Terrorists Attack: Govt. Approach Casual

UMAR ABDULLAH, CM, J&k

MEHBOOBA MUFTI, PRESIDENT, PDP

After the 9/11 attack in New York, the then President of the United States George W. Bush had said two things: Dry up resources that fund terrorism and go for hot pursuit of terrorists. India can’t go for hot chase as it lacks military power. We can’t go to Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad to hunt for Hizbul Muzahideen leader or target those who are funding and engineering terror attack in India. But we can certainly restrict and dry up resources- supply of money and weapons to the terrorists from within and without. Alas, the government has proved not only incompetent in checking uninterrupted flow of money and weapons to militants in India but also failed to put any strategy in place to stop flow of funds.

On Monday, terrorists attacked our Army in Srinagar inflicting heavy casualties. The attackers also showed that they can strike at will. The brave words like “we will fight the terrorists” or “we will give befitting reply to attackers” sound hollow. It does not carry conviction even if it comes from the mouth of Prime Minister of India.

The situation in the valley has gone from bad to worse with the state government getting more interested in scrapping of the Armed Forces Special Power Act in Jammu & Kashmir than curbing the activities of the terrorists and the separatist elements like Hurriyat who are accused of providing logistic support to the militants from across the border.

Chief Minister Omar Abullah is seen singing the tune of the PDP (People’s Democratic Party) leader Mehbooba Mufti who carries a bias against the Centre. The Congress who is supporting the National Conference from outside is a mute spectator to the development as its leaders live in the comforts of New Delhi.

Coming back to the flow of fund, the Govt. of India is fully aware of the flow of funds to the separatist Hurriyat leaders from Pakistan and from some Arab countries. Mirwaiz Farooqi and Yasim Mullick were even found carrying foreign currencies, case was registered but it is more than 4-5 years since then, there is no trace of what happened to the charge against them. The Government appears to have hushed up the case to appease Hurriyat leaders who openly profess Anti- India policy within and without. What kind of policy it is?

If one is to believe people in the know of things, there are occasions when Indian Government provides funds for Hurriyat leaders for their trip to Pakistan.

Government is in the know of things- dozens of people involved in Hawala transactions carry their business without any let or hindrance. Indian currencies are freely smuggled into the country from Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Arms are being smuggled by road from across the border into the country. Does, Indian authorities require orders from anyone to discharge their normal duty for which they are being paid for.

Every time there is terrorists attack, India has only one sentence to say- blame it on Pakistan. We must realize that Pakistan is not a friendly country. No matter who rules Pakistan – a military dictator or an elected Prime Minister, Islamabad would remain hostile to India. The Army and the ISI – the twin arms of Pakistan have a well laid long time strategy to inflict injuries and harm Indian interests.

Why then expect Pakistan to stop exporting terror to India. Why bemoan Pakistan’s involvement when it is an established fact. No outsider will fight India’s war against Pakistan. Not even the USA. We have to fight our own war against terror. But this is no way to fight the undeclared war on us.

India must come heavily on smugglers and traders of illegal arms who operate under the very nose of the government administration albeit by paying huge money to the authorities as a cut from the ‘trade’. Some politicians in Maharashtra are said to be giving protection to the syndicate of smugglers. Investigate the source of money that comes to the separatists in the valley and dry up the supply chain. That is one way to neutralize terrorists, the other options is to go for hunt even if we have to cross the border that seems unlikely.

~R. K. Sinha