Is India in grip of terrorism?

Is India in grip of terrorism?

Hardly one week had passed, when the terrorists made serial bomb blasts in Delhi, the Capital of India once again came on the headlines on September 19, when Delhi Police and National Security Guards (NSG) raided a hideout of the terrorists in the Okhla area of Delhi and subsequently killed two terrorists. A brave inspector of Delhi police, Mohan Chandra Sharma laid his life in this encounter.

In this area, a suspect named Saif was arrested whereas two terrorists managed to escape. In the densely populated Muslim area, there were some persons who were trying to call it a fake “encounter” to insult the Muslim community. Where as there were a large number of the Muslims and the others who were the eyewitness of the event of the firing from the both side, the police and the terrorists.

Besides this, the martyrdom of inspector Sharma is a hard proof that the terrorists constantly fired at the security persons and in return the police had to open the fire. As the terrorism, especially the terrorism based on religion and the community is taking the country in its grip. There is great need to check the activities and those who give shelter to the terrorists should be immediately curbed.

The statement of the father of Saif, the suspect caught in Delhi should be a lesson for the Muslims in India. He said, 'If my son is a terrorist, shoot him in front of me'. The Muslims of India should also learn a lesson from the mother of another alleged terrorist Zubeida. She said that if her son was involved in the terrorist activities, he should be hanged to death.

Despite one thing that came out causes great worry. The Indians were proud of the fact that the persons involved in these terrorist activities were not Indians. But misfortunately the name Indian Mujahideen, the terrorist organisation that is in the headlines today belongs to the Indian soil. It simply means that some misguided Indians have been impressed and started work with an organisation that has been striking at the very cause of communal harmony in India.

To publicise their worry, a Muslim priest told this correspondent that Islam is not associated with terrorism. He clarified the point that the Islam doesn't teach terrorism. It doesn't inspire for terrorism. It is anti-Islamic to kill innocent and unarmed people. It is totally anti-Islamic to kill the women, the children and the old people. A person who is involved in such activities is unreligious and can't be called a Muslim.

But the reason is beyond one's knowledge that in spite of these declarations, the terrorism is spreading in India. The word “Jihad that was heard from across the border or sometimes in Kashmir has made a base in India under the name Indian Mujahideen.

Because of these misguided Muslim youths, the communal harmony of the country is being spoiled.

Now it is a proper time to see the challenges that the Indian Muslims have to face and what should be done to lessen the terrorist activities. Obviously it is not time to waste the time in discussing, all this why and how it happened and why it is happening?

A true Indian Muslim should get inspiration from our very own Bharat Ratna, APJ Abdul Kalam, Dr. Zakir Husain, Abul Kalam Azad, Rafi Ahmed and Azeem Premji, the persons who have the national thoughts as the ideal.


Is terrorism gripping “India”?

What steps do you think should be taken to tackle these threats?

Mail your views to: mandeeppuri@hotmail.com




City was once under terror threat: IG

andeep Puri
With terror blasts taking place almost every other month in major cities across the country and leaving an e-mail trail, the UT police and its counterparts (Punjab and Haryana) have already put its new strategy to thwart any such bid in the tri-city in place.
Even after the terrorist-secessionist movement for Khalistan was comprehensively defeated in 1993, there remain a handful of terrorist outfits chiefly supported by Pakistan and some non-resident Indian Sikh groups who continue to propagate the ideology of Khalistan. One of the most prominent among them is the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). It is among the oldest and most organised Khalistan terrorist groups.
The northern region largely remained peaceful through 2007 apart from a bomb blast occurred in a cinema hall in Ludhiana in October, leaving six dead and over 25 others injured .The region remained relatively free of major political violence after the widespread terrorist-secessionist movement for ‘Khalistan’ was comprehensively defeated in 1993, but the year 2008 intensively turned out to be a disaster for the entire country.
Sources in the UT police also said that their alert is also based on the fact that IT industry is being made a target. The state police have increased their vigil on radical groups here, particularly those having sympathies with the Islamic terrorist groups and outfits.
Even the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi told the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the last week of August, of possible terror strikes in two Indian cities. One of those two cities Delhi was hit list .Modi also told the PM about a possible attack on Chandigarh or Chennai, it is reliably learnt.
If intelligence reports are to be believed, Chandigarhians can heave a sigh of relief as the city is still not on the radar of terrorists.
Highly placed sources in the UT police revealed that as of now there were no intelligence reports suggesting Chandigarh to be a possible target. However, he said all precautionary measures were in place.
There are least chances of Sikh militants striking here in the city or in neightbouring states. Sikh militants could be used in executing the conspiracy; planning and funding would certainly be of either the kashmiris or the Indian Mujahideen residing within the country.

