Even by the standards of this fractious and sprawling country, a victim of terrorism for at least 20 years, the spate of recent strikes has been unusual and unsettling: seven separate attacks in four months, with a death toll of about 150.
It has also prompted the law enforcement authorities to begin an aggressive manhunt that has gripped the nation and raised anew questions about India’s police tactics, the place of its large Muslim minority and the effectiveness of its overburdened courts…
But the official account of events has divided the nation, in part along religious lines, failed to withstand the scrutiny of newspapers and civil rights groups, and in turn revealed a general distrust of law enforcement.
More worryingly, it has uncovered a deep well of anger among India’s Muslims, who complain bitterly of being wrongfully singled out every time bombs go off…