E-Paper
Internal security in India?Need for revamp
All the brouhaha about the ongoing India-Pakistan peace talks, people-to-people contacts and goodwill cricket matches notwithstanding, there is no denying the fact that Pakistan-sponsored jehadis are now hell-bent on widening their reach in India, aiming at soft targets out side Jammu & Kashmir.
All the brouhaha about the ongoing India-Pakistan peace talks, people-to-people contacts and goodwill cricket matches notwithstanding, there is no denying the fact that Pakistan-sponsored jehadis are now hell-bent on widening their reach in India, aiming at soft targets out side Jammu & Kashmir.
All indicatoions are there that this trend may pick up in the near future. Recently, on more than one occasion, our strategy has been found wanting against these terrorist strikes. It is urgent now for the security set-up responsible for internal security in India to rethink.
On March 7, 2006, serial bombings by Pakistan-based jehadi organization Jaish Mohammad duly supported by Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba was carried out in Varanasi resulting in 28 deaths with more than a 100 wounded.
Two days later, a bomb similar to the ones used in Varanasi, was discovered in the toilet of Byculla Railway station in Central Mumbai. At about the same time a Pakistani national was caught in Goa with a Kg of RDX planning to cause mayhem in the tourist resort town of Panjim. In Banglore, on December 28, 2005, two Let jehadis sprayed bullets indiscriminately into the gathering of scientists assembled at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Banglore, killing Professor MC Puri and injuring five others. In October 29, 2005, Let jehadis carried out a serial bomb attack in Paharganj area of Delhi on Diwali eve, which killed more than 40 people, mostly women and children. Earlier, a jehadi strike, launched again by LeT in Ayodhya was foiled more by a good stroke of luck than by any special efforts of the security forces guarding Ayodhya Shrine.
Despite President Musharraf’s assurances to India that he would not allow Pakistani soil to be used for “exporting terrorism”, the jehadi organizations continue to enjoy freedom in Pakistan. LeT has a sprawling farm and training centre in the heart of Pakistan’s Punjab Province near Muridke. It is headed by Professor Hafiz Mohammad Saeed. When international pressure was mounted against LeT, Professor Saeed changed its name to Markaz Dawat Wal Irshad.
The business, however, goes on as usual from the same offices. Sayyad Salahuddin heading Islamic Jehad Council also resides in Pakistan. Jaish Mohammad is also Pakistan-based and sponsored by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The devastating earthquake in PoK, last year, has not been able to lull the zeal of the 53 jehadi training camps still operating there.
