On the one hand, you have Sushma Swaraj who says the Bangalore blasts and the Ahmedabad blasts were “a conspiracy to divert attention from the cash-for-votes scandal”. Not-so-hidden message: somebody somewhere was out to sully the besmirch the good name of the BJP to save their own.
On the other hand, you also have the heart-warming spectacle of the Surat blasts that weren’t. Last Saturday, the police force of “India’s best governed State” couldn’t spot or defuse one single bomb. On Monday, they were tripping over each other spotting and defusing a couple of dozen of them.
The Surat bombs, all neatly packed in green wrappers, were picked up from trees, from behind signboards, from tree guards, from inside meter boxes, to the applause of spectators gathered around. No one knew where the bombs came from, who planted them, or why they didnt’ go off.
But the important thing is that thanks to the untiring efforts of a few bravehearts, “innocent lives” weren’t lost in the diamond city.
Mail Today, the tabloid newspaper owned by the India Today group, has done a sterling job of identifiying and saluting the brave men who spotted the bombs. Surprise, surprise, the police were tipped off by a small group of BJP activists with no previous expertise in spotting bombs.
# All hail Bhimji Budhna, BJP corporator and president of the Surat diamond market: He called up the police to alert them about 11—yes, eleven–of the 22 bombs that didn’t explode. He got a call at 10.30 am from “one of my workers” at Shakti Vijay Housing Society. He doesn’t remember his name now. “But if you visit that place anybody will tell you about it.”
# All hail Pravin Bhalala, real estate broker, VHP activist, and president of the Gau Rakshak Suraksha Samiti: “On July 26, I watched the entire coverage of the Ahmedabad blasts. I saw that a Maruti Wagon R car with the ‘CD’ series [registration] was used for one of the blasts. Next day, when I went to Varchcha, I found that three shopkeepers were discussing what to do with a car parked in front of their shops. The number plate was of the ‘CD’ series. I got suspicious and informed the police.”
# All hail Sanjay Kapooria: He doesn’t belong to any political party, but Budhna says “he is one of us.” Kapooria fished out a bomb from a dustbin near his jewellery shop. He then carried the bomb all the way to the nearest police post. Asked if he wasn’t scared of the bomb exploding, Kapooria says: “When none of the earlier 18 bombs had gone off in Surat, I was sure that this too would not. I didn’t fear even once about the bomb that I was carrying.”
What would the fate of the “innocent men and women” of Surat have been without these brave men who risked their own lives for the lives of their brethren? How is it that some men, in this day and age of I-Me-Myself are capable of thinking beyond themselves for the good of society?
As Bhalala is quoted by the paper as saying, this was truly a triumph of community effort.
“We started a campaign asking our members and acquaintances to move around and look for such bombs. We started getting calls from our members and other people, and we kept moving from one place to another informing the police about the bombs.”
Has the shortlist for the 2009 Republic Day honours list for Gujarat become shorter by three names even before the 2008 Independence Day?
And cadre-less parties rely on “journalists”, because this is what must have happened.
The plot to plant bombs in Surat and blame the Congress for the bombing was hatched in Sushma Swaraj’s house. Top leaders of the BJP were present there. (What they did not know was that the Congress outsmarted them by getting Rajdeep Sardesai to wire the place up with bugging devices.)
Then BJP workers planted bombs in Surat, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Channapatna. The successfully dentonated the bombs in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. But before they could explode one remaining bomb in Channapatna, and all the ones in Surat, they received Rs 3 crore each from one Mr Saxena.
Unfortunately for the BJP, Rajdeep Sardesai got wind of BJP’s plans through his secret tapes. He won’t air the tapes. You can’t get the fellow to do it even if you a put an anti-submarine gun to his head or his butt. Such is his determination. Upright and honest. But he knows the truth, despite being upright and honest. And he tipped off Churumuri.
That’s how we’re where we are.
“Innocent lives” ?
KP uncle, what are you insinuating?
“Has the shortlist for the 2009 Republic Day honours list for Gujarat become shorter by three names even before the 2008 Independence Day?”
…I am also worried about poor Maharashtra. Last year, Rajdeep. This year must be Arundhati Ghosh and perhaps Rajdeep again ( upper tier prizes for loyal: padma bibhutibhushan, padma bibhishan). CNN-IBN must shift there base from Bombay to make the Maharashtra the level playing field for the fixed prizes
“How is it that some men, in this day and age of I-Me-Myself are capable of thinking beyond themselves for the good of society? ”
How is it, I wonder, that many men and women are able to think beyond themselves for the bad of society by placing bombs near hospitals? Pertinent no?
>>…I am also worried about poor Maharashtra. Last year, Rajdeep.
I am not aware of this. So how many other awards did this Padmasri wangle?
On a philosophical note, Padmasris and other awards announced by Congress governments seem to attract “journalists” like magnets.
Well this completes the circle, For how long will we let cheddis play with the innocent lives and fool the nation.
A great story! Simple vigilance can tackle terrorism! Also I was thinking can’t these rich diamond merchants simply install video cameras in all parts of the city being mindful of some privacy issues? Porblem solved no?
Didn’t you read in The Hindu Magazine that this is all natural, equal and opposite reaction by a respectable(?) academic… now where did I hear a similar argument?