awe tactics were applied by striking at separate locations in the city. Taj Mahal hotel was a symbolic reference to the hold these terrorist had on the city. The whole drama went for nearly 2 days. The government retaliation wasn't inspiring. The commandos who came at long last and saved the day were heroic, working room by room to retake the two besieged hotels. Mumbai, with its 19 million people, lacks commandos of its own. They were flown in from the capital, New Delhi and poor folks had to field 9hrs of beaurocracy to actually reach their.
1. Will there be …will India be mocked around by terrorist?
Synopsis: A brilliant article in the opinion column of Wall Street Journal reads “India is an easy target. Its intelligence units are understaffed and lack resources. Coordination among the country's 28 state police forces is poor. The country's antiterror legal architecture is also inadequate; there is no preventive detention law, and prosecutions can take years”
Verdict: ????
REFERENCES
"Indian Hijack Drama Over"url: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/584729.stm
Wikipedia entry “29 October 2005 Delhi bombings
url; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/29_October_2005_Delhi_bombings
Terrorist attack parliament
url: http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/dec/13parl1.htm
Bombay blasts url: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Mumbai_bombings
Thair Sheikh for Gaurdian.co.uk
url: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/aug/26/india.thairshaikh
Chronology of bomblasts in India by NDTV
url; http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080058674
Murder in Mumbai url: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122783058605062909.html
“Terror In Mumbai”
Image Courtesy - VinitNeo url: http://flickr.com/photos/vinitneo/3062704078/sizes/l/

