Can India Inc. fight jihad international?
The Jaipur serial blasts on May 13, 2008 have again proved that there are no proverbial chinks in our national armour. In fact, we do not have any armour. We have inadequate fire tenders in the form of Intelligence Bureau, State Police Intelligence and several paramilitary forces with mouthful names. We have inherited the mirage of a Congress legacy that pretended since 1857 the wishful legacy of representing both Muslims and Hindus. In 1885 itself Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan had unabashedly declared that Congress was a Hindu party and Muslims would boycott it.
This mirage-dreaming has now been transformed to “vote-bank-secularism” and whenever any jihadi attack takes place the politicians suffering from foot-in-mouth disease blurt out names of certain jiahdi tanzeems based in Pakistan, Bangladesh and their Directors of Board of Jihad Inc, the Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan and Directorate General of Forces, Bangladesh. These days Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami tagged with Lashkar-e-Toiba are the most favourite names with the politicians and intelligence and police agencies.
India has only one competent intelligence agency, the Intelligence Bureau, which can meet the jihadi challenge by only 40% against a scale of 100. It is efficient, but pitifully inadequate in size and logistics.
The State police forces have some intelligence branch but these are staffed by untrained and sidelined officers. There is no dedicated intelligence cadre inside the police forces. A police mess-cook promoted to constabulary may find refuge in the garbage dump of State intelligence branch. Over 70% sloths are dumped in this bin. Wherever these units exist the political breeds use them as wish-trees, if not kitchen maids. Most State police training colleges do not have specialized intelligence training institutes and expert faculty members.
The police intelligence agencies and the gurgling and babbling political breed have very little training and orientation to comprehend the threat perception, analyse the ground realities and demanding imperatives that go in formulating national policy for maintaining homeland security and securing lives and properties of the citizen for which the Constitution has created these breeds of political and systemic tools.
The political masters who oil and run the constitution and the systemic tools are too much vote-bank oriented and safety vault conscious creatures. To them the country, national security, internal and external threat are last pie on the plate. Some of them cover up their fallibility in the name of “secularism” and others in the name of political ism. Opposing the opposite political entity in each and every action, however beneficial it might be for the people, is the basic political creed amongst them. They refuse to unite even on the issue of gravest threat to the very fabric of the nation from internal and external enemies. All “M” words are taken as secular and all “M” words are derided as “communal.” The hysteric and historic malarial fever of secularism has almost paralysed the governing philosophy and practice.
India has been facing foreign based, inspired and guided insurgency, terrorism and Jihad since 1950 in the North East, Kashmir, Punjab and pockets in mainland India. China, Pakistan and Bangladesh were involved in stoking, training, arming and funding the separatist movements, either in collaboration or unidirectional action.
Since 1980 the disturbing aspects and elements of global Islamic Jihad, as perceived by Ikhwan ul-Muslimoon (Egypt), Rabita Alam al-Islami, Markaz-ud-Dawa al-Islami (Saudi Arabia), al Qaeda and the Taliban. What was earlier treated as continuation of the background radiation of the Wahhabi (Saudi Arabia) movement has now been deeply impacted by Salafism, a purist breed of Islam promoted by Mohammad Abduh (Egypt) and Jalaluudin Afghani (Persia born) political and theological ideologues. Now Taliban, al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (Pakistan) and Markaz ud Dawa, fountainhead of Laskhar-e-Toiba and HuJI swear by Salafism. The visible front of Salafism in India is the Ahl-e-Hadith movement, a “Wahhabiyavi” movement started around 1868 by Siddiq Hasan al-Qannauji, married to the reigning Begum of Bhopal.
Besides the Ahl-e-Hadith the Jamait-e-Islami (Hind-Pak-Bangladesh), Tablighi Jammat, Barelwi sect followers and Deobandi (Pak-Bangladesh) Hanafi Sunni elements mostly drawn to the concept of changing the world through jihad.
