While the blasts in Varanasi were distrubing in themselves, what the authorities fear about a growing network in India is even worse.

Varanasi reveals new terror network
March 10, 2006

Wednesday's bomb blasts in Varanasi are yet another telling link in the growing chain of circumstances indicating the rise of a new terrorist network in India.

If viewed together, the blasts in Varanasi and Delhi, the terrorist attacks in Bangalore and Ayodhya, the Mumbai car bombs of August 2003 and the Akshardham attack of September 2002 -- besides numerous arrests of terrorists, their supporters and seizure of weapons and explosives -- point out to a grand merger of various extremist and terrorist groups and organisations within India, and an extensive support base rapidly expanding.

To begin with, there is an alarming indication of Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Tayiba working with the predominantly Bangladeshi Harkat-ul Jihad al Islami to carry out terrorist attacks in India.

HUJI has a considerable presence in the Korangi township of Karachi, Pakistan.

HUJI, like Lashkar, is also linked to Al Qaeda...Read more courtesy Rediff

Ustad Bismillah Khan urges solidarity at time of need

Varanasi, March 9: Fifty-six years ago, he had greeted the birth of a secular republic from the Red Fort by pouring his soul into raga Kafi. But when the bombs targeted that secular fabric on March 7, for a while the music stopped for Ustad Bismillah Khan.

Till the 90-year-old shehnai legend hit on an idea to restore for himself and his hometown the sense of harmony that has been the lifeblood of his music.

He issued an appeal that has now inspired scores of Muslim men and women to donate their blood to save the lives of the injured, who are overwhelmingly Hindus.

“He hadn’t been touching his shehnai since March 7. He was restless. He prayed for peace,” a relative said. “He is a private person, but the blasts had clearly jolted him out of his normally serene state of mind.” So the ustad dictated the appeal that was spread across the town by his army of pupils, associates and admirers with help from social organisations...Read more Courtesy Telegraph India

Yogi cleared of animal parts row

A leading Indian yoga guru has been cleared of mixing human bones and animal parts in his medicines.
Uttaranchal state Health Minister Tilak Raj Behad told the BBC Swami Ramdev's medicines contained no objectionable ingredients and were purely herbal.

He said four samples of medicines were sent to Shriram Institute of Industrial Research in Delhi, which is recognised by the Indian government.

Swami Ramdev had described the allegations as a conspiracy.

Bone powder... Read more courtesy BBC

Muslim girl dances social divide
The family of a young Muslim girl in India's southern state of Kerala say they are being shunned by the local mosque committee (mahallu) because she is practising Indian classical dance.

VP Rubiya, 16, came first in Bharatnatyam, Kerala natanam and folk dance competitions at the recent Kerala School Festival.

She also won the dance competition at the Veeran Haji Memorial Higher Secondary School at Morayur in the Muslim-dominated district of Malappuram.

It was Rubiya's 27 points that helped her home district move up from seventh to fifth position at the state school festival.

Now she has an offer from the celebrated Indian dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai's dance academy, Darpana, her father Syed Alavikutty says.

'Outcasts'

Read more courtesy the BBC