The Sri Lankan Easter bombings continue to haunt the world, especially the Catholic community, where three churches were targets. Terror came walking armed with bombs in a backpack. Videos went viral on social media showing one of the bombers making his way inside the church carrying a bag stacked with detonators before they exploded killing hundreds of devotees inside the premises.
Communities across Goa went into a state of shock and were horrified even as the government ensured a heightened security cover across key places of worship. Terror strikes of this scale are bound to have a ripple effect, especially since there is a religious community involved. The government was quick to respond with precautionary measures and the seriousness was telling.
But how long are religious communities going to find strength in their belief that the relics of St Francis Xavier or a deity in the temple is like a protective shield thwarting any dangers coming on the State? How long are we going to let ourselves be drenched in faith of divine intervention? The hundreds of Catholics gathered on Easter day in three of the Churches in Lanka were in prayer singing hymns of faith. There were many who were taking their first holy communion completely oblivious of the fact that terror stood right next to them.
The murderous strike of Lanka’s terror should be an eye-opener for Goa as well. While the State and its people across all faiths join in prayers for the dead and their families, there is a need to introspect on how secure our places of worship are. Massive congregations are witnessed on festive days at the iconic heritage sites of Old Goa and our famous temples like Fatorpa and Mangueshi. Feasts and zatras are occasions where faithful gather in pure devotion unmindful of any dangers surrounding them. Individuals with backpacks, handbags and even trolleys are a very common site in a tourist state like Goa. Terrorists arrive in all hues -- religious backgrounds, cultures, families and educational qualifications. In the Lanka case, three suicide bombers hailed from one of the richest families in Lanka, with one of them having done his engineering in UK and Australia.
We cannot ignore these pictures of terror and we can’t keep complaining about the laxities of our security agencies. Blaming the government over intelligence and failure to provide a safe environment are the most common alibis. The society as a whole needs to look at this terror threat from a different perspective. It’s time we as the people of the State also take responsibility and devise our own security mechanisms that can secure us round-the-clock.
