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| Revamp the intelligence machinery | | | NITISH SENGUPTA
The Agartala blasts provide yet more proof, if it is needed, that a handful of thoroughly brainwashed people have declared war on the people of India, for whom they have no feeling of fellowship, and that our intelligence machinery has no clue about who they are and what their plans are. They seem able to launch assaults at places and times of their choosing. The police makes a few arrests after every incident but is unable to furnish any concrete evidence except confessions, which, needless to say, are extracted by force and are inadmissible as evidence in court. That is why many of them are released on bail after some time. All the big talk about "the complicity of" the Indian Mujahideen or Simi remains just that — talk. Most of the true ringleaders are still at large or are in their sanctuaries across the border.
We have to address ourselves to the task of thoroughly overhauling the intelligence machinery, which, until now, has a hangover from our colonial past. It has been an appendage of the police department. Before Independence, intelligence work was almost cent per cent related to freedom fighters and anti-British political leaders and workers. Thus it outgrew the police setup and officers and men manning our intelligence branch were by and large policemen on deputation. The time has come to consider doing away with this anachronism and reorganising our intelligence system separately from the police administration. Needless to say that those who join the intelligence agencies should make a career in intelligence and not just look at promotions or security on the basis of their seniority in the police. This is the position in most modern countries in the world today.
Another serious lacuna is that Muslims are by and large left out of the intelligence setup on the ground that their loyalty to the country cannot always be relied upon. This is a dangerous doctrine leading to a dangerous situation. Since the terrorists in the present situation happen to be almost cent per cent Muslims, it is not possible to either keep them under surveillance or apprehend them when necessary unless we have got Muslim informants in the intelligence setup. Whether or not some youth have taken shelter in Jamia Nagar and are carrying on subversive activities from there cannot be determined unless we have got enough Muslims in the intelligence organisation commissioned to report on their activities on a regular basis. The same applies to the so-called terrorists in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Agartala. There is no doubt that an overall percentage of the Indian Muslim population, perhaps more than 99 per cent, thoroughly disapprove of the conduct of a handful of their co-religionists, who, under the influence of the ISI or other fundamentalist organisations raised in Pakistan or Bangladesh, have joined this dangerous path to weaken India and poison friendly relationships between Hindus and Muslims. There are enough funds flowing in from Saudi Arabia, and perhaps from other countries, to encourage them in their dangerous activities.
The point is that we are dealing with a war-like situation and some steps, essential in times of war, must be adopted without further delay if we are to minimise subversive activities. Modernisation of the police, and the intelligence agencies, has to be given top priority, and jobs in the intelligence machinery have to be thrown open. The recent killings and arrests of some terrorists at Jamia Nagar has attracted wide attention. The action of the Jamia Millia University vice-chancellor in announcing legal aid from the university to students who have been arrested as terrorists has also received wide attention. The point is that our criminal system provides for lawyers to be appointed by our government to those who are unable to find lawyers. From that view, there is nothing wrong in the university announcing that it provide them with lawyers until the charges against them are proved. The question is whether the police has any evidence against them other than their confessions. If so, why don’t they share this evidence with the vice-chancellor so that he can get the correct picture? The totality of the whole incident has been open to question. How could two of the alleged terrorists flee from that spot when there was no way out except the front door? Why did the inspector who was unfortunately killed commit the irresponsible act of proceeding through the front door and challenging the terrorists inside without wearing a bullet-proof jacket? How valid was the announcement that these people were also among the masterminds in the blasts at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Hyderabad? These are questions which have been raised and which need to be answered by the Delhi police.
Finally, Pakistan has to be firmly told that the ISI’s meddling in Indian activities must end if Pakistan wants good neighbourly relationships with India. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent announcement that he will not allow Pakistani territory to be used for terrorist activities elsewhere is welcome and must be acted upon by providing evidence to the Pakistan authorities. Bangladesh has recently enacted a law against terror which, in many respects, can be called a moral legislation. We should draw from this and also provide to Bangladesh the evidence we have of extremist groups operating from Bangladesh. The Agartala blasts are indeed a strong pointer. Luckily, nationalist forces are very strong in Bangladesh and can be relied upon to take the necessary action against their own subversive countrymen. |
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