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| Sri Lanka terrorist attack and aftermath-Can India learn from Sri Lanka! | | |
Ravinder Jalali
In one of the worst and biggest terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on 21 April 2019, after wiping LTTE (A terrorist Organisation) a decade ago, Sri Lankan Gov. took measures which should be an eye opener for India to tackle terrorism within our own country. Terrorists struck in three Christian churches across Sri Lanka and three hotels in capital Colombo followed by a series of suicide bombings which claimed more than 250 people dead and more than 500 injured. Later that day, there were smaller explosions at a housing complex and a guest house also. Among nearly 253 people killed, included at least 42 foreign nationals, three police officers, and at least 500 were injured. The church bombings were carried out during Easter services. This was the first time since 2009, the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, that the country had experienced a major terrorist attack. All the world leaders have condemned.
During raids conducted by police officers a few days after the incident, three explosions and a shootout occurred during a raid in Srilanka. Three suicide bombers blew themselves up, killing nine of their family members, including six children, while three terrorists were shot dead during the gun battle. A curfew was later imposed in the area indefinitely.
Previously terrorism in Sri Lanka mostly involved coordinated attacks by the (LTTE) against the government and army during the Sri Lankan Civil War, which began in 1983. The LTTE was defeated in 2009 in its effort to violently seize control of the northern and eastern coasts of the island from the Sinhalese ethnic majority to create an independent Tamil state. In 2006, the Sri Lankan military launched a major offensive against the Tigers, defeating the LTTE militarily and bringing the entire country under its control. Human rights groups criticised the nature of the victory. Victory over the Tigers was declared by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 16th May 2009, [and LTTE admitted defeat on 17th May. Prabhakaran was killed in May 2009.
All seven suicide bombers in the attack were Sri Lankan citizens associated with National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), a local militant Islamist group with suspected foreign ties. Authorities had seized a large cache of explosives, and ISIS uniforms and flags from a garage a few miles from the shootout, indicate that there is an involvement of ISIS.
Now the Sri Lankan government has announced that anyone found guilty of spreading false information may be imprisoned for up to three to five years. A ban on social media following the attacks will remain in place due to a lot of wrong information shared. Sri Lankan authorities have been attempting to root out "sleeper" cells that could initiate another round of attacks; every household in the country will be checked.
The lists of permanent residents of every house will be established to ensure no unknown persons could live anywhere. Catholic Sunday Masses have been suspended until further notice, The government urged Muslims to stay home for Friday prayers, and many mosques were closed The vast majority of Sri Lankans identify as Buddhist. Though Sri Lanka has no significant history of violence between its Muslim and Christian minorities, some say the warning signs of a changing social dynamic were there.
Concerns raised about a more radical strain of Islam emerging over the last five years went unheeded, civil society groups and Western diplomats say.
The way Sri Lankan Government handled the situation included some of the below mentioned steps which include arresting around 25 people within hours and declared their religion without mingling words. Names were not announced with the intention of not making them martyrs.
Dust to dawn curfew was imposed and emergency clamped on entire Island nation. Indian cooperation was obtained. Srilanka does not have to worry about liberals and pseudo seculars and orchestra anchors unlike India who support and glorify terrorists and put the security forces and government in dock.
There were no politicians who would talk different languages unlike India but stand with Srilankan. Government, even though the President and Prime Minister are from two different political parties but remained united on the issue of terrorism unlike in India where at the time of Pulwama gruesome tragedy, political parties doubted Govt. and security forces about their air strikes in Balakot and demanded proof which were not only shameful but discouraging the forces and bringing their morale down..
It is high time that the GOI will take a strong note of what is happening in Srilanka and how they are moving in the right direction. Now lately Sri Lankan government has banned all types of face coverings that may hide the people's identities for public safety.
In our country It will become a burning issue. Even if the govt. may think of moving in this direction all hell will break loose and dirty politics of vote bank will start. The father of slain terrorist who carried the suicide attacks along with other bother has been arrested and is such act is needed here; Government has to think twice before initiating such process
Now the question and the point of debate is "Is there any lessons we can learn from these attacks and handling of the situation after attacks and bring the culprits and the perpetrators of heinous crime to justice at an earliest not like terrorists in India where it takes decades and even after decades the judiciary has to work during night hours as well.
When Yaqub Memon was hanged, our own people raise doubts on our judicial system and made terrorist a hero by joining his funeral in thousands. On one hand they say that the terrorist and terror has no religion but in the same breath they say that Yaqub was hanged because he was a Muslim and did not get a fair trail, although every one knows that the accused was given a fair trail and it took more than 2 decades to bring accused to justice. In Sri Lanka Muslim bodies refused to accept the dead bodies of terrorists who carried these suicide attacks on the basis that they can not be Muslims who carry such attack on the humanities.
In India Mani Shankar Aiyer of congress sought help of Pakistan to oust Prime Minister Modi from premiership, forgetting that Modi is democratically elected PM of our country of 1.25 billon and not of any political party or any sect of people. They praised Nawaz Sharief of Pakistan and humiliated the Indian Prime Minister on Pakistan soil. Actually they have embarrassed the Indians.
Now it is the high time for the Government and all political parties and their leaders to learn from Sri Lanka and to come out of their cobwebs and get united under single banner of Indianism to thwart the designs of terror attacks on our motherland as the threat of terror strikes on India is ever inevitable. |
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