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Bomb-hunters of Surat

by Saeed Naqvi, 18 September 2008

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(Published in: The Daily Times, September 19, 2008)

In this mysterious discovery of bombs, the second name is that of BJP Corporator Bhimji Budhna. He turned out to be an even greater “bomb†hunter than Bhalla. With his team of followers he spotted no fewer than eleven bombs

We now have it on good authority that tougher laws to fight terrorism are in the works. In fact, the election season could well be decorated by further, tougher steps like Guantanamo Bay in the Andamans or even renditions to the real place!

I would, personally, invite as many people as I can for a show of solidarity with the government for its new resolve provided I can obtain answers to some nagging questions.

For example a correspondent of the Hindi daily Hindustan has written a story from Surat which begs a few questions. Once I have the answers to this submission, I reserve the right to ask, say, two more questions before I begin to mobilise cheerleaders for tougher anti terror laws.

Herewith the Hindustan story published on page one in August, after the Surat “bombs†had been located.

“Another live bomb has been found in Surat bringing the number of such bombs to 28. The bomb was found in a bag at the bus stand adjacent to Chaupati. Seven days after the Ahmedabad blasts, such bombs have been found and defused with unusual frequency. Not one of these ‘bombs’ exploded.â€

Obviously Surat has been saved by a miracle or by eyes more vigilant than those of the police.

All praise to the experts who, in an instant, reduced “live bombs†to “duds†. Should the citizen not thank these gentlemen who actually informed the police about the existence of these bombs?

After the Ahmedabad blasts so overstretched was the otherwise alert police that it was unable to find any bomb in Surat. But some committed people performed near “miracles†. Wherever they placed their probing hand, they found a “bomb†.

The first such citizen of Surat whose name the police knows well is the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Praveen Bhalla. It was Bhalla who informed the police about a car laden with bombs at Varcha. He learnt about the bomb after over hearing the conversation between some shopkeepers. After the car was found, Bhalla yet again informed the police of another bomb. Bhalla had learnt about this bomb from a friend whose name he has forgotten.

In this mysterious discovery of bombs, the second name is that of BJP Corporator Bhimji Budhna. He turned out to be an even greater “bomb†hunter than Bhalla. With his team of followers he spotted no fewer than eleven bombs.

The first tip-off by Budhna to the ever-eager police was actually information he had received from one of his workers. Like Bhalla, Budhna too has forgotten the name of this informant. The next bomb Budhna discovered was masterly investigation. He was talking on his mobile when, lo and behold, his roving eyes settled on a “bomb†hanging behind a hoarding. This was just the beginning. In rapid succession he found more bombs dangling from hoardings. It is difficult to conclude if the “terrorists†were trying to draw attention to some merchandise of their preference.

The startling fact is that in this fashion with uncanny precision, Budhna reported and defused eleven bombs.

Little wonder Police Commissioner of Surat, RMS Brar, describes these spectacular discoveries as “good luck†. Before he says anything else on the record, Brar would like to wait for the forensic reports. Forensic investigations are being conducted in Gandhinagar. An official involved in these investigations has told Hindustan that the circuit of the bombs was complete. This does not explain why the bombs did not explode. This only the investigations will reveal.

Meanwhile the citizens of Surat are thanking the rain gods for continuous rain, and the foreign country that produces the chips that go into bombs, for having cluttered the market with “dead chips†. Both these facts may explain the almost benign nature of the discovered bombs.

The Hindustan reporter then asks the question: “What lesson do we learn from the discovery of bombs in Surat which did not explode?â€

Indeed, all that the Home Ministry needs to do is to obtain directly, or through the reliable agency of Narendra Modi, the role of Bhalla and Budhna, their profiles, to shed some light on their remarkable commitment towards the people of Gujarat, a commitment for which they must be given bravery awards or, at least, membership of the Rajya Sabha from the government quota.

The writer is one of India’s leading columnists