A Strategy to Deter Terrorism continues....

This is the target of Islamic terrorism, and India is being besieged by it and helped by nation- state sponsors abroad as also it’s videos within our nation. Our current defacto strategy of absorbing the costs of terrorism by an attitude of “business as usual” will simplify not work. India needs a counter-terror strategythat deters terrorists from thinking of bleeding our nation, and suffers unbearable costs for terror attacks.

As an essential component of this deterrence strategy, we need a back of adequate constitutionally valid anti-terror legislation, which we lack today.

A number of mature democracies such as the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand—all with a track record on human rights—have enacted new laws or tightened existing ones to give greater backing to their counter-terror operations (US’ record on Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib cannot be cited since these were treated as war camps).

In India, where terror has taken a much bigger toll than in any of these countries, special laws were initially enacted and then withdrawn as they were found to be “draconian.” Was that right? Are not special laws for the purposes of fighting terror necessary?

Take New Zealand’s example first, after the first flush of concern following 9/11, support for anti-terror laws weakened until Bali massacre happened. Of the 202 dead, three were New Zealanders. The reaction in the island nation to this was swift—Parliament passed the Terrorism Suppression Act with wide support. The law armed agencies to nip extremist organizations and gave them powers to track money trails. In six separate bills, the agencies were empowered to deal with a wide range of offences, including infecting livestock and food contamination.

Wiretaps without warrants in emergency situations were allowed and laws aligned, like use of evidence gathered under one law was allowed to be used against an offence under another law. Any sort of support to terrorism was banned.

To be continued....

( This account is maintained by Har Anand Publication)