POLITICAL DIARY

New Delhi, 20 December 2008

Tu-Tu-Mein-Mein On Terrorism

OUR NETAS LOSE FOCUS AGAIN

By Poonam I Kaushish

Returning from Thailand, where a 46-year old Oxford-educated Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva promises a ‘new deal’ and the tourism industry tries to pick up the pieces after the recent ‘siege’ of Bangkok’s airport, one finds nothing has changed in political Delhi. In fact, it’s gotten worse. It’s the same ghisa-pita nautanki of petty politics, accusations and counter-accusations with the polity merrily trying to score brownie points on ‘our’ track record on terrorism and ‘your’ track record. Never mind the heavy cost to the nation, still coming to grips with the Mumbai terror aftermath.

Tragically, with elections just months away, both the main players, Congress and the BJP have made terrorism their favourite milking cow. Especially in the Lok Sabha. Where both indulged in who had enacted a better anti-terror law, the NDA’s Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA) versus the UPA’s Unlawful (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAPA).

Even as the Opposition supported the UAPA, the BJP’s Prime Minister-in waiting Advani could not resist accusing the Congress-led UPA Government of repealing its tough POTA,  “not conceding that it had made a mistake in doing so” and “its delayed reaction” in enacting the UAPA.

The Congress’s lawyer-turned Minister Sibal sagiously countered that “it had learnt from past experience” and had created a more stringent law without giving up on “basic human rights.” Accusing the BJP of using POTA as “a tool to take your politics forward ….you talk of nationalism but you indulge in crass politics. Was your POTA able to prevent the Kandahar fiasco and other terrorist acts?” he punched. Ending with a grand flourish, “If anybody has faced terror it is the Congress.”

Countered Advani, “You say POTA was misused. Is there any law that which cannot be misused? You cannot oppose a law because of this fear.” Notwithstanding his colleague former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, who reiterated that he would again repeat a Kandahar fiasco.

Shockingly, when it make to the crux our Right Honorables had neither the inclination nor the time to debate the final Bill. The anti-terror Act was hurriedly passed without any thorough study by our MPs. Not only that. They overturned conventional wisdom and time-honoured practices of referring the Bill to a Standing Committee of the House for in-depth consideration.

Worse followed. Instead of collectively applying balm on the ravaged nation’s psyche following the Mumbai carnage trust our polity to use Union Minority Affairs Minister A.R. Antulay’s intemperate bombshell on the Maharashtra anti-terrorist squad chief Hemant Karkare and his two top officials killing to raise their respective caste and religious electoral bars for the forthcoming general elections.

Asserted Antulay, “There is more than what meet the eyes…Karkare was investigating some cases in which non-Muslims were involved.” He then went on to explain why he is not in agreement with the view that Karkare was killed by terrorists. “Superficially speaking, they (terrorists) had no reason to kill Karkare. Whether he (Karkare) was victim of terrorism or terrorism plus something? I do not know. Somebody who knew both the ends sent him in the wrong direction, otherwise why should he have gone to Cama hospital. He should have gone to Taj, Oberoi or Nariman House.”

“He (Karkare) went to Cama hospital on the basis of a phone call. Who is that person who made the phone call? This should be probed…somebody wanted him to be killed. Why all the three ATS officers went together is beyond my comprehension…”, he added.  Bluntly, what Antulay was suggesting was that Karkare’s death was the handiwork of Hindu outfits, angry with his Malegaon investigations. He reminded Advani that he had called for a change in the investigating team.

Predictably all hell broke lose. The Opposition used Antulay to beat the Government for not being serious about punishing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks, playing into Pakistan’s hand and demanded Antulay’s sacking from the Union Government. The Prime Minister should explain whether it is the opinion of one minister or collective wisdom of his Cabinet,” said the BJP.

A shell-shocked ruling Congress went into damage control and distanced itself from Antulay, by stating that those were his personal views. In fact, it tried turning the tables on the BJP by getting its MPs to aver that the Saffron Sangh  was blowing the issue out of proportion to deflect attention from the manner in which it had lashed out at the ATS chief when he was alive.

Clearly the Congress is caught between a rock and a hard place. Either which way, keeping Antulay would anger its Hindu constituents and replacing him would further alienate the minority community. Even as Antulay continues to stick to his guns amid growing support from across the political spectrum, be it allies or foes and has become the Muslims latest poster boy with Muslim clerics, minority fundamental organizations, and intellectuals applauding him for “speaking the unspeakable.”

Many minority MPs batted for Antulay. “Karkare died under mysterious circumstances. He and his two officers were killed just when the ATS was making sensational disclosures regarding the alleged involvement of Hindu extremist outfits in the Malegaon blast case,” was their common refrain.  

Forgotten in the Antulay furore is how New Delhi should now ensure that Mumbai is never repeated, carry forward its diplomatic pressure on Islamabad, mobilize international opinion against Pakistan’s terrorists’ breeding grounds and tackling the worsening economic situation and growing unemployment thanks to the global meltdown.

The big issue, as being made out is not the Minister’s statement, resignation or sack from the Government. But it encompasses the larger question of unitedly fighting terror, instead of the perennial tu-tu-mein-mein. The fact is that Karkare and hundreds of nameless citizens died in the Mumbai mayhem. Time for our netagan to rise above politricking and get their act together in meeting the terror challenge. 

In the ultimate, our polity should have a single united approach to fight the scourge of terror. Regrettably, our polity has its eyes only on keeping their seats warm in Parliament. With the elections round the corner it is indeed unfortunate that our political parties continue to grab trivial issues and blow them out of proportion to suit their respective casteist and religious moulds to woo their electorate. Failing to realize that they are further tearing the fragile fabric of secularism.  

It needs to be remembered that as no quarter should be given to Hindu fundamentalism the same holds true of Muslim fanatics. Terror has no caste, colour or creed. The Mumbai attacks have once again spotlighted Pakistan-sponsored terrorism playing merry hell with India. Shouldn’t our polity train its guns against this rogue State and keep the heat on rather than side-tracking the issue in mindless mind games and nonsense. ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)