Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. A series of synchronised serial blasts rocked three churches and three deluxe star hotels resulting in the death of 280 persons including 45 foreign nationals. The victims include three police officers and eight suicide bombers while more than 500 persons were injured seriously. This was the first major casualty that struck the island nation after the dreaded LTTE and its leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran were decimated by the Sri Lankan Army in 2009.
According to Sri Lankan media which quoted intelligence officers, the eight suicide bombers were members of National Thowheeth Jama’ath, an Islamic outfit in the island nation and had possible links with most of the terrorist organisations in West Asia. The churches that came under attack were at Colombo, Batticaloa and Negombo.
Though the terrorists had planned a second wave of suicide bombings, it was prevented by the timely intervention of the Sri Lankan security forces. If it could happen in Colombo and other places in Sri Lanka, what would have happened in New Delhi and other Indian cities is beyond imagination. With Tahawwur Hussein Rana under its custody and the widespread riots in Bengal against the Waqf (amendment) Bill becoming a legislation, the “angels of peace” could strike anywhere, everywhere and anytime in India.
There are many leaders in the Opposition parties who do not want Rana to spill the beans. The outburst by an Islamist member of parliament in the run up to the enactment of the Waqf Amendment Bill should be read along with this. The Madhya Pradesh Government’s decision to ban Hanuman Jayanti rallies in Guna and even in New Delhi speak volumes about the concern of the Centre viz-a-viz the scheme of plans devised by the Islamists.
The decision not to allow permission for “Road to the Cross” rally scheduled for Sunday by the Delhi administration has drawn widespread condemnation from all secular political leaders ranging from M A Baby of the CPI(M) to K C Venugopal, the Congress strongman.
They described the same as an attack on religious freedom assured in the Indian Constitution. But there was no reaction from these leaders regarding the ban on Hanuman Jayanti Rally and this is sheer hypocrisy, according to Stanly Sebastian, an educationist who is a devote Christian.
He said there is a threat perception against the Christian community members from various Islamist outfits. “The chances are that the Jihadis are sure to strike during the Holy week that culminates with Easter and it could be the reason behind the Center tightening the rules,” said Sebastian.
The demand by former Maharashtra Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Prithviraj Chauhan that Tahawwur Hussein Rana be provided with all legal help to ensure his human rights sounded dubious to many and they cannot be blamed for doubting about the Congress leader’s alleged link with Rana.
It is this unprecedented concern over the safety of terrorists and scorn for the majority religion that is pushing the followers of Sanatan Dharma to the fold of Hindu zealots.