Talking to this correspondent, UT, Inspector General, SK Jain admitted that the city could be a possible target as being a capital of two states. “Though, we have not received any report suggesting that the city is on terror radar, but we are not taking any chances. We are in touch with the intelligence agencies, and measures are being taken in accordance to the reports received by the intelligence bureau”.
With the most sophisticated technologies being available to terrorists, fighting terrorism has become an increasingly difficult task for India. It becomes even more challenging when states lack specialized police forces, effective intelligence mechanisms, and cutting-edge technology. Only a trained police force in adequate numbers with timely intelligence inputs can fight the menace of terrorism. The citizens' role is equally important, and the Home Minister has proposed the creation of civil defense units for local policing, while suggesting the need for security committees in the villages, said an officer of the UT police.
Recent hoax calls received by the UT police:
Last month, a letter claiming that a bomb has been planted at the Punjab mini-secretariat building sent officials into a tizzy, however, it later turned out to be a hoax.
The letter written in Punjabi was found at the Sector 9 secretariat building which said that a bomb had been planted inside. The letter claimed that the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) had accomplished its job and dared the Parkash Singh Badal’s government in Punjab to save itself if it could.
It is to remember that on August 6 the Chandigarh Police received a bomb hoax call to blow district courts complex situated in Sector 17 with bomb at about 10.30. The bomb disposal squad reached on the spot and searched the complex for more than one and half hour but could got any bomb and declared complex fully safe at 12.15 pm, after that on July 13 two flights of MDLR Airlines, travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh and Chandigarh to Delhi, had a harrowing time, after their flights were delayed due to a bomb-cum-hijack hoax.
Sources said a call was received at the MDLR call centre at about 4.45 pm, saying that one of their flight would either be bombed or hijacked.
On March 19 of this year, a bomb hoax call was made about bomb in Union Territory Secretariat but nothing was recovered.
Sensitive areas within Chandigarh :
The UT police has intensified its security at numerous places including the ISBT Sector 17 and 43 , railway station, Punjab and Haryana High Court, secretariat, IT park, shopping complexes, religious places and at other vital installations.
Steps taken by the UT police:
A senior police officer of the UT police said though they had not received any report from the intelligence agencies regarding the possibility of bomb blasts in the city, however, they were just not taking any chances.
The Chandigarh police has set up helpline numbers (279194 and 2749874) for public to inform about suspicious persons.
The UT SSP has directed all SHOs to monitor the presence of outsiders living in their respective areas. Special instructions have been given regarding checking of cyber cafes.
Apart from increasing the police bandobast, all chemical and cycle dealers in the city had been instructed to keep a list of people buying goods from them in higher quantities. Even second-hand car dealers had been instructed to verify the antecedents of purchaser, said sources.
Efforts were on to create awareness among the public and pamphlets were being distributed giving a list of dos and don’ts for the people to follow. Reiterating that public has a major role in fighting terrorism, sources said, “A general vigil by the people can prevent a lot of mishaps”.
Though it was not possible to have a policemen posted at every nook and corner of the city, the presence of the khaki on the streets had been increased with more patrolling duties, the network informers and intelligence was being strengthened.
Punjab:
Central intelligence sources, however, indicate that a concerted attempt to revive militancy in the State is under way. Sources disclose that Pakistan-sponsored terrorist cells are plotting to trigger sectarian violence and that there had been a three-fold increase of narcotics and arms trading into Punjab from Pakistan . The Intelligence Bureau has reportedly indicated that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan ’s external intelligence agency, had chosen five groups in Pakistan , including the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), to train Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militants.. The BKI has reportedly set up a common office with the LeT in Nankana Sahib, in West Punjab, Pakistan. There is also a substantial amount of overseas funding and support for the militant groups, coming primarily from Khalistani operatives in Germany, US, UK and Canada, a trend that has been sustained since the separatist movement was defeated.
If the sources are to be believed, various interrogation reports suggested remnants of Punjab militancy have been under constant pressure from Pakistan ’s ISI to carry out operations against India and to revive insurgency once again in Punjab, which is a bordering and Strategic State .
Sources revealed that the Punjab militants are no more dependent on RDX, mostly smuggled in from Pakistan, but have shifted to home-made gelatin sticks, proven to be as much or even more effective by naxalites.
Highly placed sources in the Punjab police revealed that the ISI was behind the regrouping of the BKI in Punjab .. The Punjab Police recently had identified a new terrorist group in the name of the International Liberation Revolutionary Force (ILRF) working in the Malwa region and had arrested all the six persons behind the formation of this outfit, along with one AK 47 rifle and other weapons.
Three Sikh bodies have formed a base in the region in a bid to launch terror attacks in Punjab , said sources.
Three militants belonging to them were recently arrested. During interrogation, they said about 40 terrorists have formed three outfits - Khalistan Zindabad Force, Panj Pardhani Group and Iknoor Khalsa Fauj - with their base in Barnala .
Sources in Punjab police revealed that details about bombs used in Delhi blasts would also be discussed with top officers. “The danger is real,” said an intelligence agency official. The presentation would seek to make the officer aware of the modus operandi of these groups, ‘‘The last few catches in the state were similar to the one found in Delhi . These comprised aluminium nitride sticks, basically used for mining activities and are India-made,’’ said an officer.
The most significant among the surviving leaders of the Khalistani militant groups and many cadres are currently hosted by the ISI in Pakistan , and there is a constant effort to revive recruitment and terrorism in Punjab , as well as a continuous vigil for opportunities that may help provoke a favourable extremist mobilisation. Information was reportedly sent to the Punjab Police about plans to target towns in the Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Pathankot regions. Instructions had, at this junction, been issued to the authorities to monitor the activities of sympathisers of these groups, who were allegedly sending funds through hawala (illegal money transfers) to "re-launch their separatist movement."
ISI playing a supportive role:
The principal base of active Khalistani terrorist groups remains in Pakistan, with several groups enjoying the active patronage of the ISI, which has also assisted in the coordination of their activities with Islamist terrorist outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, as well as with organised crime operators, and drug and weapons’ smugglers who have assisted in the movement of men and materials across the border into Punjab. The principal groups currently hosted by Pakistan include:
