BJP Vs JNU                            16.2.16

Jawaharlal Nehru University with its sprawling campus and vast stretches of greenery immediately makes you feel like a free bird. Its towering red stone building with open arches on its periphery instills a thirst for knowledge in the people who enter its portal. Many years back I had the opportunity to visit this distinguished center for learning in connection with some official work. What struck me that learned professors and students interacted like friends. There was a free exchange of ideas. Nothing was labeled as anti -national or seditious. There are no barriers to thinking or formulating ideas. Ideas and expressions cannot be labeled as anti- national. Bright and young students expressed their inner convictions openly. All kinds of streams from leftist to extreme rightist happily co-existed on the JNU campus. It has remained like this for all the years. Suddenly the Hindutva right wing has started to exercise its muscles to smash the independence of Center of learning's in the country.

They felt that unless these liberal and secular streak in our youngsters and in the majority of our citizens are not nipped they would not be able to succeed in their mission to impose their so called superior ideology. Their favorite tool to propagate this ideology of the RSS is nationalism. Nationalism has become a word so cheap that it is peddled now a days at every nook and corner by these self proclaimed nationalists. If you don't subscribe to their Hindutva ideology you are anti national. If you eat beef you are anti national. If you oppose construction of Ram Mandir you are anti national. If you speak for reservations for dalits you are anti national. If you stand for protecting minorities you are anti national. So on and so on. The edict that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel can be best applied to this group.

There are many student Unions on the campus of the JNU. Each have its own ideology. After all these are youngsters and it is natural that they be allowed to express themselves freely. Thoughts should not be suppressed but debated. One of the Union took permission to organise a event on 9th February,16. It was to debate Afzal Guru hanging and Kashmir. So was it anti national ? There are innumerable distinguished persons who have expressed their opinions on these two subjects. Have they all become anti-nationals ? Leave aside these people the PDP which is in power in Kashmir together with BJP demands freedom for Kashmir and questions the hanging of Afzal Guru. So how is that BJP has joined hands with such anti-national people ?

After getting permission from the VC the Union(DSU) was to gather for their programme when just 20 minutes before the ABVP( student wing of BJP) intervened for cancellation of this programme. Why ? If they wanted they could have expressed their views in a separate meeting of their own. Here the intention was to target the students and declare them anti-nationals. JNU for a long time has been known to be anti BJP and most of the students are known for their secular and liberal leanings. This irks the Hindutva right wing the RSS which wants to gate crash and impose its Nazi like dictates. They are fully backed by the state machinery since BJP has come into power.

The ABVP members started raising slogans and in response the opposite party replied with stringent slogans to maintain solidarity among their followers. They were not armed neither they threatened anybody with violence. It was a normal student protest which happens in every university. But here it was clear that the ABVP had a plan to target the DSU and thereby further malign the entire JNU community and the University itself. In this melee some Kashmiri students entered and it was these students who raised seditious slogans. Nobody has caught them but the Delhi police immediately arrested the President Kanahiya Kumar and booked him under sedition charges ! Can you believe it. A student arrested for sedition ? was he inciting violence? No. Was  he and his followers were armed and distributing arms to wage war against the country? No. Was he a member of a secessionist organistion,naxalite or a ISI agent ? No. It is clear that with the BJP in power its different wings are convinced that time has come to impose its ideology over the entire nation. The PM is silent the Home Minister fully endorses the arrest. So the student is still in jail.

What happened to the students who actually raised these seditious slogans? Nobody could be caught till date and nobody belonged to the JNU. Meanwhile under  instructions the Delhi Police raided all the hostels in the campus even women hostels and  its personnel freely roamed the campus.

This is not the first time that a educational institute has been violated by the BJP Government . In the FTTI, Gajendra Chauhan  whose only qualification is that he is a RSS sympathiser was made its head. Subsequently the protest by the students at the FTTI were crushed by the BJP. Then at the Hyderabad University due to pressure exerted by the Education Minister a dalit student Rohith committed suicide. A Cabinet Minister in the center called the University a den of anti-national activities. The same pattern is repeated here at the JNU. The entire JNU is being described as anti-national by the BJP members. A reputed University which has given a number of IAS and distinguished persons to the nation is being destroyed. Instead of constructing new institutions the present Govt is going ahead destroying established institutions.

