Bodh Gaya blasts expose India’s weak flank again
lord Buddha is believed to have received his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. The place is sacred not only to Hindus but also to Buddhists around the world. Yet this most holy place came under terrorist attack on July 7.
Earlier, the Intelligence Bureau had sent a warning to the Bihar Government about a possible terror attack at Bodh Gaya. The alert was sounded following confessions by Indian Mujahideen operatives caught by Delhi Police between August and October last year for their involvement in the 2012 Pune blasts. In an official release dated October 26, 2012, Delhi Police said: “...sustained interrogation of the accused arrested by us revealed that a person, Sayed Maqbool, was in close association with (the four previously arrested terrorists) and together they planned to commit fidayeen attacks on the Buddhist shrines in Bodh Gaya in Bihar as retaliation to the alleged atrocities being committed upon Muslims in Myanmar”.
Apart from Buddhist targets, the operatives had also revealed their plans to attack Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad and the Pune court house and prison. Maharashtra Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad had also said at the time that its own interrogation of the IM operatives had exposed the group’s plans to attack Dilsukhnagar and Bodh Gaya. However, nobody took the warning seriously. Consequently, Dilsukhnagar was bombed in February and Bodh Gaya, earlier this month.
The problem here is that after the warnings were received, nobody took stock of the situation. Were we adequately prepared with the right kind of arms and equipmentIJ Did we have evidence enough to make a strong legal caseIJ Instead of answering these questions, our Government has only issued condemnatory statements after the attacks. Since then, it has been business as usual for the Government and the terrorists alike.
In this context, it will be worthwhile to remember what the Supreme Court had observed in Kartar Singh versus State of Punjab [1994] 3 SCC 569. The apex court had said that the country was in the firm grip of terrorist violence and was caught between deadly pangs of disruptive activities. Apart from the many skirmishes in various parts of the country, there were countless incidents of blood-bath, firing and looting wherein even women and children were not spared. Parts of the country had been reduced to graveyards. Deplorably, youths had been lured by hardcore criminals and underground extremists who used the ideology of terrorism to brainwash and engage them in crimes against humanity. They deserved no mercy.
Yet, in this country few if any effective steps are taken to bring to book those who spread mayhem and anarchy. Now, compare this to the situation in the US where there has only been one major terrorist attack since Al Qaeda flew two planes into the World Trade Centre and changed the New York skyline forever more than a decade ago.
After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, Washington, DC passed the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, popularly known by its acronym USA Patriot Act or simply as the Patriot Act. This piece of legislation has played a key part in a number of successful counter-terror operations that have helped protect innocent Americans. The Act gives federal officials greater authority to track and intercept communications, both for law enforcement and foreign intelligence gathering purposes.
In India, on the other hand, the Union Government has actually diluted anti-terrorism laws. In fact, one of the first things that the Congress-led UPA regime did when it came to power in 2004 was to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 that had been legislated by the BJP-led NDA Government before it. Previously, in 1995, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act had also been allowed to lapse.
Under the existing laws, the onus lies on the investigating agencies to prove the guilt of a suspected terrorist. In other words, we have tied our own hands and feet when it comes to combating terrorism. To make matters worse, we also do not have a Witness Protection Act. And we also expect the ill-equipped and ill-trained police to handle terrorism. Former Union Minister for Home Affairs P Chidambaram had sympathised with the ordinary police constable saying he is the “most abused” part of the force and the “most reviled public servant”. He had also spoken at length about India’s poorly trained police force, especially at the lower ranks. “Everyone believes that he (Constable) can be bullied, or cajoled or bribed... Self-esteem of average policeman is very low…And this average Police Constable is a frontline force for the internal security”, Mr Chidambaram had said.
The Government knows well about the problem and how it can be resolved. But why does it not rectify the deficiencies pointed by its own Minister, instead of passing the buck to the State GovernmentIJ The trouble is that the Union Government is worried that if it takes strong action, it will lose the game of vote-bank politics.
Also, there are plenty of busybodies who will advise the Government that taking a tough and innovative stand in matters of law and order will lead to violation of human rights. Yet, how exactly going soft on terrorists can violate anybody’s human rights remains a mystery. Against this backdrop, it is also important to acknowledge the cold and harsh fact that most terrorist attacks in this country could not have been effectively carried out without ample local support.
No time is right for anything, but doing the right thing is what makes the time to be right. The Union Government should remember what Gandhiji once said: “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”