Mumbai Trains Hit by Bombers

It’s getting old. People just trying to get through their day, commuting to and from jobs that may or may not pay the bills. Jammed together closer than less hurried societies would permit among non-relatives. And then, the explosions. Today, Mumbai, India, suffered seven bomb blasts. And today, all civilized people are Mumbaikars.

The police say that the seven explosions occurred around 6:30 pm local time on the busy Western Railway that takes people to their homes in the suburbs of what was once called Bombay. About 4.5 million use this railway every day. The death toll is over 100, with another 250 injured, and those numbers will fluctuate for a few days yet.

As of now, no one has claimed (ir)responsibility, but the finger of suspicion points to Kashmiri militants. The bombs went off in rapid succession, and authorities have said that that is consistent with previous attacks by Kashmiri terrorists on other Indian cities. Pakistan promptly condemned the attack, which endangers the rapprochement that has taken place with India in recent months, condemning this “despicable act of terrorism.”

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm while saying the attacks were a “shocking and cowardly attempt to spread a feeling of hatred.” The murderers, of course, are after just that, division between decent people based on religion, or ethnicity, or language or some other meaningless differences. India has more than enough internal divisions to be exploited if folks lose their heads.

At a distance, there is very little anyone can do, but the internet does allow for a rapid dissemination of information. In the event there is a reader looking for news, Mumbai Help is a good starting point. And until such time as a better link turns up, donations can be funneled to Mumbai through the Red Cross.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

Home