Author: A R. Kanangi
Publication: Afternoon Despatch
& Courier
Date: January 13, 2001
Introduction: The foreign hand is
real and it is posing a terrorist challenge
We know it is there. Silent, menacing.
We cannot see it, we can only feel it, sense it. Sometimes - very rarely
we see the tip of the iceberg. We do not know where the enemy lurks. We
see the shadow that hovers over the country. The enemy is there in countries
surrounding us. In Nepal, in Bangladesh, in Pakistan-held Kashmir. And
what is disturbing is that he is right there -- in our midst. In our cities
and towns. Many of them in Kashmir carrying on deadly operations, smuggling
in death from across the border.
When a former prime minister attributed
the destructive activities occurring in India to a foreign hand, nobody
believed it. The attack on the country began some two decades ago. Over
the years, the stranglehold has become increasingly tight.
We see sudden flashes of danger.
The attack on the Red Fort, the bomb blasts in different parts of the country
the seizure of terrorists in Mumbai, the burning of churches and such other
destabilising activities.
Even our prime minister has not
been spared.
There is panic everywhere.
Terrorist operations
They have chosen some of our top
politicians as targets. Tight bandobust is being made around the residences
of politicians who are likely to be hit. Around Mr. Bal Thackeray's house,
there are dozens of security men. in Delhi, almost everyone in the government
has security men swarming around them. All vital installations are being
guarded.
It has never been like this before.
There was only the routine check
up at Kumbh Mela. There was security only to see that some order was maintained,
stampedes did not occur. That is not the case this time. This time metal
detectors and quite a few other equipment have been installed. Top sleuths
are at the place looking for trouble, looking for the deadly RDX.
Tight security can be seen in all
areas at the Pak border. We are forced to spend huge amounts of money on
keeping a day and night vigil. We are always on the look-out for the terrorists
trying to cross the border. They are there based in Pakistan directing
operations.
We are on the same boat as the United
States. They too face the same problem. Time was when there was no need
to frisk passengers going on a plane. The ambassador's or consul's residences
and offices had only a couple of watchmen. The US is now taking elaborate
care. It is tracking down terrorists via the satellites. It is ever on
the watch for hijackers, for suicide squads. It gives information to its
citizens about terrorist operations. The US citizens travelling abroad
are always on guard.
Unlike the US however, India does
not have security systems. It will be difficult for a terrorist to get
into the US. Nobody can hit the White House. The American security men
have devised a sound system to keep terrorists out.
The situation however is different
in India. Ours is an open country - wide open. It is not difficult for
a terrorist to move in. It is certain they are there in our cities - in
dark hide-outs. It is difficult to locate them. They seem to have the capacity
to smuggle in explosives, sophisticated arms. They are taking orders from
their masters abroad. They carry out many-pronged operations. Violence
is one of them. Creating panic is another. Destabilisation. Who is creating
all the communal disturbances? It has been found that all the attacks on
churches in south India were carried out by an organisation whose leader
was based in Pakistan. They are busy sowing seeds of hatred, creating divisions,
brainwashing people.
An unseen foreign hand is guiding
them.
This is no longer a joke. It is
real. It is no imaginary conclusion. There is solid basis for coming to
the conclusion that large-scale destabilisations operations are going on.
In dispute is not just Kashmir. Pakistan has a plan against India. That
is clear. It will not let India be at peace.
The ISI is almost invisible. It
is in India, well-ensconced. It appears to have recruited many Indian agents.
That is easy. There are many number of people who driven by poverty are
prepared to do any-thing - even become traitors. How else can one explain
the big hold the ISI has gained in India? It could not have got any base
unless it got the cooperation and support of our own people. It is definitely
masterminding many operations.
And it has got massive support from
the underworld in their country. The big bosses of the underworld are operating
from abroad. They are giving the ISI the required contacts - persons who
will assist them in every way. The ISI appears to be linked with the underworld
in a big way. Maybe it is the underworld in India which is totally unscrupulous
and anti-national that has useful assistance to the ISI.
People are afraid of the underworld
kings who are operating from foreign countries. They are scared to death.
In Mumbai when Dawood Ibrahim's
property was put up for auction by the income tax department, nobody came.
They kept away - they did not want to buy his property. At the auction
site, there were only police officers and the IT men. It is certain nobody
will buy Dawood's property. It also shows that Dawood has a powerful network
in India. Pakistani is shielding him. He is very much on Pakistan's side.
He has money and he helps them conduct campaigns against India. Evidently
his network in India will carry out his orders. And that's how may be agencies
like the ISI are gaining ground in our country.
There is no threat to Pakistan from
India. We are not conducting any campaign there. We are not interested
in exploding bombs and killing people. Our spy agency may be carrying on
some peace-time operations there, but it has no mission to kill. There
is total absence of any violent activities in Pakistan by India.
The entire country must wake up
to the danger posed by an aggressive, hostile neighbour. We have to take
immediate steps to deal with the threat.
Patriotic RSS
The police and the vigilance organisations
have to do some extra work and identify the anti-national agents in the
country. It is a difficult task, but it must be done. They are holed up
in remote places, often staying with innocent families. It is wrong to
think they belong to any particular community. Some of the big don's henchmen
are Hindus or Christians. It is money that makes them go, make them sell
their own country.
The work of the police can be augmented
by that of ordinary, enlightened citizens or mass-based organisations.
One of the organisations in the country which has the capacity and the
know how for doing the work is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Persons
in the RSS are brave, patriotic and committed. They are trained and ready
to rise up to any occasion. They can take on the enemy effectively. They
can do some investigative work and scotch attempts to destabilise, divide
India. They seem to have this ability to smell the enemy. They should be
self-appointed guardians of the country and counter all external threats
-and make India safe.
No need for panic perhaps, but it
would be suicidal to be complacent too.
