02-20-2007, 01:24 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Terrible outrage </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
UPA has only itself to blame
It is astonishing that security arrangements for the Lahore-bound Samjhauta Express should have been so lax as to allow terrorists to plant explosive devices and inflammable material in two bogeys of the train that is meant to promote friendship between the people of India and Pakistan with disastrous consequences. <b>At the last count, at least 67 passengers, most of them Pakistanis,</b> including men, women and children, were killed in the explosions and the resultant fire that ravaged the two bogeys, catching people unawares in the dead of night. It would be an understatement to describe the latest terror strike as a dastardly attack on innocent people; it is a grim reminder that precious little has been done by the UPA Government to achieve any tangible gains in the war against terror within India's territory. On the contrary, by repealing the <b>Prevention of Terrorism Act and subsequently refusing to crack down on terrorism despite several horrifying attacks in the mistaken belief that inaction will win the Congress Muslim votes, this Government has inflicted immeasurable harm on the country and made internal security a negotiable instrument to mollycoddle killers and their patrons</b>. For all his bluster about jihadis gaining ground and the need to be watchful, the National Security Adviser, who also happens to be the sole repository of all intelligence input, has utterly failed in fulfilling his primary responsibility. No less to blame is the Prime Minister who has become a captive of his own rhetoric and believes vacuous grandstanding is a substitute for effective security measures. <b>We need not comment on the Home Minister and his abysmal lack of command over his job.</b>
With specific details yet to emerge about the identity of the bombers - hopefully we will be spared the routine official bunkum that has been put out after recent terrorist strikes - it is anybody's guess as to who or which organisation is responsible for Sunday night's attack. <b>It is entirely possible that the bombers are of Pakistani origin and their mission was to destabilise the peace process between the two countries by triggering a domestic backlash against Gen Pervez Musharraf</b>. At the same time, we cannot rule out the involvement of home-grown jihadis doing their masters' bidding. Whatever the identity of the mass killers, we cannot side-step the fact that ensuring safety on Samjhauta Express while it is on Indian territory is the responsibility of the Government of India. To that extent, the Pakistan Government cannot be faulted for its mocking comments. The perpetrator of cross-border terror has not missed the opportunity to paint the victim in bleak colours and we have only the UPA Government to blame for this bizarre turn of events. Had there been no security lapse and had the UPA Government been truly committed to fighting terrorism, whether of foreign or domestic origin, then Pakistan would not have had the vicarious pleasure of putting India on the defensive. On Monday, while <b>Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meekly fumbled for an explanation, Gen Musharraf magnanimously suggested that the bombings should not be allowed to derail the bilateral peace process.</b> The boot is now truly on the other foot.
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The Pioneer Edit Desk
UPA has only itself to blame
It is astonishing that security arrangements for the Lahore-bound Samjhauta Express should have been so lax as to allow terrorists to plant explosive devices and inflammable material in two bogeys of the train that is meant to promote friendship between the people of India and Pakistan with disastrous consequences. <b>At the last count, at least 67 passengers, most of them Pakistanis,</b> including men, women and children, were killed in the explosions and the resultant fire that ravaged the two bogeys, catching people unawares in the dead of night. It would be an understatement to describe the latest terror strike as a dastardly attack on innocent people; it is a grim reminder that precious little has been done by the UPA Government to achieve any tangible gains in the war against terror within India's territory. On the contrary, by repealing the <b>Prevention of Terrorism Act and subsequently refusing to crack down on terrorism despite several horrifying attacks in the mistaken belief that inaction will win the Congress Muslim votes, this Government has inflicted immeasurable harm on the country and made internal security a negotiable instrument to mollycoddle killers and their patrons</b>. For all his bluster about jihadis gaining ground and the need to be watchful, the National Security Adviser, who also happens to be the sole repository of all intelligence input, has utterly failed in fulfilling his primary responsibility. No less to blame is the Prime Minister who has become a captive of his own rhetoric and believes vacuous grandstanding is a substitute for effective security measures. <b>We need not comment on the Home Minister and his abysmal lack of command over his job.</b>
With specific details yet to emerge about the identity of the bombers - hopefully we will be spared the routine official bunkum that has been put out after recent terrorist strikes - it is anybody's guess as to who or which organisation is responsible for Sunday night's attack. <b>It is entirely possible that the bombers are of Pakistani origin and their mission was to destabilise the peace process between the two countries by triggering a domestic backlash against Gen Pervez Musharraf</b>. At the same time, we cannot rule out the involvement of home-grown jihadis doing their masters' bidding. Whatever the identity of the mass killers, we cannot side-step the fact that ensuring safety on Samjhauta Express while it is on Indian territory is the responsibility of the Government of India. To that extent, the Pakistan Government cannot be faulted for its mocking comments. The perpetrator of cross-border terror has not missed the opportunity to paint the victim in bleak colours and we have only the UPA Government to blame for this bizarre turn of events. Had there been no security lapse and had the UPA Government been truly committed to fighting terrorism, whether of foreign or domestic origin, then Pakistan would not have had the vicarious pleasure of putting India on the defensive. On Monday, while <b>Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meekly fumbled for an explanation, Gen Musharraf magnanimously suggested that the bombings should not be allowed to derail the bilateral peace process.</b> The boot is now truly on the other foot.
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