Sign of a deeper malaise

Police have arrested four suspects but the reason behind the act of wanton violence is yet to be established. In the present case, there has been a surmise that the attack could either be ascribed to internal squabbles between rival quarters or the outcome of orthodoxy-induced reaction. In whichever way one looks at it, the bomb attack on the circus does suggest that certain quarters are out to exploit the religious sentiments of people. Of course, the authorities have to see to it that the decency threshold is not crossed in the name of entertainment and that there are no anti-social activities on the sidelines.

Circus is an event where acrobatic skills, physical fitness and stamina play an important role. So it is hard to imagine how it could be viewed as a negative thing. The administrative response has been rather inclined towards acceptance of orthodox values in such matters. However, events like yatra, circus or mela should be protected from attacks by the forces of intolerance.

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The highly localised nature of the attack on entertainment shows should enable us to identify and apprehend the culprits. It is equally important to find out who are really behind such attacks. The number of incidents in which entertainment shows came under attack in recent times is not negligible. So there is reason to believe that some kind of conspiracy is being hatched to detach the society from its cultural moorings.

Circus, or any other form of harmless entertainment for that matter, does not clash with our cultural values. So any attempt to eliminate such activities must be resisted by the community as well as law enforcers.