The recent pre-dawn swoop, though aborted, by Pakistani terrorists to destroy Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur is a part of the much larger plan. The nefarious aim behind the sordid act was to foment large-scale communal trouble across the country. Had the ‘jehadi suicide bombers’ -- equipped with ammunition enough to destroy the RSS bastion--succeeded, it would have unleashed cascading communal frenzy.

Luckily, the ‘jehadis’, owing allegiance to hydra-headed Lashkar-e-Toiba, were gunned down before they could sneak into the Sangh fortress, in the congested Mahal locality, dominated by Muslims. I was in Nagpur in early April and saw the RSS headquarters barricaded from all sides. The approach lanes are narrow, but metalled. The terrorists had planned to wipe-out the Sangh leadership, but alert policemen killed them before they could act.

Over 1000 Sangh workers, who had gathered for a routine training programme, were inside. They could have come under grenade attack, had there been any security lapse. The terrorists, wearing fake police uniform, had come in an ambassador car, bearing registration number of Aurangabad, which has become a hub of terrorist activity.

The ISI has penetrated deep in Aurangabad, where Anti-Terrorist Squad of Maharashtra police, in series of raids in May, seized large quantities of explosive material, hand grenades, fake identity cards besides cell phones. At least ten Pakistani terrorists were later arrested. Many others were killed in an encounter. They were linked to PoK and Nepal. The ISI is in full swing for guerrilla warfare with India.

Grenades, found in possession of the slain militants in the Nagpur action, bore the manufacture mark of Arges, an Australian company, which has licensed manufacturers in Pakistan. Similar kinds of grenades were earlier used by LeT operatives in their attack on Parliament, and Akshardham temple in Gujarat. The terrorists’ modus operandi was the same while attacking Congress rally in Srinagar, on the eve of the Prime Minister’s Roundtable conference. They had used fake police uniform. Now it is well established that Pakistan is behind these heinous acts. The dangers of terrorism are ubiquitous.

Pakistan wants to keep its powder dry, while engaging India in peace talks, which have failed to yield tangible results. President General Pervez Musharraf has adopted a dubious role. He is deluding India into believing that it’s (India’s) Army’s ‘pull out’ from the Kashmir valley will lead to normalcy. “Pull out troops from Baramulla, Srinagar and Kupwara, and in return ensure there is no militancy inside”. It is Musharraf speaking. “In that event (after troops’ pull out from the valley) Pakistan would join fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir”.

What a grand strategy? It simply means direct intervention by Pakistan. He wants the Indian forces to remain in barracks so that Pakistan Army men, disguised as Mujahids, will take over the valley on the pretext of fighting militancy. Then what remains?

“Pakistan will be with the Indian Government (minus Army) and Kashmiris, to ensure that there will be total peace and tranquillity in the valley… and look at the comfort level it will bring”, Musharraf proclaims as if he is addressing the uninitiated in the nuances of Kashmir scene.

Sadly enough, India’s reaction to Musharraf’s diatribe is muted. Pakistan should have been snubbed for asking India to pull out its troops. Because Musharraf’s offer has exposed the hollowness of his claim hitherto that his country has no ‘command’ over the militant groups. Pakistan says it has ‘influence’ over them ‘which it would like to use to bring down violence’. If it cannot control terrorism on its own soil, how can it help other countries to wipe out terrorism, its own baby? Infiltration continues unabated from Pakistan, Bangladesh and even via Nepal. Eliminating intruding militants at the LOC has become a routine affair.

Last year, militants did not touch tourists. This year, about a dozen tourists were killed in the valley, in grenade attacks. To cap it all, some ‘well-wishers’ of terrorists blame ‘vested interests’ in Himachal Pradesh for these attacks and their logic is these killings are meant to promote Shimla as an alternate tourist destination.

Musharraf should rein in terrorists rather than indulge in vain-gloriousness. How can Pakistan ‘ensure peace’ when it is not involved in terrorism? Pakistan wants to destroy Kashmir’s tourist industry and promote its own tourist industry in the occupied Kashmir. The ISI has brainwashed lakhs of pupils in madrassas. Jehadis get shelter from people who indulge in criminal activities and are also linked to political outfits. There exists a deep nexus between politicians, criminals and terrorists, who work in unison against national interest.

Islam stands for development of ‘tourism’ and not for ‘terrorism’. The Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar (international apex body of Islamic Theology) Dr Mohamed Sayed Tantawi recently said while addressing a seminar on tourism that “Islam encourages tourism, because it helps people to know each other and promote global cooperation”.

If so, then what kind of ‘ism’ is this; attacking tourists. It is un-Islamic. Radical Islamists are against tourism. They killed a number of tourists in Egypt. Because radicals “consider Egypt’s pre-Islamic heritage a brazen display of a pagan past, and think that the influx of western tourists contaminates the minds of Muslims”, says Balbir Punj, a BJP ideologue and journalist. He may be right.

Such a mindset appears to have come to Kashmir as well as the Valley draws people from all over the world to enjoy in its scenic beauty. Over 6, 00,000 tourists, a record number, visited the valley last year. Kashmir is linked to Vedic civilization and is dotted with several thousand ancient temples, including a Sun Temple. More over its Sufi tradition offers solace and comfort to the mind and body. There are common places of worship too, denoting communal harmony, till Pakistan-sponsored militancy erupted.

Terrorism, which has engulfed the entire world, can be tackled unitedly by civilized countries. Terrorists should be treated as ‘war criminals’ and not as ‘freedom fighters’. The Islamic countries should flagellate Pakistan, and issue a ‘fatwa’ against Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda, for promotion of terrorism.


Courtesy : Syndicate Features

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