Gujarat: Hundreds of Muslims, scared for their lives, had just begun returning to their homes after the last outbreak of violence ... only for the savage religious warfare to erupt again. Seven months after religious violence claimed the lives of hundreds of Muslims in Gujarat, an attack on a Hindu temple, last week, brought renewed fears of bloodshed in the troubled state.
Gunmen - allegedly Islamic radicals - lobbed grenades and fired indiscriminately at Hindu devotees, killing at least 30 and wounding many more at the Akshardham temple in the state capital Gandhinagar, last Tuesday.
But in stark contrast to the state government's inaction earlier this year when Muslim extremists are believed to have been responsible for torching a train carrying
Gunmen - allegedly Islamic radicals - lobbed grenades and fired indiscriminately at Hindu devotees, killing at least 30 and wounding many more at the Akshardham temple in the state capital Gandhinagar, last Tuesday.
But in stark contrast to the state government's inaction earlier this year when Muslim extremists are believed to have been responsible for torching a train carrying
Hindu activists at Godhra, extra troops and police were this time deployed quickly to avert retaliatory violence against Muslims.
The security forces were put on high alert within hours of the attack. Troops patrolled the streets of Gujarat's main cities and police were posted to sensitive areas.
Although two men were stabbed by Hindu mobs, a backlash similar to the one seen after the Godhra incident appears to have been avoided.
The Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the President APJ Abdul Kalam and the much-criticized Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi all appealed for calm.
The security forces were put on high alert within hours of the attack. Troops patrolled the streets of Gujarat's main cities and police were posted to sensitive areas.
Although two men were stabbed by Hindu mobs, a backlash similar to the one seen after the Godhra incident appears to have been avoided.
The Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the President APJ Abdul Kalam and the much-criticized Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi all appealed for calm.