Tuesday’s serial bomb blasts in packed railway stations and on commuter trains in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, present a stark tragedy of death and destruction — by noon yesterday 190 people had been confirmed dead and 715 wounded. Train cars were blown apart during the evening rush hour in a commercial hub which attracts lakhs of commuters from the suburbs daily, and heart-rending television footage of dead bodies, lost limbs, grieving and terror-stricken people could not have failed to trigger questions in the minds of all sober-minded people, outraged as they clearly were, what could be the workings of minds bent on perpetrating such heinous acts of terrorism. Such apparently well-coordinated explosions, eight in number, taking place within about 20 minutes of each other, could not have been the work of just one or two individuals; though no group has claimed responsibility, the needle of suspicion of Indian security agencies has been pointed at Muslim underground figures or Kashmiri militants.

The enormity of the crime is unspeakable and unpardonable. One need not therefore say that a terrorist outfit is behind the blasts, as these are nothing but wanton acts of terrorism. Certainly, the authors of the blasts cannot hope to achieve their objectives, if they have any, except the sadistic and perverse delight from the carnage of innocent fellow human beings. But this also poses problems for the Indian government in dealing with people who act from vague motives as if detonating bombs is their hobby. There is no doubt that India has been a victim of terrorism (and some five years ago there was an attempt to blow up even its parliament building with MPs and ministers in assembly), and Bombay has been rocked several times in recent years with bomb explosions, the worst in 1993 when serial blasts killed 250 people and injured more than 1,000. The present outrage comes close to that.

In the immediate aftermath of such an outrage, it is but natural for the Indian government to sound red alert and take all possible steps to control damage and prevent the possibility of further explosions. There has been instant worldwide condemnation, and there can be no other response to it, except steeling the resolve to deal with terrorism with a firm hand. However, those who indulge in such acts should bear in mind that their violence won’t help them achieve their objectives, irrespective of the reasonableness or otherwise of their demands. For example, those who want to wrest Kashmir from Indian hands should realise that an uncompromising pursuit of violence has not led them any nearer to their goal. On the other hand, it is the duty of any government, Indian or otherwise, to consider the demands of disgruntled groups in their proper perspectives and try its best to address their legitimate concerns. But first of all, there needs to be a shift in emphasis — from violence on the bombers’ part to redressal of their reasonable grievances through peaceful means.