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Blasts in Hyderabad: WHITHER COUNTER TERRORISM?, By Obja Borah Hazarika, 26 February, 2013 Print E-mail

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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