Passengers overcome fear on India train after bomb
By Kamil Zaheer
NEW DELHI, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Hundreds of passengers overcame fear and strict security checks on Thursday to travel by rail from India to Pakistan, the first journey on the route since 68 people were killed when a train was bombed this week.
Two bombs exploded around midnight on Sunday on the Samjhauta Express, which connects New Delhi to Lahore in Pakistan, triggering a blaze in two coaches that burned victims alive about 80 km (50 miles) north of the Indian capital.
"All of us have to die someday. There is no need to be scared," said Ameena Bano, a 63-year-old Pakistani woman, sitting on a large blue bag near the platform before boarding the train in Delhi's chaotic station.
Bano, who had been visiting her brother-in-law in India, said those behind the blasts would not achieve their goal.
"They want to hurt the improving relations between Pakistan and India but they will not succeed," she said, as people carrying suitcases pushed their way through security barricades.
Although the old rivals are linked by air and bus services as well, the bi-weekly train is more popular with the mostly middle-class and poor travellers as it is cheaper. Besides, it was relatively less guarded by security agencies.
It is for these reasons, investigators suspect, the train may have been targeted by Muslim extremists who are opposed to a peace process between the neighbours and want to derail it.
Indian authorities said security lapses at the station had allowed the attackers to place the suitcase bombs on the train.
On Wednesday, they stepped up checks to unprecedented levels, using sniffer dogs and manually searching luggage.
Relatives and friends were not allowed on the platform to see off passengers and armed policemen stood guard by the blue coaches.
"We are having security like they have at the airports," Rajiv Saxena, a railway spokesman, said. "Even I am not allowed on the platform."
Railway officials said the blasts had not hurt bookings for the Samjhauta Express which left just after midnight. Wednesday's service was fully booked with about 700 passengers making the journey and two extra coaches added to meet the rush.
Haji Habibul Rehman, a cloth-store owner from Pakistan's Punjab province travelling to Lahore, said he had been due to travel on the fated Sunday train but was forced to cancel the trip due to a delayed medical appointment.
"A doctor's appointment saved us," said Rehman, 52. "Those who carried out these attacks do not want Pakistanis and Indians to meet. But people must travel and meet and show we are not scared, even of death."
