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| | | any attempt to evolve a coherent policy that tells clearly to the perpetrators of terrorism that India will not be tolerant of terror, ever, in any form. After all, it was India's then foreign minister Jaswant Singh, who personally escorted three murderous terrorists to freedom after the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight in December 1999, making it perfectly clear that the Indian State will bow to the demands of terror, howsoever unreasonable they might be.One can reasonably argue that for a liberal democracy combating terrorism is always difficult as the law of the land must prevail and there should not be a resort to draconian measures not considered legitimate by the majority. But conversely, the survival of a liberal, democratic environment is predicated upon a decent measure of security that a government can offer to its citizens. It would not take much to destroy the liberal ethos of this country if the citizens of this country feel that they are never secure. And therefore a robust response of the government is needed.Why is India being targeted, after all? Because India is a liberal democracy where the second-largest Muslim population of the world has a political voice as potent as the majority? Because the Indian model is a challenge to those fanatics who believe that there is only one way of living and that's their way? Because India provides space to all kinds of voices and expressions even when they challenge the ethos of the country? Because India enjoys good relations with Israel and the US, the twoDr. Harsh V Pant
It would certainly be
much better if the citi
zens of Mumbai decide that for one day they will not do what they are supposed to do and ask their government for some explanations, says Harsh V Pant. Here we go again! Mumbai has once again been struck. The tolerance capacity of India will certainly leave no one in any doubt, much least the terrorists themselves. They must surely be reveling in the weak-kneed response of the Indian government towards these atrocities. The blase and banal response from the prime minister and others that the nation will fight and root out terrorists will not fool anybody about the inherent lack of will in the government to tackle this menace effectively.
It was in 2006 that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated that 'we will leave no stone unturned, I reiterate, no stone unturned, in ensuring that terrorist elements in India are neutralised and smashed.' What has happened since then remains a story of indecision, dithering, and incompetence.
No doubt, as in the past, we will soon be celebrating the ability of Mumbai to take these attacks in its stride and get back to work. But surely, this chalta hai attitude is also responsible for the slumber of the government? It would certainly be much better if the citizens of Mumbai decide that for one day they will not do what they are supposed to do and will ask their government for some explanations. It's difficult, but it needs to be done.
How long can this go on? Do we value the lives of our citizens or not? It's not enough anymore to say, as the prime minister has done, that terrorism won't global villains, that are somehow deemed responsible for all the evils in the Middle East? If yes, then all these claims demand only one response: An unequivocal stance from the Indian |
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