An article in the context of Bangalore, Ahmadabad bombings. What purpose is served by killing innocents? This time even those hospitalised were not spared! Our laws are outdated and law enforcement ill equipped to handle this incessant, internal war against the nation.
Everyone knows terrorism kills, destructs, and makes the entire world an anxious place to live in. But nobody can answer the big question, that is, how to root out the threat?
As far as India is concerned, the root cause has more to do with our neighbors such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, according to intelligence officials. The local rebel minded youth have been caught and misused by the countries which are anxious about India’s growth.
This time they selected Bangalore and Ahmadabad to implement their cruel agenda. Terrorist strike, whether it happens in the US or India, has a common nature. World Trade Centre or Jaipur attacks, they always killed innocent victims without mercy.
Who will wipe out the tears of the ones who lost their dear and near? What is the ideology behind these brutalities? Since 9/11, the peace lovers all over the world have come forward against terrorism of all kinds. The government machineries and non-governmental organizations also became more alert after that incident. World leaders discussed the threat as a ‘global’ one. But leaving everyone shocked and stunned, terrorism blows cruelly, again and again.
Since last four years, we have lost more than five hundred lives in various serial bomb blasts. Such a large loss of life indicate mainly about the total failure of our intelligence and law enforcement. We have strong intelligence gathering system, enough policing, and alert public media but the attacks and ensuing deaths and destruction continue unabated.
In India, Terrorist acts are fast forgotten:
By now, Indians have become one of the worst victims of bloody terrorism. Now the government is planning to setup a new federal agency to counter terrorism. Let us hope that this will improve our counter terrorism policy. Currentyl, our system is far behind in technology and centralized controlling while the outfits have a common control and centralized operation and advanced networks.
In changed scenario, while terrorist outfits are moving with advanced technology, the Intelligence authorities should improve their information collection and day to day monitoring. Last year ‘Indian operations commander’ of the Bangladesh-based militant group, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji), a native of Bangladesh, was arrested. During his interrogation he had disclosed their next targets and their style of functioning. He said that he had undergone training in Bangladesh and has been sent back to India to unleash terror in India.
Indian Intelligence works well, but whenever there is a long silence from terrorism, everyone forget the alerts, warnings, and past suffering. Lashkar-e-Toiba and Harkatul-Jihad-al-Islami groups are part of Pakistan’s ISI operations, according to Indian Intelligence officials. They now operate through Bangladesh and Nepal. India is their prime target, according to former chief of Intelligence Bureau Ajit Doval. The sleeper cells of these terrorist groups have spread all over India from Kashmir to southern remote villages. These small groups infiltrate into social issues either in the banner of charity or empowerment to protect their hidden identity. But whenever the remote ‘server’ group sends a message to target a city, they awake and become active. Crores of funds and supports flow from beyond the border.
A US state department report says that India is in the top of the list of countries worst affected by terrorism. Militant groups vary from Jihadis to Maoists and Ulfa of Assam. The outdated law enforcement and legal system is a drawback of India in fighting terrorism, emphasizes the report.
The US president George W Bush recently confronted Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with an outburst against Pakistan’s ISI’s militant tie-ups. He said the US believed the ISI had established deep ties with militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas and was tipping off the terrorists before attacks. US also says that it had received communication intercepts leading them to believe that elements present in ISI were directly involved in recent Kabul Indian embassy bombing.
Kerala Police suspect and then allowed to let go and hoaxes strive:
In Kerala also, there had been bomb hoaxes all over. The police and the public rose up to the situation and were relieved only when all the threats turned out to be false. But the police and the home department didn’t ignore the threats. There had been trial explosion events in Kozhikode before. Investigations could not reach anywhere to prove the motive behind that ‘serial’ testing. Without proper planning and co-ordination from ‘high places’, local groups could not have carried out such powerful explosions in crowded places.
Kerala Police had arrested five SIMI members in 2006 on suspicious grounds. There were eighteen members assembled there. The case was registered against five only. Others were released. Two among them were arrested by Rajasthan Police in connection with Jaipur bomb blast on May 13. There is report that the lapse on the part of the police to collect evidence and make follow ups led to the release of SIMI men. Otherwise they could not have struck Jaipur. The same group masterminded the Bangalore attack too, according investigators.
The lack of seriousness on the part of the police and influence of powerful political forces out to protect their goals and people, make things worse. Another threat SMS sent from Pakistan was received in Kozhikode, Chennai, and Kuwait on a toll free number of police control room, a private channel reporter’s mobile, and the mobile of a native of Tirur, working in Kuwait, respectively.
Chennai message said that a bomb explosion would be carried out the August 15th. Threat calls may be hoaxes. yet the police and public are not in a position to ignore them. An anonymous call is enough to create fear in publics mind. Here, the success goes to the militants or the anonymous men with similar psychology. Collection and circulation of arms and ammunition among sleeper cells is not a simple matter. Implementation of this huge task requires sharp brain and sophisticated technology.
Motivation and use of Information Technology in terrorist planning:
Well educated youth have become main players of this dangerous game of extreme violence. Social issues may have caused young men’s involvement in such actions.
Disappointment among educated youth has been noted as one reason to lead them to militancy. Unemployment and lack of confidence to face social issues also may be a factor for this. There may have been psychological problems too. Those who make a threat call (may be hoaxes) or the real operator who strikes city has the same mentality that of a sadist’s, according to experts in criminology.
B. Raman, a former intelligence officer, describes the present day insurgency may have long standing consequences. He says that it will lead to political insurgency and affect the growth of foreign investment. If terrorism succeed, the stability of the nation will be weakened. Communal division may be one serious aftermath of terrorism. But in India we have many difficulties in fighting terrorism which includes political and social issues. In law enforcement, the special power provisions, we are far behind the US.
Also, in India, the Intelligence authority could not book many ‘terror outfits.’ When terrorists are using others email system as hackers, it gets too complicated. Ahmadabad terror message was sent by hacking IP (Internet Protocol) address of a US national staying in Navi Mumbai. After the 9/11 incident, the US could setup advanced system to monitor intelligence network and implement new methods to catch the culprits. Indian government should setup advanced methods and train intelligence officials in state-of-the-art cyber technology.
Mumbai case may be an eye opener to the investigators to look into IT factors. The hackers might have misused the Wi-Fi Internet connection of the American. This is a new challenge before the authorities.
