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(May 14, 2008) - The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) condemned today the bomb blasts in Jaipur, India which killed 63 and wounded more than 200. A total of 8 explosions occurred in the capital city of the state of Rajasthan, starting at 9:15 local time on Tuesday. The bombs targeted the densely populated walled city. One bomb exploded in front of temple to Lord Hanuman, which was crowded with Tuesday worshippers. Another bomb exploded in the Johri Bazaar, a popular shopping venue. A third exploded close to the historic Hawa Mahal, or Palace of Winds. The dead and wounded included both Hindus and Muslims. No group has admitted responsibility though Islamist militants seeking to stoke communal tensions are suspected.
"This latest attack on innocent civilians praying at their temples and enjoying a day at the market highlights the depravity of these terrorists and inability of the Indian government to protect its citizens from this ritual of terror," said Ishanaa Rambachan, member of the HAF Executive Council and contributing author the Foundation's annual Hindu Human Rights report. "We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of this attack and call on authorities to apprehend those behind the latest terrorist outrage and urgently put in place mechanisms to track terror cells and disrupt such plots."
Although Jaipur itself has not had a history of religious violence, Tuesday's attack is the latest in a series of terror attacks aimed at Indian civilians, and in particular Hindus and their institutions. The last major bombing in India occurred in August 2007, when a pair of bombs went off in an outdoor auditorium and restaurant in the southern city of Hyderabad, killing more than 40. These attacks were also preceded by those of October 2006 in Mumbai and March 2006 in the holy Hindu pilgrimage city of Varanasi. Several attacks occurred during Hindu festivals or on Hindu temples in 2005, prior to the Hindu festival of Deepavali and on worshippers and security forces at the holy Ram Janmabhoomi complex in the city of Ayodhya. Also in September 2002, militants killed 29 in the Akshardham temple complex in Gandhinagar.
The Hindu American Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-partisan organization promoting the Hindu and American ideals of understanding, tolerance and pluralism. Contact HAF at 1-301-770-7835 or on the web at www.HAFsite.org.
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