By Verghese Joseph
Fearing a rerun of the serial bomb blasts that rocked Sri Lankan churches in April this year where over 200 lives were lost and the injured touched nearly 400 people, India’s Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has tightened security at the historic Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in the small town of Velankanni in Tamil Nadu, South India. The Marian shrine is popularly known as the ‘Lourdes of the East’.
The church was raised to the status of basilica in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. Annually, 20 million pilgrims flock to the shrine from all over India and abroad, out which an estimated three million visit the shrine during its annual festival from 29 August to 8 September. The 11-day annual festival concludes with the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September.
According to Shishir Kumar Gupta, the Assistant Inspector General, CISF, “Six terrorists from Sri Lanka have intruded into Tamil Nadu to conduct bombing attacks in several parts of Tamil Nadu including Sulur airbase in Coimbatore. The terrorists have been lastly spotted on August 21 in Coimbatore. Out of which, one has been identified as Illyas Anwar of Lashkar-e-Taiba, one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organisations in South Asia.
According to his report, the terrorists were last seen in Coimbatore on the evening of August 21. All the accused were reportedly disguised as Hindus with tilak/Vibudhi (a mark worn by a Hindu on the forehead) smeared on their foreheads.
As per the report, the targets for the terror attack were the Shrine of Velankanni, DSSC at Wellington, Ooty, Air Force Station in Sulur, Coimbatore (all in Tamil Nadu), Sabarimala Shrine at Pathanamthitta in Kerala and other communally-sensitive targets. The timeline of the terror attack is the Velankanni festival, from August 29 to September 8.
The Assistant IG requested all unit commanders in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states to take all precautionary and preventive measures to avoid any unforeseen incidents, and to maintain constant liaison with the local police and other intelligence agencies for sharing information and to coordinate action.
He also requested the Central Intelligence Wing machinery to be ready for collection and exchange of useful and advance information to prevent any tragic occurrence.
Incidentally, after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, intelligence reports suggested that terrorists are ready to infiltrate Kashmir from terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) which could have a direct bearing on pilgrim centres in South India as well.
Last year, the Gothic architecture shrine bore the brunt of hurricane Gaja which hit the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu early on November 15. The storm caused heavy damage to the 16th century shrine and due to gusty winds, the rood cross on top of the church broke and fell, CISF, an armed force of the Union established under an Act of Parliament, provides security to strategic establishments, including the Department of Space, the Department of Atomic Energy, the Airports, the Delhi Metro, the ports, the historical monuments and the basic areas of Indian economy such as petroleum and natural gas, electricity, coal, steel and mining.