Peace disrupted...again!

These days it does not seem to be a good idea to switch on the TV, the first thing you do in the morning. And if by any chance you happen to do that, it is advisable that you stay away from the news channels. It seems, going by the news on these channels, that there are more bad things happening in the world than good.

This morning, I made the mistake of switching on the TV as soon as I got up. And the news that was flashing on the TV was about the bomb blasts in Karachi that left about 135 people dead and about 550 injured. Benazir Bhutto, the dynamic leader from Pakistan, had been living in exile for the last eight years, and yesterday she was returning home to an emotional welcome.

Thousands of people had gathered to welcome the leader, and the bombers chose this as the moment to strike. Though the security, it is claimed, was very tight, the extremists were able to penetrate it. It is believed that the blasts were the work of suicide bombers, and it is very difficult for any security agency to stop the fidayin. This makes me wonder, again, about the motivation that drives a person to commit such an extreme act, at the cost of his or her life?

The people of India and Pakistan have a common heritage and history and, however bad things might have become after the partition of the two countries, things in the region can improve only when politicians from the two countries decide that it is time they chose peace over other petty interests.

For now, may the souls of those who died in the bomb blasts yesterday rest in peace, and may the wounded get well soon.