By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Asserting that the blasts were the handiwork of those who don’t like India’s progress and sought to derail its booming economy, Gujaratis settled in Canada say everyone in Gujarat should come together, irrespective of their religious or political affiliation, to fight to defeat such people.
Rising above political sympathies, they urged Indian politicians to work to heal the wounds, rather than indulge in blaming each other for the terror attacks that killed at least 50 people and left hundreds injured.
“It is very small group of political miscreants, criminal elements and paid agents of vested interests who don’t like India’s progress. Their designs are to stop India’s record growth by dividing people,” prominent Gujarati leader Atul Tolia told IANS.
Tolia said the answer lies with the people of India and Gujarat. “POTA, TADA and emergency powers are the not solution. The solution is the people of India and Gujarat who should defeat the enemies working at the behest of foreign forces. People should stay calm to defeat their dastardly designs,” he said.
Ramesh Patel, another prominent Gujarati of the Toronto area, lamented that the Indian establishment has never been pro-active in dealing with terrorist threats.
“When will they learn to be more pro-active? They respond only when the deed is done, as has happened in Bangalore and Ahmedabad,” he said.
Unless the government involves the whole society in India’s fight against terrorism, Patel said, it will be difficult to defeat anti-national forces.
“It is always difficult to fight the enemy within. You need intelligence from the grassroots to catch anti-national elements. The whole society needs to be involved in intelligence gathering. The government needs a network of secret agents in society,” said Patel.
According to businessman Hemant Shah of Winnipeg, terror blasts are a design to derail India’s booming economy. “Enough is enough. Now is the time for all Indians, whether they live in India or abroad, to defeat the enemy of Mother India,” Shah told IANS.
Considering India’s huge growth rate, Shah said, some jealous forces want it thrown off-track. “The Indians should go out now to defeat and finish these forces,” he said.
Veena Gujarthiee of the Gujarati Samaj in Montreal said Hindu and Muslims leaders should come together to remind people of the age-old harmonious relations between the two communities in Gujarat.
“The only way to isolate and defeat people who have no respect for human life is to show our age-old unity. Gujarat has a great history of communal harmony. Revenge has never been part of our culture,” she said.