Editor,
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 blew up in the bustling market, killing 13 people and injuring over 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 a serious thought on this. These safe 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, the tremor 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. Another doctor from Hyderabad, Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad after they found an alleged plot to prepare the extremely poisonous compound “ricin.”
What shocked the nation most was the profile of the attackers. 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 shocking skeletons from the cupboard.
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.
Here is the billion-dollar question: the doctors who have taken 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? I think no one should blame any particular religion that otherwise unfailingly teaches the sermons of compassion and service to the needy. Needless to say, terror and compassion do not co-exist together.
What one feels is that we now need to stand up with one voice to condemn hatred in any form or disguise. No joking, but what if IAS officers, Generals, Admirals, or Brigadiers.. were also indoctrinated like the doctors above tomorrow? Humanity must no longer be bled by the onslaught of insane terrorism. Complacency today could cost humanity tomorrow.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong
Prescription to the Ad-hoc Quagmire
Editor,
I vociferously support our estimated 4 Lakhs beloved Educated Unemployed Youths of Meghalaya who have passed from Matriculation to PhD eligible to apply for the 1,514 vacant sanctioned Group D to Group A posts versus the 1,514 “Back Door” Vacant Sanctioned Posts occupied by Ad-hocs thereby preventing these posts from being advertised so that our eligible youths can apply. Illegality through nepotism, favouritism and other acts such as not sending posts to be advertised for clandestine appointments which has been going on for 50 years should never ever be condoned and rewarded. There is no such thing as a free lunch. We have to earn through hard work, perseverance and dedication.
The open competitive exams for all 1,514 vacant posts bar none, must be firmly held as decided. No concessional head start or compromises must be awarded to the Ad-hocs, no matter the age and they will all have to fight fairly; the right way.
I wholeheartedly support conferring Unskilled, Semi-Skilled, Skilled and Highly Skilled Casual Basis jobs to back door Ad-hocs who will fail the open competitive exams, to work till they are 60 years old so that they will have gainful employment, repay the loans that they may have and “justice” as per the constitution in recognition for their 17 years and less of their service. At present, highly skilled Ad-hocs get paid 750 per day and this will increase from 2027. The government cannot endlessly keep on regularizing and rewarding illegal acts of failure to advertise these vacant sanctioned posts.
A Cut Off date has been set at 31.12.2007 which must never ever be extended nor compromised no matter what the reasons are. Extending this illegality will encourage failure to advertise vacant sanctioned posts with clandestine appointments against our youths who are suffering silently from joblessness. Before the back door Ad-hocs choose to go to court, all OMs, Notifications and Rules if present, containing the terms Ad-hocs Regular / 2F / 3F must all be completely abrogated and made redundant so that they will have no locus standi in court.
I know that I stand on the right side of history, fairness and justice. The government did the right thing to hold open competitive exams with age condonation but it must give casual jobs to the back door Ad-hocs who will fail the open competitive exams. The government must heed my advice just as my brain child advice with substantiation that I gave to a certain person and party members to raise the upper age relaxation which came to fruition on January 2022 for our lakhs of suffering jobless youths.
Yours etc.,
Melarbor L Thabah,
Via email
