Twin Towers of Terrorism

Terrorism in India has two clear targets: its diverse but unified society and the emerging economy. The attacks on Mumbai as well as recent terror attacks point at that. As impatient citizens refuse to go back to the path followed in past, India must repose its strategy to fight terrorism. It has to be twin in outcomes: save India’s basic social structure and guard India as a favoured investment destination.

On November 26 2008 India was stabbed at her heart – Mumbai. Terrorists went on a bloody rampage. Mumbai, fabled for its ‘spirit’, decided not to again employ its resilience to tide over. The country that always projects Mumbai as her economic face refused to accept the scarce terrorists inflicted. The country this time unequivocally decides not to listen to ‘chalta hai’.

It is said when Mumbai sneezes, the country’s business catches a cold. That day it was cold blooded assault and the country’s business environment suddenly faced a crisis. More so because the economy is already strained due to the global meltdown. More so because terrorist attacks are frighteningly regular and strategic in targets of business. More so because large areas of the country are already reeling under various insurgencies, mostly the resource rich areas that dictate India’s growth story. More so because India is emerging as a key economic power with global influence. In many ways the recent terrorist attack was an attempt to spoil the Indian growth story.

India is poised for major change in its approach to terrorism, particularly at a time when terrorism greatly impacts its economy, the new found identity. India’s war against terrorism witnessed new challenges following the siege of Mumbai that resulted in the loss of credibility to check the growing tentacles of terrorism. As the new episode made its way in the history of combating counter terrorism threats in the country, it is apparent that the present infrastructure and policies are far too meager to make a significant difference.

A banished road
Terrorism is not new to India. Policy makers are wary of the inefficacious policies that have become outdated in the present context. The trend reveals that attacks are often followed by phases of mass hysteria, rhetoric and then lull. As Professor Brahma Chellaney of New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research puts it: "Indeed, after the government's ritual condemnation of each attack and the standard promise to defeat terror, India puts the strikes behind it and goes back to what now defines it - partisan politics and scandal. That is, until terror strikes again." “There are puzzling and somewhat troubling questions that arise after every terror attacks- the eighth in a spate of attacks in India in the past five months - relate to why the country has become a soft target for terrorists,” writes Chellaney. Worse, the fight against terror has increasingly got politicized and got linked to communal, electoral and vote-bank considerations.

Insurgent movements sprouted across the country immediately after India became independent. The communist insurgency, which still continues as a Maoist movement in 12 different States of India (popularly known as Naxalite movement), is now an ideological movement for the spread and implementation of the Maoist ideology. On the other hand the tribal insurgent movements sought independence for various tribal groups living in the border areas of India's North-East. These insurgencies drew the moral support of communist China and theists Pakistan. According to various estimates, these internal security concerns hold up US$ 150 billion worth of investments.

In the 1980s insurgency arrived in the heart of India: Punjab, where a group of Sikhs living in the State of Punjab in India as well as in the UK, the then West Germany, Canada and the US demanded a separate land called Khalistan. It paved way to new counter terrorism policies that became a new component of India's internal security management in 1981. The Khalistani movement was largely funded by members of the Sikh diaspora and by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. They were trained and armed by the ISI in camps in Pakistani territory. Till then it remained confined to the affected states but since early 1990s sporadic incidents of terror engulfed other parts of India.

India’s first major brush with terror was in 1993 when Mumbai (then Bombay) was bled with multiple bomb explosions. Since then it has become a regular feature. During this year multiple bombs rocked New Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Guwahati and many other places. During this year till October more people have been killed in terror attacks in India than in any other country except Iraq.

Most of the incidents that have happened in India point to the indulgence of a foreign hand, mostly the neighbouring Pakistan and its rogue intelligence agency. Khalistan movement in Punjab, militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, 1993 Bombay blasts, Parliament attack, Bombay train blasts, multiple bomb blasts in various major cities including National Capital – New Delhi, and now recent Mumbai terror attack are seen as evidences supporting the fact. More alarming news is that foreign mercenaries have amply been captured and nabbed from different states, including Jammu and Kashmir. Their designs and plans that have resulted in great causalities and  loss of property have raised the question of implementation a well thought-out meticulous anti-terrorism strategy which ought to include effective initiatives outside the country besides unwavering political and legal resolve within the country.