BKI: Wadhawa Singh Babbar, Chief of Babbar Khalsa continues to operate from Pakistan . A large number of youth associated with Babbar Khalsa have under gone training from time to time in Pakistan . The BKI were the most active in executing terrorist strikes in Punjab over the past decade.
Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)-Panjwar: Headed by Paramjit Singh Panjwar who has been camping in Pakistan for over 13 years. This group currently has limited striking potential. Nevertheless its alliance with ISYF, Sikh Youth of America and Sikh Youth of Belgium makes it a numerically large group. About 100 youth in small batches belonging to these countries have undergone training in the handling of weapons and explosives from time to time. Panjwar’s links with smugglers and Islamist terrorist groups are old and well-known. Panjwar has failed to muster dependable support within India .
ISYF-Rode: Lakhbir Singh Rode, the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, is the coordinator of this group, and has links with Islamist terrorist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The group plays a major role in shaping the Khalistan-Kashmir International, a joint platform for strikes by Sikh and Islamist extremist in the aftermath of the setback received by terrorists on the K2M (Khalistan-Kashmir-Muslim militancy) front, which was the pioneer platform for joint strikes by Punjab militants, J&K militants and Islamist terrorist elements in the early 1990s.
Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF): Ranjit Singh Neeta, hailing from Poonch area in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), is the head of this outfit, which had an operational alliance with ISYF & BKI in the past, is now operating independently. Neeta’s associates were responsible for a series of explosions in running trains and buses in Punjab, Delhi , Haryana and J&K.
Dal Khalsa International: Headed by Gajinder Singh ‘Hijacker’, tried to float a joint group with J&K militants, indications of which surfaced in 1997-98. This group is one of the most active, with substantial funding available through Khalistani elements abroad.
Various outfits, which once was active in state of Punjab :
Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan militant outfits, a Germany based terrorist outfit, Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) , Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and Dal Khalsa International (DKI), have been making effort to revive militancy in the State. Further, the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has been making efforts during the last couple of years to create bases in Ludhiana , Jalandhar, and Pathaankot and Udhampur areas in Jammu and Kashmir . There are reports that the Punjab militants have so far maintained close association with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Al Burq and Jammu Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF).
In June, 2008, the Punjab Police recovered 34.5 kg of explosives from three people reportedly said to be the member of Babbar Khalsa group in Jagraon district.
The trio was in regular touch with other groups in Pakistan . During the interrogation the accused told the police that they were trained in Pakistan in handling explosives and that they were associated with the Khalistan Zindabad Force.
In February, 2008, the BKI militants arrested in connection with the blast at a cinema hall in Ludhiana on October, 2007, told the investigators that they had approached Naga outfits for supply of arms and ammunition. During their interrogation, the militants told the central security agencies that few Sikh youths had been tasked to kill political leaders including Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir, president of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front M. S. Bitta and former Punjab Director General of Police K. P. S Gill, said sources.
Following this, the Punjab police arrested three suspected militants affiliated to International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF-Rode) from different locations on December 24 in Jalandhar along with 11 kg of RDX and other ammunitions. Punjab police sources opined that the explosives were to be used for carrying out disruptive activities during the forthcoming State Assembly election.
In 2007, Punjab also became an extended area of operation for the banned Assam-based outfit the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). On August 13, 2007, two ULFA militants were arrested from Jalandhar following a joint operation by the Western Command Military Intelligence and Punjab Police. The duo was identified as residents of Assam . This was perhaps the first time that we have had specific information on ULFA militants in Punjab .
In October, 2007, terror attack struck Ludhiana , when at least six people were killed and 25 others injured in a blast in one of the three cinema halls in a multiplex located in industrial town.
In May, 2007, the Intelligence agencies reportedly said that the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan ’s external intelligence agency, are trying to revive militancy in Punjab through sympathisers of Sikh militant groups like the BKI, the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF).
In March, 2006, four BKI terrorists were arrested from Chandigarh and one kilogram of RDX, arms and ammunition were seized from their possession. Chandigarh Police arrested the four from the Bus Stand in Sector 17.
In November, 2005, the Punjab Police arrested three Pakistan-trained terrorists of the BKI in the Jagroan district and foiled their plan of a major strike in crowded localities in Chandigarh and Delhi . The police seized 1.2 kilogram of RDX, one pencil bomb, 28 detonators, a timer, 55 AK-47 cartridges, 56 Mauser cartridges and four .9 mm cartridges.
In July, 2005, the police arrested three BKI terrorists near Madhopur Chowk in the Fatehgarh Sahab district of Punjab.
In June, 2005, the police arrested two close associates of Jagtar Singh Hawara from the Ropar district.
In 2005, six people were injured in a blast at the interstate bus terminus (ISBT), Sector 17 in Chandigarh . The explosive was kept inside a pipe, near the counter for Delhi-bound buses.
The UT Police had arrested 2 persons in connection with the explosion at the bus stand, who were identified as Satnam Singh and Sukhwinder Singh.
The duo, who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the conspiracy of bomb blast and were actively helping a Pakistan , trained terrorist Charanjit Singh, member of Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar) module.
In May, 2005, two BKI terrorists are arrested in connection with the bomb blasts at two cinema halls in the national capital New Delhi .. The duo was arrested from Nawanshahar in Punjab .
In January, 2004, four under trials, including three accused in the Beant Singh assassination case, escape from the high security Burail jail in Chandigarh .
In 2001, a powerful explosion rocked Chandigarh leaving at least four injured and over a dozen vehicles badly damaged. The blast was said to have been caused by a powerful explosive such as RDX or a PETN which was apparently planted in the dicky of a scooter, said police sources.
In August, 1995, a human bomb Dilawar Singh assassinated Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh at the civil secretariat in Chandigarh . He allegedly owed allegiance to the BKI.
In April, 1991, the then UT SSP Sumedh Saini was injured a bomb attack, which was meant to kill Saini in Sector 17. Three policemen were killed.
Recent Terror Attacks:
In one of the worst terror strikes in the country in recent times, at least 61 (64, according to agencies) persons were killed and 364 injured, many of them seriously, when terrorists detonated 12 serial explosions in four districts — Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta — in Assam on October 30.

