8th August 1993. It was the day of Guru Pooja commemorated specially by members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). A small ceremony was held in the forenoon at the Narada Gana Sabha in Alwarpet, Chennai. After the event, members disbursed without a hint of what was to strike at them in the very same afternoon. At around 2.30 pm, a powerful RDX bomb exploded at RSS head quarters of Tamil Nadu situated in Chetpet, Chennai. Eleven people – Ramasubramaniam, Seshathri, Kumari Balan, Prem Kumar, Mohana, Lalitha, Desigan, Ramakrishna Reddy, Kasinathan, Rajendran and Raveendran – were killed. Eight of them were young pracharaks (RSS full timers). Three other Swayamsevaks who had come to meet RSS pracharaks also lost their lives and seven others were injured.
Investigations revealed that Islamic jihadis were hiding and training themselves for a long time to attack the RSS and terrorize Hindu society.
S.A. Basha was the prime accused and 15 others were arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act for their alleged involvement in the blast and for possession of lethal weapons. The other hardcore Al-Umma activists who were arrested included its State Secretary M. Mohammed Ansari, Mujibur Rehman, Ojir, Mohammed Aslam, Siraj alias Auto Siraj and Ahmed Pasha.
Barring a few regional dailies and magazines, many in the national media did not even bother to cover the brutal bomb blasts leave alone condemn it. A few on the other hand were even apologetic to the Islamic terrorists as they twisted it as a vent in view of Babri Masjid demolition.
It was reported that the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had offered to provide money from the government to rebuil the RSS office. However, it was politely declined by the Swayamsevaks and was formally communicated by General Secretary H V Seshadri. Funds were collected by Swayamsevaks on their own through campaigns and the office was rebuilt through the donations made by several members of the public and other organizations. But what the governments and courts ought to do – making justice prevail by punishing the terrorists – has not been done despite the main accused getting arrested. Though the charge sheet was filed in 1994 and case was taken up by CBI which examined more than 200 witnesses, the perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice.
The 16 Al-Umma men who had been detained under TADA were released on bail in January 1997 when the DMK Government prosecutor did not oppose their bail.
On 14 February 1998, a series of 12 high-intensity explosions rocked Coimbatore leaving 58 dead and more than 250 injured. The target was BJP leader Advani. Investigations revealed that the banned Muslim fundamentalist outfit Al-Umma, headed by SA Basha was found to be responsible for the blasts.
This man and his organization Al Umma was allowed to function openly without any restriction by the DMK Government till the 1998 Coimbatore blasts.
Basha is currently serving life imprisonment but he has been living a lavish life in prison and has got parole more than 160 times in the last 24 years.
On the other hand, justice has been on exile for all the lives killed by the Islamic terrorists.
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