India has a long history of suffering from terrorism. Terrorists are presently active in different parts of the country. They have taken advantage from improvement in technology and have masterminded numerous blood sheds. Apart from external elements who are constantly planning fresh attacks, there has been a robust growth in indigenous extremist forces in the form of Indian Mujahideen (IM) and a number of other organizations. K. Alan Kronstadt, Specialist in South Asian Affairs, in his U.S Congressional Research Service Report observes that in 2008 many of the Indian officials came to terms with the fact that the power of the homegrown terrorist groups have increased substantially. These terrorist groups are receiving operational training from organizations like LeT( Lashkar-e-Taiba) which operate from Pakistan.
The triple bomb blasts in Mumbai on 13th July, 2011 is an addition to the ever growing list of such activities in the country. Fresh reports indicate that death toll in the incident may rise. The country's security agencies are not ruling out a coordinated terror plan where the underworld of Mumbai may also have a role to play.
In the aftermath of the terror attacks we have witnessed our politicians playing the same blame game without going to the heart of the matter. A terrorist strike can not be used as an opportunity to call for an inept governments ouster nor can it be dismissed as any other event by simply stating that it is impossible to stop all terror attacks. Terrorism, in its present form, needs to be understood in proper light. The thought process must go beyond religious lines to think of the growing industry that terrorism is becoming worldwide. Religion is only used as a tool to advance the hidden agenda. It is essentially a power struggle which aims to subjugate a class of people by means of fear.
There are wide gaps in the country's security mechanism. Repeated attacks reveal intelligence failure, lack of co-ordination or simply laid back attitude.
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A sense of cynicism and desperation has set in among the common people of the country. Experts have pointed out the high level of homeland security cover in the U.S post 9/11 and U.K post 7/7 which has averted further attacks. In India drawing parallels with U.S and U.K is a bit far-fetched because the geopolitical conditions are quite dissimilar. The huge population in the country with diversities of different kind is a challenge to meet the levels which countries like U.S have reached in internal security. This, however, is no excuse for the delay in executing different plans in place to counter the threat.
Our this month's discussion will try to understand the different facets of terrorism in the country and seek to explore ways to tackle the problem from its root of origin.
Contributions are invited from interested people who want to express their mind on this burning issue. The incentive that you get from contribution is being a part of making India stronger in its stride forward. You can send your contributions not exceeding 500 words with relevant key words and a brief bio about yourself to soumyadutta.dutta@gmail.com.
