Extracting terror fangs amid Covid

|
  • 20

Extracting terror fangs amid Covid

Sunday, 03 May 2020 | SUDHIR HINDWAN

International cooperation in terms of forming stringent laws and regulations to prevent the possession of biological and chemical weapons can provide a strategic management in dealing with the worst form of terrorism

At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has hogged the media limelight, Pakistan-based terror organisations have unleashed a wave of terror in Kashmir to attract attention from the media to upturn the diminishing morale of the mercenaries. Seen in this perspective are the recent sinister designs of the terror forces in Pulwama and Shopian districts of the Valley. In the past one week, the insurgency has resulted in the martyrdom of five Army soldiers and three CRPF men in the Valley. This highlights the continued challenges the Government faces on this terror front despite exigencies of its war on Covid-19.

The Covid-19 pandemic has come as a hindrance in the resolve to fight terror. While the world is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, the news of Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (Groupe d’action financière) halting the battle against money laundering and terror financing is a setback. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on April 26 said it has given countries on its watch, including Pakistan, a four-month reprieve for meeting a deadline set by it to stop financing terrorist group given the temporary suspension of its activities due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, thankfully it warned, “Despite the decision to temporarily postpone the above-mentioned process deadlines due to the current force majeure situation, the FATF will not let up its efforts to fight money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing, and will continue working with all jurisdictions in its global network to ensure an effective implementation of its standards.”

Also, Pakistan’s recent attempt to delist over 1,800 terrorists is a matter of grave concern. There is a strong possibility that Pakistan is trying to push in coronavirus-infected infiltrators into Jammu & Kashmir to foray into the biological warfare against India.

India is like to have in place a multilayered security apparatus which can promptly deal with the issues related to funding of terrorists activities and cyber terrorism through enhancing the technological innovation and tightening border and maritime security information gathering exercise. India needs to be quite agile and very prompt in case of a surprise challenge. Hence, cooperation in building communication capability and management of security arrangements to deal with any kinds of threat is the main weapon in the combat strategy. Although India has boosted cooperative in this direction, the catch here is how to generate prudence to anticipate any possible threat from insurgents.

There is strong need for a quick mechanism to facilitate cooperation between the security and defence establishment among the nations of the world, also in apprehension that biological and chemical weapons may fall into the sinister hands of new breed of terrorists. Also because biological and chemical weapons are not easily detected by forces and they can be transported swiftly. International cooperation in terms of forming strict laws and regulations to prevent the possession of biological and chemical weapons can provide a strategic management in dealing with the worst form of terrorism.

The cooperation in strategies to death with drug trafficking will provide a strong mechanism to crack the nexus between terrorists and drug dealers. The increasing cases of drug peddling and their support to terrorist and subversive activities have compelled the Government to enforce drug laws vigorously and promptly.

The role of media in weakening the power of terrorism has been discussed many times. The work titled Violence as Communication by Alex P Schmid and Janny de Graaf reflects how terrorism, media news and public response are connected. The authors conceive terrorism as a violent language or as a means of communication to get public attention and to communicate messages to the audience. Recently, there has been virtually mushrooming of local publications and media debates leading to differences for vested interest. The increasing liberalisation has resulted in sudden springing up of a number of self-claimed ideologues and supporters rattling narratives and counter-narratives leading uncalled for battle of wits even during pandemic of life threatening consequences

Terrorists always crave for media attention since reporting of media affects the minds of people as well as provides much needed publicity to the perpetrators of gory acts. Cooperation between the Government and the media can ensure quality assurance and positive outlook in patching the differences and defeating terrorism. India has already in place a mechanism that gathers sufficient data about the area within which the event is unfolding. There has been a hidden strategy to whip up religious sentiments that has helped certain terrorist organisations create and reinforce their base to indulge in proxy war with states across the globe. New fear psychosis induced by terrorists is more pernicious since it involves local populace in creating disturbance through stone pelting and shouting anti-India slogans. Besides, the rampant use of battery operated improvised explosive devices in public places has become an important part of their tactics. A combating strategy has to be a combination of various tactics such as eliciting prior knowledge about the possible terrorist attack, learning secretive mission of the intruders and creating cognitive dissonance through relentless application of latest information on changing strategies with feedback from those deployed and constant interactive communication with various branches dealing with law and order maintenance on daily basis.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for integrated programmes and services which support both Army and local police making them more efficient with present circumstances of dealing with the worst form of propaganda terror.

The web of rigmarole entangled into challenges posed by the paradoxes of globalisation has finally brought about a paradigm shift at the global level wherein there has been a confused struggle for locating religious identities based on regional parameters in modern democratic societies.

(The writer, a recipient of Bharat Gaurav Award, is a professor and an expert on strategic affairs)

Sunday Edition

CAA PASSPORT TO FREEDOM

24 March 2024 | Kumar Chellappan | Agenda

CHENNAI EXPRESS IN GURUGRAM

24 March 2024 | Pawan Soni | Agenda

The Way of Bengal

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

The Pizza Philosopher

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

Astroturf | Lord Shiva calls for all-inclusiveness

24 March 2024 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo | Agenda

Interconnected narrative l Forest conservation l Agriculture l Food security

24 March 2024 | BKP Sinha/ Arvind K jha | Agenda