This scribe has written six articles on fighting terror. To fight terror, the criminal-political nexus must be broken. Otherwise covert political protection to terrorists will continue. Political corruption must be contained. Otherwise politicians will remain vulnerable to blackmail. The terror-funding trail must be uncovered. Frequent interaction among the LTTE, jehadis and Maoists suggests a common international mastermind. That mastermind must be exposed. Otherwise terrorism won’t end.
But forget what this scribe wrote. Qualified security experts like K. Subrahmanyam, B. Raman, K.P.S. Gill, Ajay Sahni, Praveen Swami and others have offered a host of suggestions. Jurist Fali Nariman made a practical suggestion. Terror suspects could be compelled to depose in courts to help ferret out truth without violating human rights. All such suggestions have been ignored.
Politicians are busy with blame games. They score debating points against each other. Earlier, the BJP opposed a federal agency to counter terror. Now the BJP supports it. The Congress opposed a revival of POTA. Later, the Congress supported a new terror law. So the BJP reiterated a revival of POTA. To prevent advantage going to the BJP, the Congress said that no new law was needed. Only existing laws should be toughened. The CPI(M) wants a ban on the Bajrang Dal. It remains silent about the SIMI. The Congress endorses anti-terror laws in Congress-ruled states. It approves Maharashtra’s anti-terror law. But it blocks anti-terror laws in BJP states.
These jokers aren’t fighting any war on terror. They are manoeuvring for the next polls. In this circus only one useful suggestion has been made. Laloo Yadav advised the government to call an all-party meeting on terrorism. But when the Congress did not respond, he fell silent. This proposal was a small half-step.
To really fight terror, the UPA and the NDA must get together to form a national government—for at least five years. Let the UPA PM continue till the polls. Let there be seat adjustment in the next elections. Let the NDA appoint a PM for two-and-a-half years to be succeeded by the UPA PM. That is how wars are really fought. India is slowly crumbling. This war is a fight to the finish. Destroy the enemy before it destroys India.
(Puri can be reached at rajinderpuri2000@yahoo.com)
