The Hindu Business Line : National security at risk

The self-styled Indian Mujahideen, the apparently home-grown terrorist outfit which has taken to the practice of sending e-mail warnings before it strikes and daring the Indian state to ‘stop us if you can’, has once again sprung a murderous surprise within barely two months of its last tour de force on consecutive days (July 25-26) at Bangalore (nine blasts, two dead) and Ahmedabad (12 blasts, 53 dead), with 21 live bombs recovered in Surat.

The latest of the serial blasts at three locations in Delhi have all occurred within a matter of 28 minutes. Three more targeted locations had a providential escape, the bombs planted there failing to explode. The Mujahideen ‘manifesto’ that usually accompanies its terrorist outrages talks of nine bombs of which only eight have been accounted for. The nation will be on tenterhooks until the ninth also is found.

The ‘manifesto’ also vows ‘to stop the heart of India from beating’ and gloats over its ability and potential ‘to assault any city of India at any time’. It also contains an ominous threat to carry out more such attacks ‘to punish you even before your earlier wounds have healed.’

The gang of deadly desperadoes has so far lived up to its boast. It first came into the open with near-simultaneous blasts in court premises in Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow, that killed 15 people and injured over 70, in November 2007, followed by similar killing sprees in Jaipur in May and Bangalore and Ahmedabad in July.

Frightening scenario

The period before it came into the picture was equally horrifying. Bombs planted by terrorists have been taking their toll at frequent intervals between 2003 and 2007. There have been eight such blasts beginning from August 2003 when two taxis carrying explosives exploded in the crowded market of Mumbai killing 52. There has been no respite since 2005; 62 were killed in October that year by three bombs in New Delhi on the eve of Deepavali.

In 2006, 250 lost their lives in three incidents in March, July and September in Varanasi, Mumbai and Malegaon and in 2007, 121 were killed in three more incidents in February, May and August in Samjhauta Express and Hyderabad. Counting UP, Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, Delhi is the 13th in the series. The Indian ruling establishment comes out poorly in the light of this frightening scenario and in the face of the beastly ferocity the Mujahideen has shown itself capable of. Even its precise setup is eluding the nation’s security and intelligence agencies. Is it that they are lacking in competence? No. Having closely worked for many years with them in my time, I can testify to their professionalism and smartness. Then, what is holding them back from functioning boldly and independently? Is it a fear that they would be victimised if they provoke reactions among Muslims by taking strong action? Is it the inadequacy of powers under the present laws? Is it the want of manpower, resources or infrastructural facilities?

No time to lose

This is no time for those in the administration and the police, responsible for the nation’s security, to be mealy-mouthed and let the situation worsen. They should, either in their official capacities or through their professional associations, give their considered advice in a frank and forthright manner to the powers-that-be, whether it pertains to enacting a stringent law akin to the US Patriot Act, or allowing them to go ruthlessly after the perpetrators, regardless of their religion or political backing, without any sort of political interference whatsoever. They owe nothing less to the nation when its security is at risk and when it is the innocent people who are made to pay with their lives every time.

B. S. RAGHAVAN

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