Terrorism
as a global phenomenon has several dimensions. It is both a problem and a
challenge for the present world. Since it is spreading its tentacles to the
nook and corner of the world, all right thinking people have reasons to be very
much concerned about it. Terrorism which is a product of the Western
civilization has entered almost all nations including India. Various words such
as insurgency, civil war, etc. – are
often used to mean terrorism. It is actually different from all these and do
not view themselves their actions as evil. Instead they see themselves as legitimate
combatants, fighting for what they believe in, by any means possible. However,
the victim of a terrorist act would see them as criminals who have no regard
for human life. Terrorist activity is basically a violent activity. It includes – exploding of
bombs, kidnapping, setting fire to houses, organizing mass murders,
blackmailing, high-jacking, intimidation, and such other dangerous and
extremely violent activities.
Terrorism comes from the French word terrorisme.
The term was introduced during the Reign of Terror from the French government.
The French word terrorisme is derived
from the Latin verb terreo, which
means “I frighten.”
Definition
of Terrorism
According
to Encyclopedia of social Sciences,
terrorism is “a method whereby an
organized group or party seeks to achieve its avowed aims chiefly through the
systematic use of violence.”
According
to F.R. Scarpitti and M.L. Andersen, terrorism refers to “the collective mode of politically oriented
violence”.
According
to Ram Ahuja, terrorism can be
broadly defined as “violent behavior
designed to generate fear in the community, or substantial segment of it for
political purposes.”
According
to Yonah Alexander, “terrorism is the use of violence against
random civilian targets in order to intimidate or to create generalized
pervasive fear for the purpose of achieving political goals.”
According
to Brian Jenkins, “the threat of violence, individual acts of
violence or a campaign of violence designed primarily to instill fear is
terrorism.”
In
simple words, terrorism can be understood as a forceful and unlawful method to achieve the desired goal.
Origin
and Development of Terrorism in India
Political
terrorism as an instrument of power came of age during the French Revolution of
1793. Terror incorporated two facets in this Revolution: a state of anxiety
within a group, and the tool that induced fear and violent acts aimed at
influencing political behaviour of the state.
After
the French Revolution, political terrorism did not score any significant
success until 1921, when the IRA (Irish Republican Army) in Ireland used it
against the British. Following the World War II (that is, after 1939),
political terrorism reemerged on the international scene. Besides India, it was
used in Algeria, Cyprus and Kenya for political independence through activities
including intimidation, sabotage, abduction and killing.
During
the 1960s, political terrorism entered another phase. According to Baljit Singh,
the two most significant quantitative changes in terrorism during 1960s were:
its transnational character and its emergence as a self-sufficient strategy,
that is, terrorists attempted to operate independently of the larger political
arena.
This
was made possible through a revolution in communication and modern urban
civilization. Between 1969 and 1975, more than forty countries were involved in
terrorist activities. Alexander and Finger are of the opinion that the major
reasons for terrorism lie in the very nature of modern civilization itself and
are inherent in the modern industrial system.
They
have given following causes for the origin and development of terrorism:
(1) The
present complex technological society is extremely vulnerable to unsuspected
and ruthless attacks of terrorism because transportation centres, communication
facilities, factories and agricultural fields cannot always be protected against
the random acts of dedicated and determined terrorists.
(2)
Highly sophisticated weapons like missiles and remote controls are now
relatively easy to obtain for various terror movements. In future, the
terrorist groups will probably have access even to chemical and nuclear weapons
and instruments of death and destruction.
(3)
With modern warfare capabilities, the ‘powerless’ terrorist groups have been
transformed into sub-national groups with formidable strengths, capable of
creating states within states, thereby undermining the ability of legitimate
governments to rule or to survive (the LTTE in Sri Lanka, the Khalistan
Commandos, and Kashmir militants in India and the PLO in Israel are some
examples of such strong subnational groups).
(4)
Communication and transportation opportunities have enabled an international
network of terrorism to develop with a certain degree of centralized
organizational structure. Collaboration among ideologically linked groups and
among those with common political interest has developed relationships
involving financing, training, supply of combat materials, organizational
assistance and joint attacks. This pattern of ‘comradeship’ is inevitably
expanding the areas of international violence.
(5)
Through revolution in communications, terrorists are able to target their
violence not only against immediate victims but also direct it at a wide
audience as well for psychological intimidation and blackmail. The media
coverage also exports the terroristic techniques and inspiration to other
terrorist groups.
