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Industrial and economic expansion
has helped India reduce its federal fiscal deficit. Ongoing
disagreement with Pakistan over Kashmir, caste and religious issues,
movement of extremist organisations, networks, and individuals has
blemished our impressive achievement on the economic and industrial
fronts. Terrorist activities have become a major issue for India as
Indian links are exposed in London and Australia. We have to act
fast with greater force to prevent further attacks inside as well as
outside the country. These elements simply threaten our interests
and overthrow civil order and replace freedom with conflict and
hatred.
Terrorism is a term used to
describe unlawful violence or other unlawful harmful acts committed
(or threatened) against civilians by groups or persons for political
or other ideological goals.They use suicide bombings, beheadings and
other atrocities against innocent people as a means to promote their
creed.
We Indians have become vulnerable to ethnic,
religious and anti-Indian extremists act. Domestically there is a
silent movement fuelled by a radical ideology of hatred and
oppression and many dormant units within the country can manifest
itself in violence. The trends show that there is a decreasing
frequency but increasing lethality of attack.
In India, terrorist networks today are more
dispersed and less centralised. They are more reliant on smaller
cells inspired by a common ideology and less directed by a central
command structure. Though we have thwarted many attacks, we have not
been able to prevent them all. Terrorists have struck in many places
throughout the country. Sophisticated use of the Internet and media
has enabled terrorists to communicate, recruit, train, rally support
and spread their propaganda without risking personal contact. Our
prosperity, the rising tide of democracy, and the right of all
people to live without fear of indiscriminate violence is under
threat.
Strategic planning
We need to build strong foundations, institutions
and networks to fight terror. We should use the positive energy and
skills of citizens to protect the country against any attempts at
undermining its stability. We need to enhance our counter-terrorism
mechanism at both citizen and government level in the following
ways.
Citizens
1. Give up individual freedom
We citizens should be ready to give up individual freedoms if
the situation warrants for increasing our national security. When
there is a threat, people should realise the urgent need for
security. We should make our properties and ourselves available for
searches. We should participate in collective risk management.
2. Political and religious alienation
We should not alienate fellow citizens on the basis of their
political and religious beliefs. We should never create an
environment where terrorism can take root. We should never blame a
religion or group in the name of terrorism, as this will bring
success to the terrorists.
3. Citizen soldiers
The greatest source for dealing with the challenges of terror is the
citizens outside the government. They are the ones who can tell “who
the extremists are; where they live”. Involvement of all
peace-loving citizens, irrespective of caste, colour and creed is
the need of the hour to fight terrorism. By involvement, I mean
‘state of alertness’ and penchant for smelling a rat 24 hours,
wherever one is. We need to draw them into volunteering and
speaking.
Government
1. Training in counter-terrorism to the forces
Adequate training on counter-terrorism for the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Coast Guard, various security or paramilitary forces
(includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, National Security
Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier Force, Central
Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Railway
Protection Force, and Defence Security Corps).
2. A central agency to tackle terrorism
A central agency with extensive powers similar to the Intelligence
Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing, with roots in all states,
should be created to tackle terrorism. They should have substantial
presence in the states near our borders.
Vinod Kuriakose, Chennai.
Mobile - 09444148889
E-mail -
vinodkuriakose@gmail.com
Website -
http://vinodsite.b0x.com
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