The geopolitical imperative of Pakistan and Bangladesh’s proxy war against India has been effectively merged with the International Jihad Movement. Two important state governing tools, the ISI and DGFI are infested with Jamait-e-Islami, Ahl-e-Hadith, militant Deobandi cadres and elements identified with Taliabn (Tanzeem Taliban-e-Pakistan of Mullah Mehsud), Ikhwan ul-Muslimoon and al Qaeda. The bitter truth with which the world community, especially the USA live today that they are both fighting and cohabiting with the jihadis in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and in their own countries. The other shade of the truth is that the Indian political breed refuses to accept this truth as truth. They invent their own brand of truth to fill the voting machines and pockets.
Our political and systemic tools suffer from the ostrich-faith that insurgency in the North East, terrorism in Punjab, proxy war and jihad in Kashmir, the Maoist struggle in a vast area are the only police problems. They have not been wisened of the historical fact of post-Independence life that the Muslims who had advocated separation from 1857 onwards and later actaulised their homelands on the basis of Two Nation philosophy continue to believe in two cardinal aspects of their theopolitical and strategic perceptions: Muslims of India live in Dar-ul-Harb (land of war) and they require liberation from Hindu majority rule. For achieving this Jihad in mainland India is the only tool.
Since partition and after replacement of secular governance in Bangladesh by Islamic rule, concerted efforts are being made by the Deobandi schools of the two countries, Jamiat-e-Islami, Tablighi Jammat and various jihadi tanzeems floated since Afghan jihad to subvert sections of Indian Muslims and control their minds through violent actions and propaganda. The end goal is very clear: injection of religious and political schism amongst them and encouraging the growth of separatism witnessed between the periods of Shah Waliullah-Sir Sayyid Ahmad, Jinnah and the rest. In this new jihad game more than Muslim political leaders the Ulamas are taking leading roles. Their factories in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are churning out jihadis, fidayeens and they are receiving financial and ideological support from the Middle East and South East Asian countries.
Over last 30 years since Bangladesh liberation war and dismemberment of Pakistan this effort has been pursued with religious doggedness. The BJP-RSS conglomerate failed to take into account these subtle incursions in Indian Muslim minds and for temporary political gain went ahead with Babri Mosque demolition.
The Congress and its casteist and regional and the so-called Left allies also failed to perceive the subtle theopolitical changes in Indian Muslims and hypothetically identified the growing maladies with ‘backwardness of the community.’ They believed, as they fallaciously believed between 1857 and 1947 that Muslims are solidly with them and they alone can represent Muslim interest. This tussle has made the “M –word” synonymous with secularism and the “H-word” identical with communalism. Indian political panorama divided on M and H lines cannot fight jihad. It requires national unity, conscientious, and strategic, diplomatic and global understanding of the ground realities in India and its neighbourhood. Street urchin psychology of denouncing each and every political and administrative action of the opposition has compartmentalized the country ideologically and tactically.
The situation is similar to what we witnessed during 1905-1914 when the “moderate” British worshipping Congress headed by G. K. Gokhale blindly opposed the “extremist” anti-British Congress headed by Arabinda Ghose, B. G. Tilak, and B. C. Pal and Lajpat Rai. History speaks for the later developments.
The most blatant comparison that can be made to India’s utter failure to respond to ongoing endless jiahdi threat from Jihad International is the US reaction after 9/11 tragedy. America was not prepared to meet such contingency. However, despite existence of several chinks in its intelligence and security armours the nation pulled its wits together went through the merciless analysis by a Commission and promulgated in November 2002 the Homeland Security Act-Public Law no. 107. The Act created new infrastructure to fight terrorism and empowered the executive with sweeping powers. In 55 years this was a major systemic change in the USA.
India experimented with MISA, which was more abused for political purposes than in improving security ambience. The Congress government later came out with TADA in 1984. Over 75,000 people were arrested under this Act. Out of this 73, 000 were released without prosecution and out of 2000 only a few hundred were convicted.
After the jihadist attack on the Parliament (2003) India also promulgated POTA for combating terrorism. Contrary to popular Muslim perception that POTA was directed against their community it should be known that over 250 people were detained in Jharkhand-mostly Naxals. The most ridiculous political vendetta under this Act was the arrest of V. Gopalswamy aka Vaiko by the AIADMK government. The BJP government had banned 32 organisations under this Act.