In
addition to above factors, the other factors which have substantially
contributed to terrorism are: the weak nations’ will to weaken the strong
nations, which motivates them to support the sub-national groups of strong
nations in their terroristic activities; financial support of rich non-residents
to terrorist groups on religious and cultural basis; feasibility of using
smuggling and drug trafficking methods by the terrorists and, thus, getting
money for purchasing modem weapons; confrontations between the East and the
West as well as between the ideologies of the Leftists and the Rightists; the
rise in religious, linguistic, ethnic and national consciousness of groups
throughout the world; the feelings of deprivation and frustration among the minorities
struggling for their liberation and a legitimate right to self-determination
and, the growth of opposition by citizens to repressive regimes and dictators
ruling their countries. The strategies and tactics employed by political
terrorists are generally directed at three groups: the people, the regime in
power and the terrorist organization itself.
Causes of Terrorism: Theoretical Explanations
The causes of terrorism may be explained on the basis of Gurr Theory of Relative Deprivation. According to this theory political collective violence may be described as a consequence of gap developing between the value expectations of a given group of people and the value capabilities of the group. Gurr explained three types of deprivation:
- Declivity deprivation occurs when the value capabilities of a given population decline drastically but the value expectations remain the same.Bolsheviks’ collective political violence in Russia in 1917 was due to this type of deprivation. The Russian people, after World War I, were a discontented lot, and the failure of the government to terminate the Russian involvement in the war led to a swing in popular sentiment in one group (Lenin and his party)that promised immediate peace.
- Aspirational deprivation occurs when the value capabilities of the given population remain the same but value expectations increase. Terrorism in the Kashmir valley is due to this type of deprivation. Similarly, the ULFA terrorism in Assam is the result of the demands for immediate equality as opposed to the continuing discrimination and prejudice against them.
- Progressive deprivation occurs when value expectations increase the value capabilities decline. The Khalistan-oriented terrorism is the best example of this.
The process of modernization and the ‘ethnicity explosion’ lead to widespread feeling of relative deprivation.
IMPACTS/EFFECTS
OF TERRORISM IN INDIA
Terrorism
definitely lives long lasting effect on any country. Following are the impacts
or effects of terrorism in India.
- Human Injuries, deaths, and
Trauma. The objective of the terrorists is to fulfill
their goals by creating chaos and by killing people. They usually choose
crowded places to attack so that they can hurt a maximum number of people.
Terrorist attacks cause huge number deaths, injuries to victims and the
post-traumatic stress happens in the victim’s mind by witnessing such a
terror.
- Loss of Infrastructure. Terrorists
use explosives to explode the placed and that create a huge damage to the
buildings and infrastructure. Such kind of terrorist attacks leaves a
severe impact on the economy.
- Economic Effects. Terrorist
attacks affect the reputation of any country. It discourages the foreign
investors from investing in the businesses in India. The budget spent on
defense and security purposes also increases. The tourism industry is also
affected by the terrorist attacks as the travelers feel unsafe in India.
- Social and Political Instability. Terrorist attacks leave long lasting effects on people as well as the government. The political stability is hampered because of the chaos caused by the terrorist attack. People’s minds are induced with the fear and unreliability about the government.
Models
for Combating Terrorism in India
Terrorism
is too serious a problem to be left to politicians alone. General awareness
among the masses and pressures on people are the only way out. The one thing we
have to understand is that terrorism is like a common cold. It runs its own
course and there is need for patience. Basically, there are three models of
combating terrorism: the Indian, the American and the Israeli. A comparison of
these three models is necessary for furthering our understanding.
1.
The Israeli Model: Counter-Terror and Anti-Terror Model
Terrorism
in Israel has been prevailing for the last four decades. Initially, for about
one and a half decades (1953 to 1967), the Palestinians living in the west of
Jordan and in the Gaza strip carried out their resistance through cross border
raids by sneaking into Israel. The Israelis responded by carrying out airborne
raids and by intruding into Jordan and destroying Palestinian camps with tanks.
Since
these attacks caused extensive damage to Jordanian army and property, the
public opinion in Jordan turned against supporting the PLO (The
Palestine Liberation Organization). Along with Jordan, other Arab
countries also prevented the PLO from carrying out its activities from their
soil. Jordan launched a purge in September 1970 against the Palestinians and
killed about 15,000 of them. The PLO base in Lebanon also was eliminated when
Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982. Israel, thus, dealt with the PLO terrorists by
eliminating their bases.
The
Palestinians then adopted the tactics of hijacking Israeli civilian aircrafts
and also kidnapping the Israeli civilians and demanding the release of their
jailed colleagues in Israel. The Israeli government never yielded to such
terrorist threats and in retaliation attacked the Palestinian camps. Though
the Israeli policy of non-negotiation with the terrorists was often criticized
but Israel never budged from its position, maintaining that once they gave into
hijackings and kidnappings, they would multiply manifold.
Thus,
the four primary components of the Israeli strategy in dealing with terrorist
violence are:
(1)
Refusal to negotiate with terrorists,
(2)
Retaliatory raids on the bases of terrorists,
(3)
Strict security measures, and
(4)
Covert violence against Palestinians (even innocent) connected with terrorists
and sympathizers of Palestinians.
