The blasts on July 26 last year introduced 'terrorism' as a reality for Amdavadis.
The 26th day of July last year changed the way the modern history of Ahmedabad would be written. Twenty-two bomb blasts ripped the city on an innocuous Saturday evening, taking 57 innocent lives, injuring 242, and leaving a life-long stream of traumatic memories for thousands of others. The blasts also introduced 'terrorism' as a reality for Amdavadis.
A year later, DNA looks back on the day that shook our collective conscience, and examines how the legal, police and government machineries have geared up to deal with such calamities in the future. It also explores how the victims are still struggling to come to terms with what struck them on that fateful Saturday evening.
If the axiom 'justice delayed is justice denied' is true, then the families of the 57 victims are enduring further torment. A year later, the families of the victims say the police investigation and court procedure have been advancing at snail's pace. Though the police cracked the case within days of the event, only four of the 20 cases have been sent to trial till date.
Lalita Goswami, who lost her son Chandan at the Civil hospital, said the lengthy court procedure means that it will take years for the guilty to be convicted. “I lost my only son. Nothing can bring him back,” she said.
Soon after the blasts, a militant outfit called the Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack. Though the case has been 'cracked', several culprits are yet to be nabbed. Even as the 57 accused have been arrested, 39 are still 'absconding'. Further links of several local operatives, indicating that some victims of the past communal riots may have acted as terror catalysts, have created much furore.
Though the security agencies are still grappling with the reality of terrorism in the day-to-day life of an urban city-dweller, the victims are still dealing with 'psycho-traumatic' problems. For instance, they are petrified by high-intensity noise.
A city-based consulting psychologist, Dr Prashant Bhimani, said 30-40% of his cases in the past year have been patients suffering from the serial bomb-blast trauma.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}