On 13/2/2010 in the evening, according to one report at 6.52 p.m., there was a blast in German Bakery at Koregaon Park in Poona. The bomb used is said to be a mixture of high intensity RDX and ammonium nitrate. At last count nine were dead and around forty were wounded, including some foreigners.
It is said that Chabad House and Osho Ashram were original targets of terrorists. However security there unnerved the terrorists and they planted bombs in German Bakery.
There are people who say this is a terror attack in India after 26/11/2008. They are wrong.
Terror attacks take place frequently in Kashmir. Naxals carry out terror attacks in many states of India, including Maharashtra. In some attacks more people have died than in Poona blast. Chidambaram had asked Naxals to abjure violence and come for talks. He had not asked them to lay down arms. Naxals continued with their violence.
India should be tough with all terrorists. Naxals did not surrender. A deadline should be set for them to surrender. If they do not surrender by then they should be caught dead or alive.
There should be no negotiation with terrorists for release of people in case of abduction, hijacking or kidnapping. TV channels should not have discussions with spokespersons of terrorists.
India needs tough laws against terrorists. Terrorists should be de tried in special courts. They can hire lawyers at their own expense. State should not provide them lawyers. Trial must get over fast. Should not drag on for years. Terrorists should be tried for their specific roles. In a terrorist attack when different places are attacked separate chargesheets should be filed for each place. That makes trial fast.
There should be no politicisation of terrorist attacks. Political parties defending terrorists on the basis of their religion should stop.
India should provide justice for all. Many times riot victims do not get justice. That causes some members of the community of victims to become terrorists. Injustice could be a reason for some becoming Naxals.
India blames Pakistan for cross border terrorism. Pakistan blames India for terrorism in Baluchistan. Blame game has to stop.
As of now Foreign Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan scheduled for 25/2/2010 are on. It is possible that people who did not want peace between India and Pakistan carried out the Poona blast to derail peace talks.
Mercy petitions of all murderers sentenced to death lying with the President should be rejected immediately and all of them should be hanged soon. That will send a strong message to terrorists. Let us not be fooled by the argument that terrorists are ready to die and death penalty will not make any difference to them. Very few terrorists are suicide bombers. Most of them operate secretly and do not want to be caught. Many are told that they can return safely after accomplishing their mission. They are unable to escape and die fighting. Let us also be not fooled by the argument by the argument that death penalty to terrorists will make them martyrs. Law must take its course and whether they become martyrs in the eyes of some is immaterial. Besides some associates of terrorists will engage in abduction, hijacking or kidnapping and in the past India had released terrorists in exchange of hostages and that gave boost to terrorism. Terrorists caught must be tried and hanged soon.
