Usually, I am optimistic. But looking at the events over the last few years, I have turned pessimistic about internal security as it has been reduced to votebank politics by the present rulers of the country, be it the ULFA in Assam or the PWG in Andhra Pradesh.

Non-compliance of Supreme Court orders of death sentence against Afzal Guru, the chief conspirator of attack on the Parliament, leaves no scope for optimism.

When the UPA Government assumed office at the Centre in 2004, the most potent anti-terror law POTA was repealed without concern about its adverse consequences. Undoubtedly, these steps have emboldened terrorists. This Government meekly surrenders to any threat from Muslims. Taslima Nasreen is a fine example of this.

I consider the attack on the CRPF camp at Rampur on January 1 as the most ominous symptom of accelerating terror activities. Eight persons including seven jawans were killed on the spot. The choice of January 1 as the date of attack on Paramilitary forces throws enough light on the future designs of the Islamic terror network. And look at the response. The Chief Minister blamed the Centre for it and the Centre passed the buck back to the State Government. The incident occurred despite Intelligence inputs warning of a possible attack. Whoever is at fault, seven CRPF jawans lost their lives which could eventually lead to demoralisation of Paramilitary forces.

It may be recalled that General Zia-ul-Haq got a book written on Islamic war tactics by a Brigadier in the Pakistan Army, wherein setting terror in the enemy's camp was described as top priority. They are doing exactly that in Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, the North-East and Uttar Pradesh with UP fast emerging as a dangerous Islamic terror hub. It is not Rampur alone. One may recall attacks on three different court campuses in three cities killing scores within hours. The terror attacks on Ayodhya and Varanasi are also testimony to the fact. There is not much to differentiate between the Maoists, the PWG and the ULFA, for they comprise the ISI network of Pakistan whose sole target is to disintegrate India. The terror camps in PoK have been largely relocated to Bangladesh to attack the eastern part of India. ISI provides them training, arms, Intelligence and even resources. These are proven facts.

India has not learnt a lesson from history. One of the greatest historians of the 20th century, Will Durant, has written in his book The Story of Civilisation: "The Mohammedan conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. The Islamic historians and scholars have recorded with great glee and pride the slaughter of Hindus, forced conversions, abduction of Hindu women and children to slave markets and destruction of temples carried out by the warriors of Islam during 800 AD to 1700 AD. Millions of Hindus were converted to Islam by sword during this period."

And what is our response to it. We refer to it as Jehadi or Fidayeen attacks. We will not call spade a spade. Though it is not proved that every Muslim is a terrorist, but the fact remains that almost all terrorists are Muslims or their agents.

In the recent NDC meeting, the Prime Minister, while speaking on "internal security" largely bypassed Islamic terror and talked at length on the Naxalite problem. "Not a day proceeds without an incident of Left-wing extremism taking place somewhere or the other. They seem to have developed capability in some areas to launch frontal attack on police forces and establishments. They are targeting all aspects of economic activity, including vital economic infrastructure so as to cripple transport and logistic capabilities." His analysis is at many places contradictory like that of the Left.

He too blames under-development and poverty. First, there are dozens of other areas that are poor and more underdeveloped without the Naxal menace. He totally ignores the leaderships of the Naxal outfits who have well-defined goals of revolution and entrap vanvasis and the poor by selling them dreams.

There are flaws in our terror-fighting mechanism. First, it remains primarily a State subject. There is lack of information and data sharing and dearth of a tough legal framework. Therefore, fighting terrorism seldom goes beyond rhetoric. Anti-terror law TADA was allowed to lapse under hue and cry of Muslims. POTA, a potent anti-terror law too, met the same fate and was sacrificed at the altar of Muslim vote bank.

After 9/11, the UN asked member countries to frame potent anti-terror laws but India moved in the opposite direction, whereas many western countries framed serious anti-terror laws.

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, January 06, 2008