Tackling terrorism  

Terrorism can be combated with an effective anti-terror policy, stringent laws and modern but motivated intelligence agencies and security forces. But this can happen only if there is a strong political will, observes Prakash Singh.

The internal dynamics and external linkages of terrorism have made it a formidable challenge not only to national security but even to world peace. It is estimated that more than fifty prime ministers or heads of states in various parts of the world lost their lives in terrorist incidents since the conclusion of the Second World War: they include John F. Kennedy of US, Olof Palme of Sweden, Anwar Sadaat of Egypt, Aldo Moro of Italy, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi of India, and several others.

Punjab terrorism
India has had more than its share of terrorism. Pakistan stoked the flames of terrorism in Punjab in the eighties. It took more than ten years to crush terrorism in the state. During the period, 19,762 lives were lost including 1,719 police and security forces personnel. There have been indications lately of Pakistan trying to revive the insurgent groups in Punjab.

J & K insurgency
Jammu and Kashmir has been in the vortex of cross-border terrorism for nearly twenty years. More than 13,000 civilians and 4,000 security forces personnel are estimated to have lost their lives so far in the terrorist related incidents in the state. The following table gives an indication of the level of violence in J&K during the last five years:

Year Incidents SFs Civilians Terrorists
killed killed killed
2003 3401 314 795 1494
2004 2565 281 707 976
2005 1990 189 557 917
2006 1667 151 389 591
2007 887 82 131 358
The total number of incidents show a gradual decline. However, the terrorist infrastructure across the border continues to remain intact and efforts to infiltrate such elements into the state also continue. The controversy over the restoration of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board gave a fillip to the separatist elements in the state.

North-East separatism
In the north-east, we have a proliferation of separatist and secessionist movements. These could be broadly attributed to:

• a feeling of neglect by the Union Government
• alienation of tribals
• changes in the demographic pattern caused by the influx of people from across the borders
• assistance to rebel groups by countries inimical to India, and
• availability of sanctuaries in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Nagaland has been the epicentre of armed insurrection in north-eastern India. The sparks later flew to Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura. Assam also witnessed upheaval due to the large scale influx of Bangladeshis into the state. Pak ISI has been aiding and abetting the terrorist groups in the north-east. Unfortunately, Bangladesh is also playing a dubious game.

Naxal movement
Naxalite violence is another very serious manifestation of terror in the country. It has affected about 13 states and there has been, ever since the ninth party congress held in 2007, a steady upward trend in the trajectory of violence. This is illustrated by the following figures for the last five years:
Year Total incidents Deaths
2003 1,597 515
2004 1,533 566
2005 1,608 677
2006 1,509 678
2007 1,565 696
The nature of incidents show a qualitative jump. Earlier, there were isolated incidents of killings, explosions or attacks on police stations. Now, there are incidents which amount to challenging the authority of the State: the Koraput district in Orissa was overrun in 2004, the Jehanabad District Jail was attacked and its prisoners freed in 2005, a passenger train was detained overnight in Jharkhand in 2006, the Rani Bodli camp in Chhattisgarh was attacked and 55 persons were killed in 2007, and 35 personnel of the elite ‘Greyhounds’ were killed/drowned in 2008. The government’s twin-pronged approach to accelerate economic development in the affected areas and, at the same time, mount counter-insurgency operations against the Naxals has not had much of an impact so far.

Jihadi terror
The terrorist incidents perpetrated by the jihadi elements have thrown a huge challenge to the Indian State. We have had a sordid sequence of incidents happening in Mumbai (August 25, 2003), Delhi (October 29, 2005), Varanasi (March 7, 2006), Mumbai (July 11, 2006), Panipat (February 19, 2007), Hyderabad (May 18, 2007 and August 25, 2007), Jaipur (May 13, 2008), Bangalore (July 25, 2008), Ahmedabad (July 26, 2008), Delhi (September 13, 2008) and recently in Mumbai (November 26, 2008). The Mumbai carnage was particularly horrific; 195 persons were killed and about 350 injured. Mumbai City was held to ransom for three days. The targeting of Israeli, American and British citizens conveyed that the incidents were part of the global jihad which the Islamists are waging.

Combating terror
Can we combat terror? What has been our weakness in handling the various manifestations of terror?
Anti-Terror Policy: It is a great pity that even though the country has been facing separatist, terrorist and insurgent movements for the last nearly 50 years, it is yet to evolve a proper anti-terror policy. The US has a very clear-cut anti-terror policy, its ingredients being

• make no concession to terrorists and strike no deals
• bring terrorists to justice for their crimes
• isolate and apply pressure on states that sponsor terrorism
• bolster the counter-terrorist capabilities of countries that work with the US