However, under pressure from the Muslim political and cleric class and the human rights protagonists the new government abolished the Act on the plea that POTA could not prevent terrorism. They pleaded that Prevention of Unlawful Act was good enough to cope with jihadist attacks in India by the combined forces of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jihad International and subverted elements in India. Well! The fools are also allocated berths in Heaven.
They even refuse to relent after the latest urgings by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that tougher anti-terrorist Acts are necessary to protect the country. The Prime Minster has also advocated creation of a Federal Investigation Agency to deal with the cases of terrorism.
Whenever severe jihadi attacks takes place most Indians react with stock palliatives: this and that city is resilient, people bounced back to normal like, Pakistan has failed to whip up communal frenzy, this and that terrorist group has done this and neighbouring countries are involved. The media too is trapped by such palliatives.
These palliatives are good political statements. But such doses of sedatives alone cannot strengthen the war sinews of the country to meet Jihadi challenges. The country needs solid legal and administrative action, if necessary by amending the Constitution and by transferring the Law and Order and Police subjects to the Concurrent List.
The moot questions are:
Has the country any preparedness to fight the jihadi forces?
Has India been worse affected by communal fighting as it was in 1888-89, 1903-05, 1906-1911 and the subsequent genocide before and after the partition?
The answer is no. The general people of the country have understood that communal carnage increases the momentum of separatism. They have learnt from 1984 anti-Sikh riot and 1993 post-Babri demolitions riots and 2004 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat.
India never ceased to be a fertile field of Hindu-Muslim communal tension, especially since 1857. But during last 35 years the graph has gone down, though there were a few landmark incidents.
Simply by cheering the people for maintaining communal harmony the nations cannot fight jihadi incursion. Sooner than later the walls of patience may collapse. That would be the most unfortunate development for India as the Jinnah’s Calcutta Direct Action, the great Noakhali killings and mass genocide during the partition may recur and push the country towards throes of crisis.
The political class cannot put their feet- in-mouths and deceive the country by taking advantage of people’s patience. Often cynicism makes people indifferent. Like most sand-barrages patience is a fragile barrier. Once it breaks revolution takes over.
In brief, what messages do we get from the jihadi attacks and acts of political and administrative non-action, proxy war that are destroy national fabric, infuse separatism in sections of the Muslims, arouse competitive Hindu resurgence and common citizen’s loss of trust in the governing political and systemic tools?
The messages are simple.
• India is not ready to wake up to the reality that all “M-words” are not secular and all “H-words” are not communal.
• The political parties are required to abandon the street-urchin-psychology of opposing every action of political rivals.
• The State of India and its intelligence and police forces are not adequate to meet jihadist threat. India lacks in systemic tools to fight foreign inspired jihadism.
• India refused to accept that sections of its own citizen have been subverted.
• India has failed to stop Bangladeshi migration flood.
• The country lacks efficient anti-terrorist Act, faster criminal jurisprudence system and united political will.
• Some political parties continue to suffer from appeasement policy that encourage and embolden the jihadis.
• The State of India is unable to thwart foreign intervention in India’s internal affairs through diplomatic, geostrategic and military actions.
• Muslim separatism is gaining strength and is being encouraged by certain actions and inactions of the governing tools and neighbouring countries.
• Jihad has come to stay and grow in Indian mainland and defeat the country from within
• The citizens are losing faith in the governing capability of Indian political and administrative systems.
For lack of space I propose only to deal briefly with only two items. The rest would require broader attention and realisation of the country as whole for overcoming ideological and political and vote-bank compulsions. National Security cannot be made a part of political ideology and historical day-dreaming of unity of the people. Jihad can be fought with actual understanding of the harsh realities and not on the basis of mantras like “ostrich-secularism.”
Indian States (provinces) are not prepared with trained, equipped and motivated and dedicated Intelligence Wings that can take care of jihadi thrusts. Police Intelligence is simply out of date and not tuned to tackle jihadi and terrorist thrusts. They are caught napping all the time.