A curfew was clamped on Guwahati city for over five hours following the blasts.
Two persons were killed and 17 injured in a blast in Mehrauli market in New Delhi on September 27.
Five serial blasts rocked New Delhi , the capital city of India on September 14, killing over 30 persons and 90 persons are injured.
The serial blasts responsibility was claimed by banned Students Islamic Movement (SIMI) of India and Lashker-e-Taiba through an email sent to news organizations at almost the same time as the serial blasts.
In July, Surat recovered a total of bombs in different parts of the city, which were later defused successfully by the bomb disposal squad.
The next was Bangalore . A series of seven bomb blasts ripped through the Bangalore , the IT hub of India on July 25. While four were of low-intensity, the three were said to be of high intensity. All blasts happened in a span of one hour. Following Bangalore , Ahmedabad was the nest to witness the terror attack on July 26. 17 blasts terrorized Ahmedabad had killed 29 people and over hundred injured.
The pink city ‘Jaipur’ was the first faced the terror attack on May, 2008. In total there was an incident of 9 bomb blast, which took more toll than any other blast occurred in the country. More than around 70 people are reported dead in the incident more than 15o people are injured.
With more than five dozen vital installations and dozens of VVIPs staying and working in the city, the police’s anti-sabotage team, including the bomb-disposal squad and dog-squad consists of a meagre two dozen personnel.

