Deaths at shrine

The place known for its religious serenity and spiritual ambience has been attracting countless devotees over many centuries. It is an oasis of peace and tranquility that has brought solace to men and women seeking blessings of the saint. But the peace has been subverted in a way that has rocked the nation.

The exact motive behind such wanton and mindless violence is not easy to ascertain, but the law enforcers should press relentlessly on to get at the bottom of it. Killers and saboteurs are showing their fangs from time to time, taking advantage of the fact that none of the bombing cases has yet been resolved. Suspects were arrested, but police could not go beyond that.

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The possibility of local rivalry leading to the blood-letting cannot be ruled out, particularly when we consider the December 3 poisoning of some big fish in a pond near the shrine which surprised many.

But the killers have used some sophisticated device to detonate the bomb, which is a clear indication of the terrorists' access to lethal weapons. The discovery and seizure of a huge quantity of such weapons in recent times hit headlines. But hauling up of arms wouldn't mean much unless the supply routes can be sealed. So, the task of the law enforcers does not end with the seizure of caches.

The question uppermost in the minds of people is, who are these elements and what are they after?

The law enforcers must set themselves the task of resolving the mystery behind the bomb explosion at the shrine -- a very unlikely place for subversive activities. The ghastly loss of lives must not suffer the fate that all such incidents did in the past; that is, investigation into it should not end inconclusively.