Round The World
New Delhi, 26 February 2013
Blasts in Hyderabad
WHITHER
COUNTER TERRORISM?
By Obja Borah
Hazarika
Research
Scholar, School
of International Studies,
JNU.
The twin blasts
in Hyderabad’s suburb Dilsukhnagar which killed over 15 and injured 80
people on 21 February has again re-ignited the
debate on the tenuous nature of security which the State is providing its
citizens.
Specially
against the backdrop that this is the third terror incident, in 2002 a scooter
bomb exploded near Dilsukhnagar’s Sai Baba temple and in 2007, a disaster was
narrowly averted when an IED failed to explode. Given that India has been a victim of terrorism since Independence, the fact
that the Government failed to prevent this third explosion at Dilsukhnagar
underscores its ineptitude and bungling.
Bringing
things to such a pass that regardless of the awareness several parts of the
country remain vulnerable to terrorism due to the State’s inability to counter these
attacks. Wherein the Government’s glaring incompetence is not only hampering
its image internationally but also exposing its weakness to its adversaries.
Undeniably, there are several reasons
which underpin the re-current inability of the State to avert terrorism. One of
the main reasons being intelligence failure. Think. A few months ago during questioning,
the Pune blasts convicts Indian Mujahedeen’s Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan, told
Delhi police that while plotting the Pune attack they had stayed in Hyderabad
and conducted reconnaissance of "Dilkhushnagar” too.
This is not all. They
claimed, that Indian Mujahedeen (IM) Chief Riyaz Bhatkal instructed them to do the
recce. Despite this information there was no preparedness on the part of the Government
to shore up security in the area. Worse, it highlights the Administration’s
intelligence incompetence by sharing and communicating this vital information among
key counter-terrorism offices across the country.
Pertinently, Indian Mujahedeen has been identified as the perpetrator of all three
blasts at Hyderabad.
According to security experts IM is one of the sleeper cells of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. This makes it difficult for the Government not
only to tackle terrorism but also effectively end and wipe out these outfits operations
leading to recurring terrorist activities.
Significantly, apart from adversely affecting the public’s
morale these Pakistan-based terror groups boost confidence and daring of its
local modules. Thus, in order to effectively prevent terrorism from affecting the
aam aadmi’s lives it is imperative
that the Government needs to prevent the militants operations along-with taking
steps to dismantle and destroy their existence.
Needless to say, as long as these terror groups continue
to exist and operate from India,
it will imply that the Government is unable to thwart terrorism. The fact that
an outfit like Indian’ Mujahedeen exists is proof of the country’s impotence in
tackling terror. One does not hear of an ‘American’ Mujahedeen operating from
US soil.
Importantly, one of the reasons for India’s lack of
preparedness in tackling terrorism is the multi-level and multiple
organizations at the Central and State level involved in counter-terrorism
efforts. The manifold layers of counter terrorist offices lead to unwieldy delays,
bureaucratic hassles and failure of sharing information. In fact one of the
reasons for the Hyderabad
attacks was the blunder to share intelligence information among the key
counter-terrorism experts.
Specially, as Parliament perpetrator Afzal Guru’s
hanging had led to disquiet in some quarters and possibility of retaliatory
attacks. Hyderabad
too had been warned but as evident by the blasts, the information was both
vague and unhelpful. Or else the feeble reaction of our counter-terrorism experts
to avoid this attack is indeed worrisome.
Notably, the discord between the Centre and States on
the question of setting up the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) is
another issue for India’s
inability to tackle terrorism. Wherein, even attacks on which prior
intelligence is available, makes it imperative that both the Centre and State
combine their efforts to effectively pool their resources to tackle terrorism,
instead of impeding each other’s efforts in this respect.
Besides, fears of the NCTC overriding the authority
of the States need to be allayed by the Centre and prompt measures taken to
combat terror using the best available means, at the State and Central level.
Personality clashes of those at the helm of affairs in both should not hold
hostage the safety and security of the people.
Apart from being bad governance, such behaviour, is
egotistical and unbecoming of leaders of a democratic country.
Undoubtedly, India has suffered manifold
terrorist attacks. Alas, instead decreasing, the attacks and the terrorists are
still at large and continuing operating, recruiting and planning newer attacks
to hack at the very soul of the nation.
The need of the hour is training and institution
building to combat terrorism. We need to adopt the best practices of other
nations, including the American NCTC. Remember post 9/11 there has been no
terrorist attack in the US.
This speaks volumes for the efficiency and efficacy of American counter-terrorism.
All in all, in this age of high speed communications,
terrorists are availing the latest technology on offer to ensure maximum damage
is caused. In countering and preventing such manoeuvres, India must do
the same and do it better. ---- INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
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