Fighting terror with kid gloves
There are several indications that Government is taking lightly the serious threat terrorism poses to the nation's integrity,
says Prakash Singh

The nation is in shock in the wake of the Mumbai blasts. The Prime Minister has assured that we shall not be cowed down by such incidents and that we shall win the war against terrorism. Lofty sentiments, indeed! But in this moment of crisis what the people of the country want to hear from the Prime Minister is - what is the Government's action plan to deal? How are we going to reduce the chances of terrorists striking us again? There has been no attempt to shed light on that. And so, basically, we remain where we were. We should be mentally prepared for another terrorist strike. Another devastation.

The US suffered 9/11, but after that it took such comprehensive measures and tough decisions that the terrorists have not been able to strike at them on the mainland. The UK, too, was attacked last year, and it enacted tough laws and has not had another tragedy since then. It is not that these countries may not be hit again. But both US and UK showed political will and courage in the face of terrorist challenge. That precious commodity is missing here.

It is owing to the puerile arguments of the Left and the ruling parties' hypersensitivity to minorities, that our leadership has shown itself singularly incapable of taking tough decisions needed to ensure national security. TADA was replaced by a diluted POTA and even the subsequent enactment was allowed to lapse. The country brags about having greater experience in battling against terrorism than either the US or UK and yet we have no anti-terror law on the statute book today. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is hardly a substitute. It is like a soldier going to war with a lathi.

The Government, for inexplicable reasons, has not cared to define its anti-terror policy so far. The US has a well-defined policy, which speaks of no concessions to terrorists, brings them to justice, applies pressure on states that sponsor terrorism, and bolsters the counter terrorist capabilities of countries fighting terrorism. The British policy is also explicit. It makes no concessions to terrorists, seeks international cooperation in the fight, and follows the rule of law. In India, our leaders perhaps want to retain the option to deal with a particular situation in an ad hoc manner depending on their perception and what may be politically convenient at that time.

The Government's approach to tackling terrorism is confused. We are told that the security agencies have been put on high alert, that intelligence is being strengthened and that additional forces are being sent to the area of trouble. Such statements are neither here nor there. The policy planners are actually suffering from a 'fortress mentality' - they want to have a strong cordon around Parliament and State assemblies, protect the places of worship, educational institutions, scientific establishments, railway stations, bus stands, power stations, airports, etc. Where all and how many fortresses shall we have in this huge country of one billion people? Probably, we shall need a police force 10-times bigger than we have. Do we have the resources for such expansion?

Our strategy should actually have four components: (i) strong barrier along the borders and guarding the coast-line; (ii) cross the borders whenever necessary to pursue the terrorists or destroy their camps; (iii) create an environment within the country which instils fear in the mind of terrorists; and (iv) deal with a terrorist, once he is arrested, in a manner which sends a shiver down the spine of others of his tribe.

It would also be necessary to energise our instruments to fight terror. The law enforcement apparatus must be given the fullest operational autonomy in taking action against the subversive elements. No political or sectarian considerations should come into play. The intelligence machinery should be revamped and the Intelligence Bureau directed to stop wasting its manpower on collecting information about the Opposition and concentrate only on matters relating to internal security. R&AW should be given specific targets.

Do we have the guts to take measures on the above lines? It would require a well-defined policy to combat terror. It would require strict steps against illegal immigrants from the East. We need a law tougher than POTA to put out of action the terrorists and their supporters. We need high security prisons. Above all, we need to rise above political and communal considerations. The Prime Minister will have to assert himself.