In temple town, blasts drown pealing of bells

When two-year-old Shivangi8217;s parents took her to the Sankatmochan temple in Varanasi for the Tuesday darshan, never in their worst imag...

When two-year-old Shivangi8217;s parents took her to the Sankatmochan temple in Varanasi for the Tuesday darshan, never in their worst imaginings could they have foreseen that their little girl would be one of the 12 people who died in the blasts that shook the temple town this evening. Separated from her parents in the melee that followed the explosions, Shivangi breathed her last at the Benaras Hindu University hospital, her body lying unclaimed till late into the night.

Some 45 people injured in the blasts at the Cantonment station and at the Sankatmochan temple were admitted to the BHU hospital; others were admitted to the Heritage hospital in Lanka and to the Kabir Chaura district hospital.

Most of those injured were in too great a state of shock to describe what they had witnessed in the fateful moments before and immediately after the explosions. Among them, Imtiyaz Ali could provide only his name and the fact that he owned a PCO near the temple. Anant Kumar Bhattacharya said that he was from New Delhi and had been sitting at the Cantonment station8212;speech, however, failed him after this.

Hemant Kumar 23 of Assi, injured in the Sankatmochan blast, remembers the panic-stricken dash for safety through an all-enveloping smoke. 8216;8216;We heard a loud noise and suddenly there was smoke all around. People were running here and there for cover and we had no idea of what was happening,8217;8217; said Hemant lying on his bed in the BHU hospital.

According to Dr Nitin Barua, who attended the injured at BHU, the majority of injuries were not burns but were caused by small pellets, suggesting that the bombs used may have been crude devices, made without high quantities of RDX. 8216;8216;Most of the injured have come with multiple fractures; they may have been hurt during the stampede after the blasts,8217;8217; Dr Barua said.

The reactions

	nbsp;	8226; Home Ministry: The ministry has issued advisories to all states to reinforce communal peace and keep tab on suspicious movements. The Ministry has put NSG commandoes on high alert for deployment if and when the state asks for them. 8226; Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Hardline faction: 8216;8216;This is regrettable8230; No matter who is behind this act, the human life is very precious. Islam more than any other religion stresses for the dignity of the human life.8217;8217; 8226; Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference Moderate faction: 8216;8216;It is very unfortunate. This is an act of terrorism against the innocent people.8217;8217; Story continues below this ad 8226; Shabir Ahmad Shah, president, Democratic Freedom Party: 8216;8216;We condemn all the acts of violence at the religious places. The people of Varanasi have a history of religious harmony. They should maintain it.8217;8217; 8226; Idris Ali, president, All India Minority Forum: 8216;8216;The blasts in Varanasi as a barbaric act8230; Those, who perpetrated the heinous crime in a place of worship, are anti-national elements bent upon disturbing communal harmony.8217;8217; 8226; Maulana Tauqeer Reza Khan Barelvi, president, All India Muslim Personal Law Board Jadeed: 8220;Blasts masterminded by BJP and SP who were losing their support base in UP and if communal violence were to be triggered off they would be the biggest gainers.The people should maintain calm and not fall in their trap.8221; 8226; Shaista Ambar, president, All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board: Political parties are behind this, people should watch out for the designs of vested interests. Story continues below this ad 8226; Nehaluddin, president, All India Muslim Forum: Highly regrettable and condemnable. SP and BJP are trying to disturb communal harmony in the state to gain from polarisation of votes. 8226; Naeem Hamid, member of executive committee, All India Muslim Personal Law Board: 8220;Communal peace must be maintained despite the attempts to disturb peace. All Indians are one and this message should percolate down.8221; 8226; Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living: 8220;Terrorists are specially attacking the Hindu community. Today, Hindus are feeling completely unsafe.8221; 8212;ENS 038; PTI	nbsp;