A Strategy to Deter Terrorism continues...

Terror mentality cannot be countered by persuasion but by challenging the basic premises.

India can solve its terrorist problem by such a deterrent strategy, but for that we have to learn the four lessons outlined above, and have a Hindu mindset to take bold, risky, and hard decisions to defend the nation. Terrorists target is Hindu society and its unity. Hence arguments against terrorism cannot be by rebuttal but by counter examples. If the Jews can be transformed from lambs walking meekly to the gas chambers, to fiery lions in just ten years, it is not difficult for Hindus in much better circumstances [after all we have a country of our own to begin with, and are today 82 per cent of India], to do so in five years. Guru Gobind Singh has shown us the way already, how just five fearless persons under spiritual guidance can transform society. The Vijayanagaram empire was founded by two re-converted [from Islam] persons Bukka and Hakka under the spititual guidance of Shankaracharya of Sringeri. So did Krishnadevaraya, Rana Pratap, Shivaji, Rani Jhansi, Kattaboman, and Netaji Subhash Bose inspire the nation to greatness. But since 1947 and so far we Hindus have meekly followed the so-called Nehru’s secular principles and which has spiritually, culturally and mentally castrated the nation of Hindustan.

But this mindset of never to capitulate to terrorists, and to retaliate massively to retard the terrorists political goals, requires effective communication in the form of what Harvard scholar T. C. Schelling called as “Compellence.” Deterrence and Compellenceare two legs on which a nation’s security will stand.

Ever since Schelling wrote his seminal book Arms and Influence 18 in 1966, most authors have chosen to define compellence by different names including “coercive diplomacy,” “force without war,” “strategic coercion,” “military coercion,” “coercive military strategy.” We need to distinguish compellence from other uses of military power.

Deterrence and compellence require use threats of force to 19 influence the behaviour of a target.

To be continued...

( This account is maintained by Har Anand Publication)