Adopt Multiple Strategies to Wipe Out Terrorism

LET US THINK OUT OF THE BOX AND ACT


Do we want to get rid of the lingering terrorism once and for all? Then we have to put pressure on the government to adopt multiple strategies as highlighted in the article posted in October 2008. In addition, instead of leaving it to governments alone, each one of us should help the governments to strengthen security arrangements and do our best to extend the "psychological war” in our localities because both are potent weapons for wiping out terrorism, The least one can do is to forward this article and the earlier post to as many persons as possible to create awareness.



Adopt Multiple Strategies to Wipe Out Terrorism

Synopsis

Multiple strategies have to be adopted to wipe out terrorism. No doubt, a fool proof security system has to be built up. But this cannot be wished in with a magic wand. Recruiting and training adequate number of personnel and equipping them with modern weapons and devices and ensuring their instant mobility and coordinated functioning will take time, may be years. Meanwhile, all-round alertness and actions by non-government establishments / organizations and people are also essential. In addition, a “psychological war” should be carried out in a mission mode. This should adopt four strategies viz., (1) demoralize terrorists by making them understand that they have not achieved their aims even after repeated efforts (e.g., for decades in J & K) and it is futile to go on, (2) disillusion them by pointing out that they will be disowned by their sponsors when the latter have to save their skin (e.g., closing their eyes to a proper burial for killed terrorists), (3) carry out an information, education and communication (IEC) campaign in the communities of terrorists to deprive them of even moral support from their own community, and (4) a humanitarian approach to help terrorists to become useful citizens and enjoy peaceful and happy life and also remove the slur on their community. In stead of leaving this important psychological war with tremendous potential to governments alone, people’s organizations in every locality and the media should take active part in an organized manner in order to ensure its speedy success.



1. The Mumbai carnage cannot be easily forgotten. But, instead of sulking and blaming others, we have to jointly move ahead and think and act quickly in a balanced and pragmatic manner to prevent such occurrences in future. For this, it is helpful to re-examine the multiple strategies mentioned in the article posted in October 2008 (referred to hereinafter as the artcle), which was also under circulation in the internet during October ‘08. A copy of the article had also been sent to the central Minister for Home Affairs and the National Security Adviser.

2. The article had clearly shown in para 1 that terrorists have not been able to achieve their aims and warned that “when the terrorists are in the process of getting demoralized by realization of the failure of their aims, one can expect a spurt in violence as desperate acts even after shorter intervals [para 1 (2)].” During earlier attacks, after placing bombs in some places, terrorists had moved away to safe places, leaving no trace for identifying them. This time, they stayed to bomb and kill clearly showing that they were desperate to achieve something bigger. This led to direct identification of the terrorists for the first time and availability of evidence about the planners. Sad to say, the above warning was not taken seriously by the central Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Security Adviser. Even the terrorist attacks in Merriott Hotel in Pakistan did not create any alertness about similar possibilities.

3. In para 5, the article had drawn attention to the fact that because the war on terrorism (even by advanced countries) achieved very little in seven years, the “war” needs to be strengthened by adding a “psychological approach”. It had emphasized that (1) all security agencies ought to do this widely in a subtle manner and (2) the media should, instead of helping terrorists by spreading fear, take pains to chip in systematically in an organized manner with investigative stories which expose the sad plight of terrorists and their supporters, as a part of this psychological approach to demoralize terrorists. These also have been ignored by both the agencies. Since terrorist organizations had used a psychological approach to recruit terrorists, the same approach should be swiftly adopted on a wide penetrating scale to counteract this.

4. The government has set up a National Investigation Agency (NIA). It is well known that most of our failures are in implementation. To be realistic, (1) many hurdles have to be crossed for ensuring coordination between intelligence agencies, state police and coast guards; all of them with conflicting interests, squabbles, prejudices and political diversions, and (2) what can NIA do when intelligence agencies, police and coast guards are facing acute shortage of trained personnel, modern weapons & devices and lack of instant mobility to cover the whole country effectively? As the article had pointed out in para 3, “this involves lot of efforts on recruitment, training, procurement of gadgets of high technology (all three on a large scale) etc. and will take time.” May be years! Meanwhile, terrorists can continue their brutal attacks, because the acute shortages in trained personnel, modern weapons and devices are serious handicaps to effective functioning of security personnel all over our large country and its long coastline. Terrorists can gather this information and select the “weaker” sites – more so if they have local support. Hence the need to immediately start the psychological war mentioned in para 3 above, to neutralize such support.

5. The article had also suggested in para 3: “meanwhile, security agencies have to put in their best efforts with a sense of commitment to gathering intelligence without any distractions. People in every locality should spontaneously come forward and organize themselves to facilitate and support these efforts, instead of shedding crocodile tears and leaving it to government alone. Anti-social tendencies to spread rumours and hoax calls, which divert scarce resources, should be strictly avoided. There should be a sense of fearless alertness all around.” These important practical aspects have not received the priority attention they deserved, particularly from security agencies, establishments visited by large number of people and local people’s organizations. Security agencies ought to take the lead in organizing and guiding others in a mission mode. Regular monitoring is also essential to ensure alertness.

