Travel Forum / Destinations / Asia / July 2008

Basically. In answer to Alfred, whose post I didn't see, no it definitely
doesn't happen often. Very rare, in fact. The South is generally more
peaceful than the north. The South suffered less trauma during Partition and
was until recently - before the IT boom - more ethnically homogenous,
although there have always been large religious minorities. Traditionally
geography and caste bound people more tightly than religion, though that is
changing.

Cheers,
George W Russell
Bangalore

Not quite.

The Indian police authorities do tend to look quite hard when people get
blown up.

In the big Bombay bombings a decade or so ago the police case was almost a
textbook anti terror investigation,  but it took years...

The problem is that they main investigative police organisation (India has a
million different police forces) under the direct control of the local
(state level) political authorities, who tend to insist on an arrest 'right
now'.

So the police arrest someone and get a confession from them.

When the case come to court,  usually about eighteen months later,  the
judge looks at the evidence,  usually a blood specked confession signed by a
very shaky hand,  and say 'Is this all you've got?' and promptly sets the
accused free.

In this particular case the BBC reports that there are two lots being looked
for,  the 'usual suspects' (a bunch of Islamic militant nutters sponsored by
Pakistan called 'The Students' Islamic Movement of India' ) and,  probably
more likely,  'a small militant group'.  This is usually 'code' for Hindu
nationalists who aren't anything to do with the BJP,  (honest,  nothing at
all to do with then,  or the RSS either,  they just came to some lectures,
we don't know them...)  who are upset because the government survived a
confidence vote on an issue that the BJP thinks the Congress stole from
them...

As always when Indian politics comes along I recommend people read 'Maximum
City' by Suketu Mehta.  It's well out of date now but introduces all the
personalities and organisations you need to know about,  albeit from a
Bombay perspective.

'Alan S[_1_ Wrote:

the country is facing terrorist stuf

--
akhanna0

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