Delhiites
prepare to celebrate Diwali after bomb blasts
New
Delhi: Uneasy Delhi citizens have begun preparing for
Diwali, the biggest festival of the Hindu year, marking the
triumph of good over evil. On Monday, even as the police continued
their manhunt for those behind Saturday's three deadly blasts,
the city's 14 million denizens were slowly getting back on
their feet on Diwali eve to shop and resume their lives as
before. People in Paharganj, one of the blast sites in central
Delhi have begun working as usual, traffic is plying and small
kiosks have opened selling sweets and crackers for Diwali.
But many people still remember the most horrific moments of
their lives. "I was here drinking water when the blast happened.
I thought there was a problem with the transformer, but later
I saw a huge black cloud of smoke and people were lying all
over. I started my car and began ferrying people to the hospitals,"
said Ramesh, an eyewitness.
In
Sarojini Nagar market, another hot spot for festival shoppers,
people began their daily chores, but still there were people
looking for their loved ones missing two days after the blasts.
"I went to the police but they want the exact details of where
he was working. I have been looking for him for the past two
days. I don't know where to find him," said Kishori, whose
brother working at a small eatery has not returned home since
that fateful day. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who visited
survivors on Sunday and chaired an emergency cabinet meeting,
blamed the coordinated blasts on terrorists but would not
hazard any speculation.
Analysts say the Inqilabi Mahaz (Islamic Revolutionary Group),
which claimed responsibility, is likely a front for the better-
known Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (Force of the Pure).
Saturday's blasts came as Indian and Pakistani officials in
Islamabad agreed to open the Kashmir frontier to help victims
of this month's devastating Kashmir quake, the latest step
in a sometimes unsteady peace process opposed by some Kashmiri
rebels. India has blamed previous militant attacks on Pakistan-based
rebels. However, the country is also racked by scores of revolts
and in May two blasts blamed on Sikh separatists killed one
person and wounded dozens at Delhi cinemas. Speculation points
to Lashkar and other Kashmiri groups seen as having the skills
and resources needed for such an attack. But Kashmir's largest
rebel group, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, has said Islamic militants
would never strike at civilians. Delhi's Chief Minister, Sheila
Dikshit, has appealed for people to stay away from public
areas for the next few days ahead of Diwali and Eid.