India: Deadly Blast Strikes Jehovah's Witness Prayer Meeting

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PUBLISHED Oct 30, 2023UPDATED Oct 30, 2023

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

Three people have died, with over 50 injured, after three explosions struck a Jehovah’s Witnesses prayer meeting on Sunday in Kochi, a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The blasts are believed to have been caused by improvised devices after a man named Dominic Martin confessed to using 50 firecrackers and eight liters of petrol to set off the explosions.

The Spin

Narrative A

Kerala is one of India's most peaceful and socially harmonious states. It has a relatively higher share of Muslim and Christian population than other Indian provinces. An isolated crisis like this must be rationally investigated to clarify the reality of what occurred to the public.

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Narrative B

This incident is horrific, and the incorrect linkage to the Israel-Hamas conflict speaks to a larger concern that's disturbingly far-ranging across India. There's the possibility that the Middle East conflict could indirectly affect the nation, and all levels of government must work together to prepare for any strains on social cohesion.

Beyond the blast: Kerala explosions can have wider negative fallouts; state, central agencies must work together & quickly

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