The Central Intelligence Bureau can perform well. Their abnormal deficiency has occurred because the governments have failed to give more trained, equipped and motivated manpower to the IB. A Security Assistant in IB is equated with a dak delivery peon, process server and daftary, so is the police constable. Why would a process server risk his life for fighting terrorism? How can the citizenry expect protection from a daftary? The highest ranking police officer manning the intelligence units are treated minimum three steps below his IAS colleague. The nation should not expect best out of a force that is treated by 150 year old civil administration as chaprasis. Motivation is linked to service condition.
Absence of Unified Anti-terror law has impeded the methodology of prevention and investigation.
Political colour of the government decide attitude of enforcing agencies to jihadist organisations and situations. A Chief Minister in UP decides in his wisdom that SIMI is not a terrorist organisation, though the Supreme Court has told SIMI, “You are a terrorist organisation.” The government in Kolkata refused to react till a prominent businessman was kidnapped and part of ransom money was used by the ISI in 9/11 attack on America and attack on US Consulate. Political colour should not affect war against jihad and terrorism.
India requires something like Homeland Security Act and ancillary administrative, intelligence and investigation agencies. Today even POTA is not enough.
Indian political breed should stop thinking in terms of Hindu-Muslim relationship as it existed between the times of Sayyid Ahmad and M. A. Jinnah. If we cannot respond as a nation and one people and at the slightest allegation that only Muslims are being targeted in the name of anti-terrorist actions India remain ready to face greater catastrophe.
The damn truth is: what is happening in India is not terrorism. It is Jihadist action directed at dividing India.
Is India prepared to face the facts that the International jihadists and Indian Muslims subverted should impose jihad as the final acts of redemption of Islamic glory that once ruled India?
If that be so, let us compose a requiem to Motherland India.
May 31st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Dear Sir,
An excellent analytical piece by you, like always.
You are right. There is a need to create a federal anti-terror agency armed with both preventive, tracking, and prosecuting powers. The CIB needs to get beefed up, especially in its hum-int and tech-int capabilities.
There is an interesting trend of late that you may throw more light on.
To give the Pakistan-sponsored jihad an indigenous colour, the ISI Directorate is attributing a few recent terror attacks, especially those that target primarily Hindu civilians, to the “Indian Mujahideen” jihadi outfit. Though they have been actually been orchestrated by HuJI module/s.
The blasts in Jaipur this month and those that rocked UP late last year were atributed to this fictitious entity, the Indian Mujahideen.
The make of the bombs used in these attacks have telling similarities, there are other common traits too.
It seems the Pakistani/Bangladeshi trainers of the perpetrators involved in these attcaks must be the same. They are probably terror graduates from the same camp.
May 31st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I eitirely agree. Sitting in Canada I feel the pain that our country is going through and the callousness exhibited by our politician
June 1st, 2008 at 11:41 am
Dear Sir,
A very informative web-site and the article has been extremely hard-hitting or better very typically “Dhar-like” if I may be permitted to say so. The piece is an extremely candid and blunt analysis of our half-hearted approach to fighting terror.
With best wishes
June 1st, 2008 at 4:35 pm
My batch mate in the IPS has emerged as a major writer and thinker. Most of us in the IAS and IPS whine away our retired lives running after posts and pots of money. Maloy has taken a bold decision to serve the country even after retirement. The fire-ball has not changed at all since the days I saw him at Mussourie Administrative Service College. Keep it up old boy.
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
An excellent piece sir, Salute to your courage and depth of knowledge. We Jurnos are indebted to you.
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:36 pm
A very courageous and wonderfulexposition. I have told the students in my college to read it.
June 7th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I congratulate the author for the bold article. I wish our authorities take notice of the details. It is an eye opener. I am starting a fan-club at Kanpur to support Dhar.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Thanks to Dhar. I am convinced that India is not prepared to fight Islamic jihad. Look at the chickenary of the Left: they now tie up nuclear deal with Muslim votes. Why are we tolerating these Chinese agents in our country? Let us bury Karat, Bardhan and other filmi tigers.