Amruta Joshi. A fashion designing student at a local college. She was one of those injured in the blast, suffering wounds on her head, and her right eye. She is having problems hearing. This girl, a few weeks ago, had won first prize for her project in her college. She was jubiliated then. When asked about how she felt about the blast, she smilingly replied, "I have received my second prize".....the prize of life. Amruta's family was blown out by her words.

Amita Jamkhedkar was angry at herself at Dadar station, because she got there late to catch the Karjat local. She now had to catch the next Khopoli fast to get to her place. All went fine till Ghatkopar, where the train stopped for about half an hour. No one in the ladies compartment knew why. However, one of the ladies got a call on her mobile informing her of the incident at Mulund. People got worried. "After a few moments of confusion", she says, "everything returned to normal. Ladies got back to their own discussions, or reading books and so on. However, when the train moved into Mulund station, slowly, all the passengers got down on the platform and rushed to the blown out compartment. We wanted to help, but the police held us back. They were trying to maintain some order in the confusion all around."

Tales like these filled Mumbai's local papers. MidDay published a feature on all those who had given help in times of need. Amongst them was a chemist who provided with medicines worth Rs 3500 free to the needy. A doctor who stayed at the hospital till late night. Local Shiv Sena volunteers who tried to maintain order for the police, and many others.

However, all this, as a psychologist rightly told ToI, is just to cloak the inner element of fear. There is, no doubt, a tension in the air, and somewhere in the hearts of all of us, there is an element of doubt. But everyone is well aware of the odds, and ready to face the threats with all courage and might.

A few theories have come up, as to what could have caused the blast. Police are suspecting use of Ammonium Nitrate as the explosive material. They are confident that processed explosives were not used. In fact, that is what is the common thread observed in the recent wave of blasts in Mumbai. Crude explosives, which are easy to manufacture, are being used again and again. This implies a resident source of terror.

The Police also suspect the hand of the activists of Students Islamic Movement Of India (SIMI), an organistation which was banned by the Government an year ago. SIMI activists have been proven to have links with the ISI and Laskar-e-Toiba of Pakistan.

One interesting thing to note here is the change in the demography of Mumbai in the past few years. Scores and scores of Bangladeshi immigrants have found safe haven in Mumbai. (Compare this with the recent action on Indian immigrants in Malaysia) . These refugees have established themselves in regions like Bandra, Kurla, Sion, Mumbra etc in Mumbai. The last one of them is also known on the streets as "Mini Pakistan", due to the hordes and hordes of ISI agents captured from there. SIMI activists, and ISI agents find a perfect hiding place, replete with all amenities and moral support in these areas. And that is why the Police hasnt been able to arrest the perpetrators of the Ghatkopar blast, or the Vile Parle or the Mumbai Central blasts till now.

Petty "Vote Bank Politics" is responsible for all this. The Congress calls the defeat of BJP in Himachal Pradesh as the loss of Hindutva. "We'll go ahead now strengthening our stand on secularism", says Sonia Gandhi. That implies calling a spade a rose, and not a spade. It implies letting the flow from East Bengal continue and swallow up Assam. It implies continuation of subsidies to Madarsas and subsidies to Hajj travel. And, it also implies, that more is in store for Mumbai.

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