Thus,
the Israeli model of combating terrorism is based on ‘counter-terror’ and
‘anti-terror’ rather than passive defensive measures.
2.
The American Model: The Counter – Terror Campaign
The
United States has global economic interests and is vulnerable to terrorism.
The most potent weapon of America to fight terrorism-has been its economic
clout like cutting off trade and technology export. When this fails, the U.S.
bombs the enemy country supporting terrorists. This method was adopted for Cuba
in 1962 and for Libya in 1986 when its leader Col. Gaddafi supported terrorist movements like those of the PLO (The
Palestine Liberation Organization) or of the IRA (Irish Republican Army) of Northern Ireland or of the
HUK (Hukbalahap) rebels of Philippines, or of the terrorist gangs in Latin
America. The same method was adopted by America when it invaded Cambodia for
giving shelter to Vietcong during the Vietnam War. Thus, the American model of
combating terrorism was ‘counter terror campaign’ and invasion.
3.
The Indian Model: Anti – Terror Model
India
has been facing severe problems of violence and terrorism since the 1960s. The
insurgency in the North-East in the 1960s and the 1970s was tackled by the
government more through political methods. The violence in Jammu and Kashmir
also falls more into the category of insurgency rather than pure terrorism.
‘Operation Blue Star’ of the military on June 6, 1984, in Punjab and ‘Operation
Black Thunder’ in Assam designed to counter terrorism totally failed.
They
were anti-terrorist measures (implemented mainly through the police forces and
partially through the military forces) rather than counter terrorist measures.
The hallmark of the policies in the former measures is: frequent road checks,
sentries at vulnerable points and elaborate security for the VIPs.
The
countries which supply the bulk of arms, or give shelter to terrorists or
finance terrorism have not been called to account. Even there, the emphasis is
on passive measures like border fencing or lodging mild protests. No wonder,
that even after 30 years India has not been able to control terrorism. The
government in most cases succumbs to the demands of the terrorists as happened
in Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
Thus,
the three models (Israeli, American and Indian) of combating terrorism are
different in content as well as in temperament. In a way, they reflect the
power of the states. The American model is ‘counter-terror’ model which is
based on hitting at the very roots of terrorist support. The Indian model is
anti-terrorist model.
The
Israeli model is “blend of counter-terror and anti-terrorist measures”. The
terrorist menace cannot be eliminated either through anti-terror or
counter-terror approaches. Besides the police and the military measures, the
sociopolitical issues have to be tackled. The bases in the countries, at least
the neighbouring countries, supporting the terrorists have to be attacked and
destroyed. The policy in dealing with such countries has to be deterrent.
The
Government of India cannot face the problem of terrorism merely by enlisting
public sympathy or by blaming countries of giving support to terrorists.
Helping terrorists in a hostile country is a fact of life which no organized
government in modern times can ignore. Our country has to evolve its own
system of dealing with terrorists.
Some
methods which may prove to be helpful to our government in this regard are:
1.
Seeking cooperation of the citizens by the police to get information against
the terrorists;
2.
Reducing the finance at the disposal of the terrorists to contain their
operations;
3. Refusing
to accept any demands of any group of terrorists;
4.
Giving swift and judicial punishments to arrested terrorists. The greater the
delay in prosecution and greater the detention in the jail as under-trials, the
greater the possibility of their (terrorists’) escape;
5.
Adopting more effective intelligence methods in retrieving information about
the terrorists, their associates, their modus operandi, and their sources of
finance and weapons, etc.;
6.
Improving security measures continuously at important places; and
7.
Giving more scientific training to forces dealing with terrorists.
Of
the three models of combating terrorism, the Israeli model seems to be better
suited to the Indian conditions. The Israeli model is a combination of “counter-terror” and “anti-terrorist” measures. Wherever terrorism
if found, its support bases are to be destroyed, even if they are found in the neighbouring
countries. It is suggested that all those who directly or indirectly support terrorism
of any kind must be mercilessly sacked. If the government in power resorted to “vote-bank politics”, and shows softness
towards the supporters of terrorists and ignores to take stern action against
them, the final result will be suicidal to the country.
References:
1. Ahuja, R. (2014). SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN
INDIA. Jaipur: Rawat Publications.
2. Rao, C. N. (2015). Indian Social
Problems A Sociological Perspectives. New Delhi: S. Chand & Company
Pvt. Ltd.
3. Chavan, A. (2019, March 08). Essay on
Terrorism in India Causes, Effects Short Speech, Paragraph & Article.
Retrieved from
https://teenatheart.com/terrorism-in-india-causes-effects-types-short-speech-essay-paragraph-article/
4. Roy, C. (2011). Terrorism in India and
Legislation for its Prevention. Quest-The Journal of UGC-ASC Nainital, 5(2),
206-213. doi:10.5958/j.0974-5041.5.2.020
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