Why bother with news about blasts! Sreenivasan Raju Aiyer

Source: Rediff

October 01, 2008
News relating to terror attacks no more attract my attention. I do not take note of such items be it over the television or the print media. You can say my feelings have become numb. This many killed or that many injured (which varies from place to place, or on the intensity of bomb to bomb), RDX was used or ammonium nitrate was used, these do not mean anything at all.

We all know that when there is a bomb blast there has to be casualties. We also know who has planted those bombs. We all know prior to planting those bombs, they have already planted people sympathetic to their cause in vital places of political leadership, academia, print and visual media etc who would immediately pounce to justify these acts of terror. The act of terror which resulted in the death of so many innocent souls — many of whom who happen to be women, children, sole bread-winners for their families — does not mean anything either to those who perpetrated these acts or to those justifying the same.

Even those of the acts which was thought to be indefensible some time back, is defensible now. For example, we all thought tax-payers’ money cannot be used to defend those accused of anti-national activities. The recent Delhi [Images] bomb blasts and those accused of planting the bombs found at Jamia Nagar, and the Jamia university’s vice chancellor coming forward to defend the accused in a court of law using grants received from the UGC for running the central university, is a case in point.

The irony is this stance of the JMI vice chancellor is finding support in other central government funded universities where meetings of teachers’ associations are being held, seminars conducted to support him almost on the same lines as support extended to SAR Geelani and Afzal Guru.

As of now we still believe government funds cannot be used for providing arms and ammunition to jihadi, naxalite, Maoist and other violent groups (such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal if it would please those inclined to think so). This job has been assigned to Dawood Ibrahim [Images], Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence, the Chinese government, or may be the CIA.

But who knows? A time may come when human rights activists, liberals, intellectual elite, eminent persons, secularists and other lumpen elements may argue that it is okay for the State to fund the activities of such violent groups who according to them mean well to “liberate” those people who vibe on the same wavelength with them!

So my question is, why waste time on reading or viewing such news reports? We might as well spend that time more fruitfully in the company of our family and friends because you never know in which nook or corner a bomb has been very kindly planted for promoting acts of “liberation”!

Sreenivasan Raju Aiyer is with the Centre for East Asian Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University

Who killed Swami Lakshmanananda Maoists OR Christian missionaries

Maoists deny role in VHP leader’s murder

Staff Reporter

Source: The Hindu

‘Some wayward cadre lured by some committed the crime’

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Copy of the letter sent to VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders

Maoists also deny role in the murder of VHP activists at Jalaspata

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BERHAMPUR:

The letter claimed that some wayward cadre of the Maoist outfit were lured by nefarious elements to commit the crime. Meanwhile naxal sympathizers of Orissa have also claimed that Maoists had no hand in the murder of the VHP activists at Jalaspata in Kandhamal district.

A copy of the letter was sent to the State joint secretary of the VHP and the State joint coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, Ramakant Rath. The letter was claimed to be written by the Kotgarh unit of the CPI-Maoist party.

Christian groups didn’t kill VHP leader: Sources

NDTV Correspondent
Source: NDTV

Friday, August 29, 2008, (Bhubaneswar)

Government sources tell NDTV that their assessment is that Christian groups did not kill VHP leader Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati.

In an Orissa daily, Maoist leader Azad has claimed responsibility for killing of the VHP leader.

As Kandamal continues to simmer with sporadic incidents of violence, 20 companies of CRPF have already reached the area.

Naxals Attack Spiritual guru:: Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, 4 others killed in grenade attack in Orissa

Source: Odissatoday.com
Bhubaneswar ( Orissa) : In a sensational incident Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his close aids have been killed in a grenade attack by the suspected Maoists at around 9 PM at Jalaspotta Ashram, in Tumudi Bandh area in the tribal dominated district of Kandhamal in Southern Orissa on Saturday night.

According to the sources the suspected Maoist have hurled grenade on the Ashram resulting killing of five persons including Ashram chief, Swami Laxmananand Saraswati.

The other victims include two inmates of the ashram and all the victims have dead at the spot.

RSS has decided to block all NH running through the Orissa as mark of protest over the killing on Saturday night, sources said.

Meanwhile RDC Southern range Satyabrta Sahu, DIG Southern range, RP Kothe have rushed to the spot as the tension flare up in the district following this incident.

Additional security forces 12 CRPF platoon have also been moved to the spot to prevent any unpleasant incident in the district.

According to the sources in the police administration, the Orissa DG Gopal Nanda directly monitoring the whole situation.

Meanwhile in yet another significant development highly placed sources in the VHP says that VHP and other saffon outfits have called a emergency meeting at undisclosed place to decide future action over this issue.

VHP and other saffron partied have called a dawn to dush Bandh on Monday protesting the brutal killing of Swami Laxamananda Saraswati.

It may be noted here that the tribal dominated Southern district of Orissa has been under serious tension since Hindu and Christians clashed each other on December 25, 2007 in Phulbani district.

Since then, Central Para Military Forces have been camping at Kandhamal. Orissa Government has constituted a judicial commission under Justice Basudev Panigrahi to probe the December communal clash.

In protest against the attack on saint and illegal beef trading, members of RSS, Viswa Hindu Parishad and Bharatiya Janata Party led by Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati blocked the roads and demanding action against the accused.

Swami demanded a high level probe into illegal beef trading in Kandhamal. VHP has also called Kandhamal bandh on Wednesday over this issue.