WHO BLASTED THE BOMBS IN DIMAPUR?
- by Kaka. D. Iralu
October 5, 2004
The Dimapur bomb blast was a dastardly act perpetrated against humanity. I say humanity because though the victims were mostly plains people and Tibetans, they are also all human beings like us. I do also mourn for those unfortunate Nagas who became victims. However it is obvious that Nagas were not the target. If Nagas were the target, the perpetrators would have blasted the bombs in a church or a weekly bazaar where Nagas congregate. My conclusion therefore is that the perpetrators, in order to intimidate Nagas from doing something detrimental to their own vested interests targeted some non-Naga lives. Now I may be completely wrong in my assessment but in the absence of anyone coming forward to claim responsibility, we are left with no option but to suspect everyone- including our own people.
On my part, when I heard about the blast, my first reaction was one of unbelief. Next it was anger against the perpetrators of this horrifying crime - an anger that could make me do things I would not like to do. For after all, I am also a Naga father who could have gone insane with anger if any of my children or loved ones had been victims of the blast. Here, as a Christian I believes in both Biblical dictums of “Turning the other cheek” as well as “Demanding an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” I believe in both these dictums (commandments) because both are written in the Bible. The same Bible also said: “To everything there is a season and a time… a time to kill and a time to heal…” (Eccl. 3:1 & 3.) In this connection, as far as I am concerned, I am ready to kill when I must kill and also ready to forgive when I must forgive.
With this (personal) Christian worldview in mind, I first thought that perhaps some extremist Manipuri or Assamese insurgents had blasted the bombs in order to sabotage the present Indo-Naga peace talks. But then I realised the fact that after the Indo-Bhutan joint operations, both the Assamese and Manipuri freedom fighters have been taking shelter in Naga territories under Naga hospitality. I also know that Naga freedom fighters had hosted as well as trained many of these neighbours in their struggle for their own freedoms. Therefore that suspicion could hold no water. Hence, I next turned my suspicion on the Indian Government, but here again, I was confronted by the fact that surely the Indian Government would not target its own armed personnel - four of whom were also killed in the explosion.
As for the Al-Queda, we Nagas have no argument with their struggle. As for the ISI, they stand to gain nothing by blasting a bomb in the heart of Nagaland’s commercial cosmopolitan city. That left me with the question: “Who then shall I suspect?”
Now, in such a heinous incident like the Dimapur blast, the guilty would never admit their guilt. Instead they might even blast more bombs in order to cover their crimes and lay the blame on others. However let those who are not guilty - be they the ULFA, the PLA or the NDFB, etc - at least declare their innocence with reasons. Such declarations will help in isolating and cornering those who are guilty.
In the final analysis, due to the political unrest in the entire Northeast region, we may or may never find the guilty persons. However allow me to share this personal experience with those who are guilty of the gruesome crime:
My house in Kohima town is located above the High School road. Below my house is an open plot of land which had lain vacant for a long time. Often, when I sit outside my house and watch Kohima town dwellers going about their daily works, I see some people come to defecate on this empty plot of land. This plot of land is of course not a public toilet. Therefore, before they defecate the persons involved would always look right and left, forward and backwards before sitting down to commit their uncivic action. Now the interesting thing about these people is that they never look up to check whether any person could be watching them from above. From my vantage position above, I have seen so many people defecating thus.
In a similar manner, the perpetrators of the Dimapur bomb blast must have also looked right, left, front and back before they blasted the bombs. And since nobody saw them, they must be confident that nobody will ever know. However I would like them to know that someone from above was watching them all the time. In fact, He was watching them as they planned their criminal act in the secrecy of their “Inner circle.” He was also watching them as they planted their bombs in the Railway Station and the Hong Kong market. And yes, He saw them as they detonated the bombs that caused the deaths of so many fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. Now therefore, let the perpetrators of the crime know this, that God who was watching them all the time from above will never allow them to go unpunished.
In the final analysis, the Earthly Court might never discover the names of the perpetrators of this crime so that they could be punished. But let the perpetrators of the crime know this; that the Heavenly Court knows the names of all those who are guilty and have already passed judgement on them. Therefore let all the perpetrators of the crime know this: that they are all cursed and doomed. As already stated by the Angami Baptist Church Council (Nagaland Post, Oct 5, 2004.), this is Heaven’s Judgement on the guilty:
“Cursed is the man who kills his neighbour secretly… Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.” (Deuteronomy 27: 24 & 25)