Our leaders have however not considered it necessary to define the anti-terror policy. It seems every government wants to retain the discretion to deal with any terrorist situation in the manner it would find politically most expedient. And so, there is no effort to codify our response to terrorism.
Anti-Terror Law: Western countries have passed very stringent laws to deal with the threat of terrorism. Our leadership has, however, been dilly-dallying on the need to have a comprehensive anti-terror law. The government allowed the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) to lapse, though it incorporated some of its provisions in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Security experts consider the existing laws quite inadequate to deal with the menace of terrorism. In mid-2007, a country-specific report prepared by the Counter Terrorism Committee of the United Nations commented adversely on India’s capacity to tackle terrorism. The report was critical of our counter-terrorism structures and called for the adoption of comprehensive anti-terror legislation to overcome the threat. The government, obsessed by political considerations and for fear of antagonising the minorities, has been dragging its feet in the matter.
It is also unfortunate that laws passed by states (Rajasthan, Gujarat and UP, for example) on the lines of MCOCA to deal with terrorists and organised criminals were not ratified by the Centre.
The Prime Minister, in a statement made in the wake of Mumbai incidents, promised to tighten the existing laws and plug the loopholes used by the terrorists. Halfway house measures are, however, not likely to deliver.
Federal Agency: The country needs a federal investigating agency to deal with incidents of terrorism and crimes committed by organised criminal syndicates. Terrorist incidents are happening in different states and these have inter-state or even international linkages which the state police would not be able to unravel. It is essential that a federal agency is entrusted with the investigation of such cases. Crimes committed by organised groups – crimes like smuggling of weapons, drug trafficking, money laundering, etc., also have an all India sweep and even external linkages. Such cases are also beyond the competence of state law enforcement agencies.
Police & Intelligence: The police and the intelligence agencies will have to be energised and motivated. Politicisation over the years has made the police organisation extremely weak and ineffective. It must be given functional autonomy. It is a great pity that most of the bigger states are dragging their feet over the implementation of Supreme Court’s directions on police reforms. The intelligence agencies should concentrate on matters of national security rather than on political matters affecting the fortunes of the ruling party. The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which deals with external intelligence, has been much too supine lately; it needs to play an aggressive role.
Fast Track Courts: Terrorist crimes must be dealt with by fast track courts and disposed of within a period of one or two years. The trial of the Bombay blast cases of 1993 dragged on for a decade. We cannot afford this luxury. And those sentenced must undergo the prescribed punishment promptly.
Border Management: India has international borders with six different countries — China (4,056 kms), Pakistan (3,074 kms), Bangladesh (4,095 kms), Myanmar (1,643 kms) Nepal (1,751 kms), and Bhutan (699 kms). The borders with China and Pakistan are sensitive but are reasonably well defended. Myanmar border is exploited by the north-eastern insurgents, but the security forces of that country cooperate with our forces. Bhutan border does not pose any problem, though it was exploited by ULFA in the past. The borders with Bangladesh and Nepal create serious problems of internal security. Bangladeshis migrate into India in large numbers. There are estimated to be at least fifteen million illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the country. Besides, Bangladesh has been providing sanctuary to the north-eastern rebels. Nepal border is exploited by the ISI for all kinds of subversive activities like launching terrorists into India, smuggling weapons, and pumping in counterfeit currency notes. The government must complete the fencing along Bangladesh border and take more effective steps to secure the Nepal border.
Maritime Security: We have a coastline of 5422 kms; there are also two island territories on our eastern and western flanks accounting for a coastline of 2,094 kms. The recent Mumbai incidents have shown how vulnerable the coastal areas are. A Coastal Security Scheme was formulated to strengthen the infrastructure for patrolling and surveillance of coastal areas, particularly the shallow areas close to the coast. The scheme was to be implemented in all the nine coastal states and four Union Territories. It visualised setting up 73 coastal police stations to be equipped with 204 boats, 153 jeeps and 312 motorcycles for mobility on coast and close coastal areas. The scheme needs to be implemented with a sense of urgency.
The aforesaid measures should help us in containing the threat of terrorism. Alongside, of course, what is called the “battle for the mind” will also have to be fought. The moderate elements among the minorities and the ethnic groups will need to be reinforced, their educational system would have to be modernised, and a liberal interpretation of the holy texts encouraged.
Actually, our own record of fighting terrorism has been quite impressive. There are at least three examples of striking successes. The brilliant example is that of Punjab, where one of the most lethal and devastating manifestations of terrorism was wiped out. Pakistan was fully involved in fanning the flames of terrorism in the state but its designs were effectively frustrated. The other example is of Tripura which was convulsed by the activities of terrorist outfits, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF). Here also, the terrorists are in retreat since 2004 and the state is on the road to normalcy. The third example is of Andhra Pradesh, where the state police and its elite ‘Greyhounds’ force have given hell to the Naxalites, who have fled to the adjoining areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.
There is no reason why such successes cannot be replicated in the present context. All it requires is strong political will, unflinching determination and a willingness to pay the price of fighting terrorism. These would, of course, have to be backed by a well-defined policy which makes no concession to terrorists and a stringent anti-terror law which effectively neutralises them. Politicians of all hues must understand that this is a threat – and the greatest threat – to national security which could jeopardise not only the democratic structure of the country but also its economic stability, and that therefore they must evolve a consensus on dealing with this menace.

The writer was Director General of BSF, DGP UP and DGP Assam.

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