No more ‘no’
Over the years India has been vigilant on the Line of Control (LOC) it shares with Pakistan and the international border with Bangladesh. To strengthen the counter-infiltration capabilities Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Army have been heavily deployed. Army has played a greater role in counter-insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. Other than that preliminary measure like raising of village defence forces in remote villages, strengthening physical security for sensitive places of worship, upgradation of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in order to enable it to protect the economic infrastructure, including the oil infrastructure, ports and airports, nuclear establishments etc. from possible attacks, have further helped in de-escalation of the threats.

Beside that strengthening the maritime counter-terrorism capability of the Coast Guard, raising a pool of officers specially trained in hostage negotiation techniques and strengthening anti-narcotics control with stringent laws are also worth mentioning.

With additional staff being specially trained to handle contingencies, the question as why India fails to tackle the new terror is indeed intriguing. Despite elite anti-terrorism squads of National Security Guards (NSGs), Special Protection Group (SPG), huge army, intricate investigation and intelligence network, the militants, Maoists and tribals strike at will.  

As confirmed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, setting up of federal investigation agency will be a major break-through for counter-terror efforts within the country. This will put in place a coordinated effort against terror, mostly within the country. However, this initiative alone may not be enough to counter foreign elements.
It has been realized that in order to counter terror, India need an effective global anti-terror strategy in participation with countries like USA, UK, Russia, France, Israel and with countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh. USA and India established the Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group in 2000, even before the 9/11 attacks but no further strengthening took place except customary lip-services and joint press-statements.

India bears cordial relations with most of the terror inflicted countries like US and others, which is intended to help develop an effective anti-terror strategy. US president George Bush and even President-elect Barack Obama has officially endorsed Indian view point and assured full support. So has been promised by UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. Even Israel is ready to coordinate with India to pursue anti-terror campaign. With common agendas, the league can play a major role in future joint operations and assistance. A greater responsibility rests on the shoulders of opinion leaders and policy makers to forge sound relations with these countries and assure maintenance of peace and progress in the subcontinent.

Besides these countries India need to have more close and coordinated approach with Pakistan and Bangladesh. Following the terror attacks in India, the need of cooperation with state and non-state agencies has been realized on number of occasions. By diplomatic channels, India can exert pressure on these countries to take action against any hostile group based grounded there. 

With Pakistan, India does need, at least, bi-lateral agreement to coordinate or assist in investigation of various terror incidents both within India and Pakistan. In almost every case related to recent bomb blasts or any other terror incident within India, a link or connection with Pakistan has been evident. After Mumbai terror attack, Indian Investigation agencies do claim handy clues about its Karachi (Pakistan) origin. Recent suicide attack on Indian Embassy in Afghanistan was also confirmed to be handiwork of rogue elements of ISI. Not only India but also Pakistan itself witnessed some heinous suicide terror attacks like Islamabad hotel blasts killing 57 people. The famous political figure and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by terrorists operating within Pakistani territory. The same terrorist outfit has also been found responsible for terror incidents in India.

Due to political instability in Pakistan, a concrete dialogue was out of the equation, since Musharaf’s regime ended. But right now India does have a chance in president Asif Ali Zardari to “motivate” Pakistan for effective collaboration in tackling terror. Zardari’s recent statement after Mumbai terror attack suggests that he is willing to cooperate. “As president of Pakistan, if any evidence comes of any individual or group’s involvement in Mumbai’s terror strike, I shall take the swiftest of action in front of the world,” he said.

The recent tragedy in Mumbai witnessed every sort of failure prominently administrative, and intelligence, but at the same time gave impetus to develop much needed frame work to counter such attacks in future. Besides coordinated struggle against terrorism India can learn many things from the expertise and policies of terrorism affected countries. It cannot implant the model of UK, US or Israel because of the diversity. What it can do is to incorporate some nuances from all these democracies to effectively tackle the menace of terror. From US it can learn to say sorry and pay compensation for those innocents who have been wrongly associated with the terror. This will strengthen the faith of the common citizens. From Israel, India can learn the most important thing: intelligence gathering and hitting the target with precision. From UK, India can learn how to bring the alienated community back into the fold.