Broader Implications of the Malegaon Bombing

By Aaron Mannes

So far information about the September 8 bombing in the Indian city of Malegaon, which killed at least 31 and injured several hundred, leads in few clear directions. However, the handling of the investigation and aftermath of the bombing could have important broader implications for India and the world.

The town of Malegaon is a predominantly Muslim town a few hours from Mumbai (which was struck by a massive terror attack on July 11). Initial reports suggest that the explosive in the four Malegaon bombs were RDX, the same as in the Mumbai bombs. (Some police officials have claimed the devices were exactly the same as the Mumbai bombs.) In a raid in Malegaon earlier this year police found RDX and AK-47s. This might lead to the conclusion that there is a link between the Mumbai bombings and the Malegaon bombings. But the Mumbai bombings were believed to be the work of radical Islamists, possibly tied to Lashkar-e-Toiba. The victims of the Malegaon bombing were predominantly Muslim worshippers at the Shab-e-Barat ceremony (in which Muslims pray for departed souls) and the town is actually pro-Islamist. The town was the site of protests against the U.S. on behalf of the Taliban when the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan in 2001. Twelve were killed by Indian security forces when the protests turned violent.

Alternately other reports state that the bombs were crudely built and most of the casualties were from the post-detonation stampede – although some eyewitness reports contradict this. (If this is true it is an interesting new terror tactic that we may see more of by groups that lack the sophistication to build effective explosives.)

None of this absolutely rules out Islamists, but Hindu extremists seem more likely. Although it could have been a Muslim rival sect, or it could have been a cynical attack by Islamists intended to increase ethnic strife. Unfortunately the level of distrust between much of India’s Muslim community and the police is very high. Even if a Muslim group is behind the attack, the broader Muslim community is likely to interpret it as a cover-up. One indicator of this distrust is that when security forces attempted to go to the bombsite they were pelted by an angry mob with rocks.

Nonetheless, so far the situation in Malegaon is tense but not violent. National and communal leaders from every sector have condemned the bombing and are calling for calm.

Much is at stake in maintaining this calm. India is a rising democracy with tremendous potential to become a force for freedom and prosperity in the world. Terrorists and other enemies of freedom have every interest in seeing India’s project fail. India’s greatest vulnerability is the contentious relationship between the Hindu majority and the Muslim minority. Communal violence has wracked India in the all too recent past. In February 2002 Indian Muslims set fire to a train carrying Hindus. Hindus responded with riots in which hundreds of Muslims were killed. The success and integrity of the bombing investigation has issues beyond justice for the victims.

TrackBack