Religion has a powerful hold over most Indians. A survey conducted in the 80's in non-communist countries revealed some surprising facts about modern world. Japan, had the lowest proportion of believers, and Britain ranked only next! India, with about 99% believers, was the most god-fearing, and the US was ranked second!.

dir="ltr">The recent bomb blasts in Mumbai, and the death and devastation that followed brought home to us once again the

The carnage in Godhra and rest of Gujarat is a painful reminder that beneath the veneer of civilization, beastly impulses continue to lurk in our society. Thanks to mindless manipulation of power-hungry politicians, a local dispute over a place of worship became an intractable national crisis. Whatever be the origins, the Godhra tragedy could not have been the handiwork of ordinary Muslims. As a religious minority, Muslims are most vulnerable when such a ghastly incident takes place. Only foreign saboteurs could have hatched such a cruel conspiracy putting a whole community at risk.