Terror blasts that bleed humanity

By: Salil Gewali

On the evening of November 10, 2025, Delhi's historic Red Fort area turned into a nightmare. At 6:52 pm, a Hyundai i20 suddenly exploded in the bustling market. People ran about in panic. The unprecedented explosion killed 13 people and injured more than two dozen. The impact of the blast was so fierce that buildings nearby had their windows shattered and several vehicles caught fire

Behind the wheel of the explosion was Dr Umar Un Nabi, a doctor from Pulwama in Kashmir who taught at Al Falah University in Faridabad. What has unfolded is that Dr Umar was not acting alone. He was part of a formidable terror network made up of educated doctors who had been allegedly plotting multiple attacks across India for nearly two years.

Surprisingly, the truth began emerging just one day before the blast. Police raided properties in Faridabad and found about 2,900 kilograms of explosives, lethal weapons, and bomb-making materials. Imagine what would have happened if 2,900 kilograms of explosives had detonated. Give serious thought to the catastrophic consequences. These seemingly ordinary household properties

belonged to Dr Muzammil Shakeel, another doctor from Pulwama who worked with Dr Umar. When authorities arrested Dr Muzammil and his colleague Dr Adeel Rather, a wave of panic spread through the network. What investigators uncovered was deeply disturbing --- both men were directly connected to Jaish e Mohammed, a dreaded terrorist group based in Pakistan. Fortunately, another radicalized doctor from Hyderabad, Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad after they uncovered an alleged plot to prepare the extremely poisonous compound ricin—intended for mass killing. Further interrogation revealed that Dr Saiyed, along with his associates Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Saleem, was deeply entrenched in a deadly network affiliated with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). This terror web reportedly included multiple sleeper cells operating silently across various Indian states, with active coordination from handlers based in Pakistan.

What shocked the nation most was the profile of terror groups and their intricate network. These were not naive extremists but highly qualified professionals. In addition, Dr Shaheen Sayeed from Lucknow had been recruited to lead Jamaat ul Mominaat, the first women's wing of Jaish e Mohammed, established in October 2025.  Further investigation is only bringing to light more skeletons tumbling out of the terror cupboard.

Of course, many influential Muslim organizations and leaders have also come forward to vociferously condemn the terror blast. Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Retd), highly admired for his integrity and wisdom, denounced the Delhi blast as a barbaric act and called for unity and justice; he described the heinous assault on our nation and the shared heritage that belongs to every Indian as deeply deplorable. Nazia Elahi Khan, a bold and fiercely outspoken Supreme Court advocate, has strongly criticized those from the Muslim community who, despite having access to good education and economic support, engage with impunity in acts so vile that they threaten the nation’s security and its rich cultural fabric. Advocate Nazia Khan is widely regarded as an erudite scholar of Islamist texts.

Here is the billion-dollar question -- the doctors who once took a vow to nurse and heal have now grievously wounded the nation. How does knowledge meant to stitch life together with empathy become the thread of demonic devastation? What makes the educated so deeply indoctrinated to hate the nation? Why can we not pinpoint the root causes? Many intellectuals from the mainstream never tire of preaching that one should not blame any particular religion that otherwise unfailingly teaches the sermons of compassion and service to the needy. But one also needs to understand that terror and compassion do not co-exist together. Violence born of hatred can never bring peace.

What one feels is that we now need to stand up in one voice to condemn hatred in any form or disguise. No kidding, what if IAS officers, Generals, Admirals, or Brigadiers were also indoctrinated like the doctors above tomorrow? If that day ever comes, it will be the final nail in the coffin of our democracy. Humanity must no longer be bled by the onslaught of insane terrorism. Complacency today could cost humanity tomorrow.