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October: favourite month for bomb strikes in India?

Bombing has become the sole and most potent weapon of terrorist organisations; October has been their favourite strike month.

Besides bombings that left Karachi and Pakistan bleeding last week, India too had its share of bomb blasts in Ajmer and Ludhiana this month, Some of the cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, have born major brunt of terrorist strikes as records put the number of lives lost in bombings since January, 2004 at 3700.

Bombing, admit police officials, is the most economical and potent weapon used by terrorists who have of late discarded the use of other weaponry, including assault rifles.

To send a message to the global community that they are still alive and kicking, rudiments of erstwhile terrorist groups and supported by new organisations from across the border on the either flank of the country bombing suits them the most.

Bombing not only needs minimum of investment in terms of finance, planning and personnel, it also makes it impossible for police forces to detect the potential threats before they strike.

Increased use of both ammonium nitrate based intensive explosive devices and RDX in crowded areas has proved a lethal success. Some of the better trained terrorist organisations have been using with professional acumen the remote controlled devices to trigger series of blasts as were witnessed in Mumbai and Delhi.

Though the intelligence agencies besides the central agencies suspect direct or indirect involvement of ultra Muslim outfits and intelligence agencies of country’s immediate neighbours, they also do not rule out the podium being provided by the rudiments of virtually eliminated terrorist organisations.

Interestingly, another revelation of study of bomb blasts in the past few years will reveal that both July and October continue to be favourite strike months for the terrorists.
If one looks back, a series of blasts had rocked Delhi in October, 1997. Bombing terror returned to the capital again in October, 2005 in Sarojini Nagar, Pahar Ganj and Gobindpuri, leaving 59 dead and 160 others injured.

In October, 2005, 12 policemen were killed in bombing by Maoist terrorists in Jharkhand.
This year, October already had its share of blasts, both in India and neighbouring Pakistan. Chandigarh had witnessed October bloodbath some years ago when terrorists exploded bombs at a Ramleela in the city.

In Mumbai, terrorists had struck in a big way in 2006, but in advance (September end) as the bombing in Malegaon left 30 dead and 100 other injured.

September to December is the festival season when the shopping centres, places of worship and even railway stations, bus stands and airports overflow with holiday revellers. Choosing this festival season for their strikes is understandable admit police officials but still maintain that because of crowding it is impossible to spot a man carrying a bomb in his bag, or wrapped around his waist. Since festival season marks the beginning of winter season, most of the bomb carriers also use shawls and blankets for camouflaging.