Managing New Shades Of Terrorism

After somewhat heady celebrations of Operation Sindoor, the nation was jolted by dastardly mayhem, triggered by cornered terrorist on the run. His car (i20) was blown-up, near iconic Red Fort, in Chandni- Chowk, accounting for 13 fatalities and 24 seriously injured civilians. There has been some ambiguity, about it being an accident or desperate fedayeen action by Dr Umar. It was an alert police inspector, working under a Doctor turned SSP, who literally stumbled, on an extensive terrorist web.  

It originated from notorious area of Pulwama and Nowgam, as per seized diary, it could include core group, assisted by 25 accomplices. As many as six Doctors and two clerics have been arrested and few more are detained including woman doctor, tasked to set-up, Jammat-ul-Mominat, women’s wing. Another member,  Muzzaffar seems to have already escaped to Afghanistan. Accidental blast in Nowgam police station have added nine more police fatalities and 27 injured to casualty list.

The National capital was rocked after 14 years and hinterland beyond J&K, after 12 years.  In Sept 2011, Delhi HC blast had accounted for 15 deaths and 79 injured. In Oct 2013, Patna was rocked by bomb blasts killing six and injuring 85. In a separate incident, day preceding Red Fort bombing, Hyderabad based, China trained Doctor with toxicology diploma was detained in Gandhinagar, with large quantity of toxic chemicals. His diabolic plot, mercifully busted, involved mass production of bio-weapon ricin.  

Security agencies deserve some credit for neutralizing major part of these plots, yet there are some very worrying posers. Pre-mature media exposure, alerting Umar and others was probably avoidable. Accidental blast in Nowgam raises further questions- sabotage, carelessness etc. Some sections of media are building hype from i20 and three seized cars, 350 kgs of Ammonium Nitrate to 32 cars and 2,900 kgs of explosives. The need is to avoid leaks, media hype and disseminate only credible information.  

This web including medicos and clerics, spread across three states (J&K, NCR-Haryana and UP), all were under heightened security alert and plot was brewing, for nearly two years. Even when other links were exposed, the most radicalized doctor was driving around NCR, with actual registration plates, for one full day. He even remained seated in his car in parking lot, in high security zone for three hours. No beat constable or patrolling van took cognizance! What is baffling is curious mix of secrecy of group, use of telegram and signal coded messaging apps,  coupled with many naïve, unprofessional and daring actions, like pasting posters. Audacity or foolhardiness, both indicate blind commitment and radicalization, of some of highly accomplished professionals. It is seen that many are getting ideologically hijacked despite reaping the benefits of education system. It is not always that they have been at the receiving end of state’s hard-power.  

The electronic media has branded them as ‘white-collar’ or ‘white-coat’ gang. It is also being hyped as new genre of terrorists. We seem to have fixed template for terrorists- madrassa brainwashed like Ajmal Kasab. First thing first, in my perception is that all terrorists are all black and few may be dark grey, for educated, techno-professionals but never white. It is unfortunate and worrying that doctors, some highly accomplished, took this dangerous plunge. Yet, stereotyping is avoidable as SSP Sundeep Chakravarthy, also wielded stethoscope, before becoming counter-terrorism expert. In this conundrum of grey shade are large number of Over Ground Workers (OGWs). Objectively analyzing, civilians to survive in society are forced into this role or at least remain ambivalent.

Memories being short, we seem to have forgotten earlier instance of Glasgow Airport bomb blast in June 2007, with Kafeel Ahmed, engineer pursuing doctorate abroad. His parents were both doctors practicing in Saudi Arabia, even brother was a foreign trained doctor. NIA believed that even Delhi HC bomb blast had a link to Waseem, Kashmiri doctor. Just to add to this infamous list, Ayman Zawahiri and Tahawur Rana were trained doctors.  

Our Security Forces, Police and Agencies have done meticulously work to bring down terrorism to manageable level. From 5,500 casualties in 2001 with 4,000 in J&K alone, we have brought it down to double digits. 160 plus individuals, linked to Islamist terrorism have been detained, in this year and last year. Yet, zero terrorism still seems very distant objective. The real truth is insurgency is not over, till it is actually over. Net-works, mutate in character, geographical spread and methodology.

It is relevant that hard- power alone cannot achieve conflict resolution.  There is a need for holistic Smart-Power strategy. Three major issues requiring urgent attention are counter-radicalization, theological dialogue and restoration of statehood to J&K. Many foreign models are discussed to revive Kashmiryat and moderate Islam. Kashmiris are different people and we need customized models with periodic tweaks, managed by professionals. We have had Sadbhavna, which has been derided even when it needed to be refined and tweaked, certainly not proscribed.  We have also had well-meaning Zafar Sareshwala running ‘Taleem-se-Taqat’ (empower through education) and later ‘Taleem aur Turbiyat’ (education and character development).  

Al-falaha University may be just the tip of the iceberg and answer lies not in shutting them down. The affected students would be ready fodder. It may be better to install task-force of independent and respected experts to nurse them back to normalcy.  Police in Haryana with string of suicides and DIG in Punjab, breaking all records in wealth accumulation certainly need cleaning-up.  Kashmir handlers, security and intelligence agencies certainly require Smart Power recalibration and major technological up-gradation.