Equipment with Chandigarh Police

The Chandigarh Police’s anti-sabotage squad included three ‘hi-tech’ machines viz Explosives Vapour Detector (EVD)-3000, a Deep Search machine and a Super Broom (non-linear junction detector) to detect bombs and explosives in the city.

Labradors- Trained exclusively to detect explosives, is someone whose sniffing skill is believed to be 98 per cent accurate by Chandigarh Police.

HHMD- Hand Held Metal Detectors are used to detect any metallic object in a person’s physical possession. Besides frisking people entering the vital installations, HHMD is also used to check boxes, cargo, luggage and parcels/ packets.

About three dozen head constables and constables of the UT Police force are also trained to deal with explosive-detection mechanism and are kept as members of the Reserve Force.
Training
The personnel receive training from BD Company 202 at Jalandhar. Members of the anti-sabotage team claim they receive training time and again by various officers of the Indian Army and even the Intelligence
Bureau officials.

The sniffer dogs are trained at Punjab Police Academy , Phillaur, or at ITBP Bhanu, Ramgarh. The training begins when the dog is two months old and they are tagged with only one trainer for the rest of their lives. Currently, the city police have about have a dozen sniffer dogs, exclusively for the purpose of tracking movement of suspects; sniffing narcotics, explosives etc..
What the team can’t do

Tips from the men
* Anything unusual lying at public places should not be touched. The police should be immediately informed.
* While in a movie hall, bus, train, aircraft, one must check the seat’s surroundings to see if there is any unusual/ unattended object lying.
* Any unclaimed vehicle parked in the locality should not be touched and the police must be duly informed.
Can UT Police deal with cyber-attack?
EVENTS in cyberspace are becoming scarier.. Just five minutes before the serial blasts in Delhi on September 13, a terror e-mail was sent as a challenge to the security forces. This was of a piece with a similar e-mail sent before the serial blasts in Ahmedabad in July.
The e-mail ID used to send the mail was created just a few hours before the blasts in the Capital on September 13. The e-mail warning about the Ahmedabad blasts in July, too, had been sent in a similar manner by misusing the Wi-Fi Internet connection of an American citizen living in Navi Mumbai. The act was executed in such a manner that the actual sender might not be nabbed despite technology trails and the country's legal infrastructure.
Five terror e-mails have been sent till now and as many as three of these had PDF files attached to them. The mails are sent with a chilling accuracy to the IDs of all major media houses in the country. These mails were sent by hacking the unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
BOX:
It may be highlighted that India has witnessed over 70,000 deaths, including that of 11,000 security personnel - more than in all the wars fought since Independence - killed by terrorists. With the most sophisticated technologies being available to terrorists, fighting terrorism has become an increasingly difficult task for India . It becomes even more challenging when states lack specialized police forces, effective intelligence mechanisms, and cutting-edge technology. Only a trained police force in adequate numbers with timely intelligence inputs can fight the menace of terrorism. The citizens' role is equally important.