The Hindu : National : Malegaon seeks to come to terms with reality

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Sunday, Sep 10, 2006
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Malegaon seeks to come to terms with reality

Mumbai Bureau

PHOTO: VIVEK BENDRE

THE DAY AFTER: Near one of the blast sites, on Saturday.

Mumbai: Twenty four hours after the bombs went off in the Muslim-majority town of Malegaon, the shocked residents of the town were trying to come to terms with reality.

After religious leaders met and issued repeated appeals for peace and calm, there was considerable relief among the authorities that the situation was "very much under control." There were no untoward incidents. A heavy security blanket remained in place. Men and women were busy looking up newspapers to find out if there were any clues on who was behind the violent acts.

PHOTOS: VIVEK BENDRE

People were seen trying to identify their bicycles and whatever else lay strewn around the mosque. At the hospital where the injured were being treated there was a large crowd. The visit by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil added to the security concerns, but it went off smoothly enough.

CATCHING UP: A crowd watches, top; and youth look it up.

At the hospital, there were moving scenes as parents and friends visited children injured in the blasts. Fortunately, there were no rumours of fresh bomb threats. And Malegaon, like Mumbai not too long ago, demonstrated its spirit of resilience.

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