WITH THE rise in numbers of ISI-backed sleeping modules, terror pockets have sharply increased in UP during the last few years. With UP on terrorists’ radar, there have been 42 terrorist cases after the demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya in 1992.
A report, which was prepared by additional director general (crime, law and order) Padman Singh, indicated that there had been terrorist related crimes in 17 districts. The affected districts are Meerut, Kheri, Lucknow, Aligarh, Gorakhpur, Agra, Jhansi, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Fatehpur, Rampur, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Bijnor, Faizabad, Jaunpur and Varanasi. In fact, geographically the terror groups have infiltrated all the regions of the State.
Padman Singh has pointed out that the recent trend demonstrated involvement of technically qualified or tech savvy youth for terrorist activities. He said the trend also indicated ability to operate autonomously in small cells, devastating use of explosive devices, careful selection of soft and hard targets and willingness to inflict mass casualties. He said counter terrorism measures would require political will, proper arrest, joint interrogation centres, intelligence gathering, increase in security personnel, high technology and unified command.
While Padman Singh’ report said that terrorists could be controlled by demonstrating “supreme excellence in breaking their resistance without fighting,” ADG (Railways) VK Bhalla, who also presented report on terrorism at the officers’ conference here last week, said: “Drastic but only solution to terrorism in India is, if the next time Pakistan tries to repeat any activity like Kargil war, we should cross over the LoC (line of control) and destroy terrorist camps there”. Bhalla also lamented the lack of coordination between different investigating agencies probing various terror attacks in the country.
{{/usCountry}}While Padman Singh’ report said that terrorists could be controlled by demonstrating “supreme excellence in breaking their resistance without fighting,” ADG (Railways) VK Bhalla, who also presented report on terrorism at the officers’ conference here last week, said: “Drastic but only solution to terrorism in India is, if the next time Pakistan tries to repeat any activity like Kargil war, we should cross over the LoC (line of control) and destroy terrorist camps there”. Bhalla also lamented the lack of coordination between different investigating agencies probing various terror attacks in the country.
{{/usCountry}}Bhalla said during probe into Shramjeevi train blast in February 2006 information about “active SIMI activists Ziauddin and Jalauddin of Phulwari Sharif was given to Maharashtra police but “no action was taken till the July 11, 2006 train bombings”. He said all terrorists related cases should be probed by one single agency throughout the country.
Bhalla said, “Terrorist activities had been noticed in places where there is sizeable Muslim population”. He said terrorists working in the garb of SIMI and other fundamentalist organizations had been exploiting poor Muslims through monetary inducement and religious sentiments.