The people of Hyderabad rose to the occasion beautifully, refusing to bite the bait thrown to them with a bomb and blood in the holiest of places — a mosque. While the bomb explosion in the historical Mecca Masjid in the Old City took 11 lives, the people made sure that no more lost their lives in vain.
They remained calm, not provoked into retaliation of any kind. “In another day and time, when we were far more unsure and sensitive of the other person, Hyderabad would have gone up in flames, curfew would have been imposed and perhaps even the Army called in,” said Datta who wanted only his surname to be taken.
“But not today, when we are more sure and confident and do not want anyone, on any excuse, to destroy the communal peace that has prevailed about 15 years now in Hyderabad,” he said.
Even the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a right-of-centre party that has political dominance in the Old City, has said the Friday’s bomb blast was a terrorist act.
MIM Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said the overwhelming success of the bandh on Saturday showed that the people had given a resounding reply to the terrorists. “People have risen above caste, creed and community to express their solidarity with the cause of those who were killed and injured in the heinous bomb blast and the police firing on Friday. I thank all political parties and citizens for their support,” Mr Owaisi said in a statement.
The cabinet also took note of the communal calm and religious sanity that have prevailed in the city and across the state.
In an emergency meeting held here on Saturday, the Cabinet adopted a resolution placing on record its appreciation of the people of the state, especially Hyderabad, for not losing their balance and paving the way for normalcy in less than 24 hours of the explosion.

A strong message
Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy appreciated the role played by Muslim elders and community leaders in the “hour of trouble”.
“By maintaining calm, the people of the state, especially Hyderabad, had given a resounding message to the terrorists that their game would not succeed,” he said.
Meanwhile, criticism has been voiced against the lax security in Mecca Masjid which allowed sneaking in of as many as four bombs. One exploded and three were recovered and defused.
Community leaders point out that if only closed circuit TVs were installed, at least the culprits could have been identified even if the bombs could not have been prevented from being smuggled in.
Police sources point out that the very information that CCTVs were installed would have dissuaded the culprits from targeting the Mecca Masjid.
They point out that this has been the experience during the annual Ganesh procession that tends to stoke communal passions.
They said the proposal had been considered several times for the past one decade but it was the MIM that prevented it, arguing it would be used to harass innocent youth.whenever there was a communal or terrorist incident in the city.
Mr Owaisi admitted that the CCTV proposal was the suspect in his party’s eyes. He explained the proposal had been mooted by the earlier TDP government which wanted to install cameras not just in the Masjid but in all historical places in and around Hyderabad.
The MIM opposed it since “at that time TDP was supporting the TDP was supporting the BJP and its credibility in the eyes of Muslims was low”, he said.