6. The article had pointed out in para 6: “Another potent weapon is to identify and educate the communities or special groups which have been indirectly supporting terrorists.” “It is crucial to inform and motivate these communities to raise their voice against such inhuman killings. This has become easier because some Muslim religious leaders in India have unequivocally spoken out that such killings are forbidden by Islam.” “Such pronouncements and glorious examples of communal harmony deserve high praise and encouragement. All these will scoop earth from under the feet of terrorists and make it difficult for them to continue with their brutal acts.” It deserves to be highlighted that this is one area where further action has been taken by non-government bodies. Indian Muslims have categorically stated that terrorists are not “jihadis” but “fasadis” (a Quranic term for those who murder innocent people) and forbidden burial of the killed “fasadis” in Indian soil. These steps could provoke alarming doubts in minds of terrorists everywhere and dissuade them. As many as 6,000 religious leaders around the country gathered in Hyderabad and distanced themselves from terrorism and called upon their followers to be alert and follow suit in an active manner. Indian Muslims have categorically declared: “terrorism has no place in Islamic doctrine”, “the Mumbai terrorism was a war against both India and Islam” and “People who committed this heinous crime cannot be called Muslims”. These strongly condemning steps are highly commendable because terrorists will then lose even moral support from Muslims in India or even Pakistan to an increasing extent, over a period of time. Sad to say, such steps have not been encouraged, widely publicized and prominently rewarded. Wide spread IEC activities should be urgently carried out not only by governments but also by media and people’s organizations in each locality. The former should take initiative to organize these and provide subtle “propaganda” materials etc. on a wide scale.

7. In para 3, the article had emphasized that “hotels and other lodging places should be very alert to spot any suspicious activities of their clients, without infringing on their privacy.” What happened in Mumbai showed phenomenal laxity on the part of rich hotels which could afford to arrange fool proof security at the expense of their rich customers. After the terrorist attacks in Merriott Hotel in Pakistan, it is unimaginable that terrorists could walk in and out of the Mumbai hotels repeatedly for any number of days with AK 47 rifles, bombs, grenades etc.! Surprisingly no questions have been asked.

8. On the other hand, what have terrorists achieved by brutal killing of innocent people and destruction of property in Mumbai? These hotels have started functioning again and life is back to normal in Mumbai. Security efforts are more unified and strengthened. India did not fall into their intended trap and start a war to punish the terrorists despite enormous political and emotional pressures. The only gain was creating a fear psychosis, with un-intentioned help from reckless TV coverage and over reactions by other media blindly going in for news value alone. Probably, Pakistan army gained. But, this gain was against democracy and may create future problems there. This will not destabilize India. Moreover, how can terrorists be satisfied when they had killed 33 Muslims who formed about one-fifth of the total innocent people killed in Mumbai? Whereas terrorists wanted to stir up divisive forces in India, the country has become more united in condemning them. The terrorists and their supporters are facing problems in the country of their origin which are likely to be magnified because of persistent global pressures. Killed terrorists were called “fasadis” and denied proper burial. Those who incited them to become terrorists have cheated them by disowning them e.g., by showing scant regard for the bodies of killed terrorists from their own country lying unburied in hospital morgue since 29 November, 2008. Religious leaders dealt another serious blow by emphatically proclaiming once again that Islam does not justify killings of innocent people. Terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir had continued for many decades without any real success. The unequivocal election result by a large percentage of voters, despite poll boycott, is yet another demoralizing blow. All these pose serious problems for terrorists. This may make them more desperate or lull them for some time. It is better to be prepared for desperate acts of violence by terrorists. For this, there should be a sense of fearless alertness all around, more so by establishments which attract large crowds, local organizations of people, and media which can play a serious helpful role (see para 3 above). These are essential because having a well coordinated and effective army of security personnel with modern weapons and devices for quick action all over the country will take time, may be years.
9. The article had pointed out some imbalances in our approach. “Loss of life due to terrorist attacks has been followed by a much larger hue and cry than even much bigger losses due to calamities such as floods, earthquake, hurricanes, road accidents, collapsing of structures etc.” [para 1(2)]. Times of India, Bangalore (8 Dec.’08) reported (page11) that figures provided by National Crimes Records Bureau show that in 2007, about 2,800 people were killed by lightning while only 723 (one-fourth) were lost in insurgency-related incidents (of which deaths from terrorism is only a part). In other comparisons, 2,100 people (about 3 times) died due to accidents involving fire arms. Road accidents claimed 314 every day (i.e., about 1,15,000 in 2007). It is worth reflecting serously that road accidents claimed 157 times more deaths than deaths due to terrorism. Yet, there was no hue and cry about it. Though figures for deaths from floods and collapse of structures leading to mass stampedes etc. have not been reported by TOI, these also are likely to be much more than deaths due to terrorism. Thus deaths due to many causes (which could be tackled) are much more alarming than those due to terrorism. Yet, media and people behaved as though deaths due to terrorism were more alarming (just opposite)! Attaching such extreme differences to value of life is questionable. Evidently, there has been a great imbalance in splashing news about deaths due to terrorism and creating fear psychosis and anger among people, which help terrorists and have strong negative influences on peace. Further, while sufferings of comparatively much fewer people who are victims of terrorism are splashed in headlines all over media, sufferings of much larger numbers, who are innocent victims of suspicion subjected to rigorous interrogation and even jailed without trial by security agencies, are clouded in secrecy (para 4 of the article). Out of sight out of mind!

10. Creating awareness among the entangled human tools of terrorists will help them to become useful citizens and enjoy peaceful and happy life and also remove the slur on their community. Let us not forget the repeated lessons that force alone cannot provide lasting solutions. History has innumerable examples in which brute force could not crush human spirit for long. Current glaring examples are the protracted killings and destructions for years together in Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Jammu & Kashmir which could not solve the problems but have resulted in constant fear psychosis among the people living in these areas and huge wastage of money. Peace can never be won by use of guns and punishments. Lasting peace calls for persistent efforts with vision, magnanimity, forgiveness, strength of mind and patience. Real success in the war against terrorists requires a humanitarian approach also, which has only winners – no losers - an important requirement for all round peace. Using this and other potent strategies mentioned earlier to wipe out terrorism have not received the priority attention these deserved.