Let us be clear on one point. Anti-national elements and real separatist are roaming free. There are many in the Kashmir Valley. Syed Gilani,Mirwaiz Farooq,Asiya Andrabi,Yasin Malik and scores of others. Why the patriotic ABVP is not going there and shooting them ? What is preventing them from doing so ? Incidentally a BJP MP O.P.Sharma just said yesterday he would be justified in shooting JNU students for their activities.  Obviously their intention is not to fight anti national elements but to only spread their ugly Hindutva ideology. If they have to kill students, arrest students,penetrate universities so be it.

There is also one more reason for these revolting exercises by the BJP and its various wings. It is to divert people attention from the fact that no development has taken place under Modi for the last nearly 2 years. But they should not forget the Constitution. They should read it again

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation

Jai Hind

ASHOK KUMAR

 

 

INDRANI MUKHERJEE CASE - A ANALYSIS

                                       INDRANI MUKHERJEE CASE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            01.09.15

The Indrani Mukherjee case is being covered extensively in the newspapers and TV channels. She is a millionaire and wife of former media baron Peter Mukherjee. It is alleged that she murdered her own daughter Sheena Bora in April 2012 and attempted to murder her son Mikail Bora also.

The police is frantically trying to unravel the mystery and giving information on the investigation in tit bits to the media. The media is also doing its own investigation and placing information on the various aspects of the case. Nothing is clear till date. Rather all this information particularly by the police has created more confusion then clarity. Let us divide this analysis into 3 parts :

1. What is clear but not clear

2. What is not clear

3.The murder plot

What is clear but not clear

1.The police says that the driver Shyam Rai was caught with a unlicensed weapon and subsequently revealed the plot. There seems to be no logical explanation as to why a person would confess to a crime voluntarily which he has committed. The murder of Sheena was committed in 2012 and nobody was aware of it till 2015. So Shyam Rai could have been charged for carrying a unlicensed weapon but questioning him about this murder was not possible. Obviously the police is hiding something. The information about this has come from some other source which the police is not disclosing.

2. The police says that the driver disclosed that the body of Sheena was taken to Raigarh forest and burnt. Till date there is no evidence that skeletal remains found there belongs to Sheena. Forensic experts say that it is difficult to find the DNA from bones exposed to nature for such a long time. So infact whether the skeletal remains found belong to Sheena is not clear. To be precise there is no dead body of Sheena till now.

3. Sheena was obviously wearing clothes and shoes when she was allegedly murdered. Not a single piece of burnt cloth has been found at the spot and neither the shoes have been traced.

4. Police says that after killing Sheena her body was taken to the Raigarh forest in a car in a sitting position. She was placed between Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna in a sitting position. Scientifically rigor mortis sets after death in 4-5 hours. The dead body stiffens and it is difficult to change its position. Sheena was killed according to the police at about 6PM on 24th April and her body was lying in the car in a prone position for more than 8 hours. So how could her body be bent in a sitting position when she was taken 8 hours later

5. Police says that Mikail Bora the brother of Sheena was also in Indrani house on the day of the murder. He was also drugged and was to be killed. He escaped even though he was drugged. It is not clear where he went after leaving the house in a drugged condition & how he reached Guwhati.

6. The police says that the former husband Sanjeev Khanna has confessed to the crime. He has said that he was sleeping in the car when Sheena was murdered and when he woke up he found the body besides him. This seems to be ridiculous. If he did not kill Sheena then the only person left besides him is Indrani and the driver. Indrani alone throttling Sheena is not believable. First of all this requires immense amount of strength  and secondly a mother killing in cold blood her own offspring with her own hands is hard to believe. This leaves the driver who has flatly denied  directly participating in the murder. So the confession of Sanjeev Khanna is doubtful. He is not telling the truth.

7. The police says that Indrani and Sanjeev first drugged Sheena. Sheena was in the car. So how did they drug her. Sheena would have struggled. Was the drug given orally or injected ?

8. All the accused were presented in the court on 31st Aug for extending their police remand .

Daughter Vidhi also came to the court. She hugged Indrani and both of them cried. Till now everybody was convinced that Indrani is the murderer but not Vidhi. If she considered her mother a murderer then she would not have hugged her and wept. Why did she do this is not clear.

What is not clear

1. The motive for the murder is still not established. There have been instances of a mother killing her own child but these have been mostly done to protect the child. For example the mother has been abandoned and there is nowhere to go or any hope left. Extreme poverty or a drunkard husband who is a womaniser. In such cases the mother may kill herself as well as the child to take revenge or to prevent the child from the agony of facing future misery. In this case nothing of this sort has happened.

The police has attributed the motive as financial greed. They claim that Indrani was afraid that if Sheena married Rahul she and her daughter Vidhie( from the 2nd marriage) would be deprived of considerable amount of Peter wealth. Nobody has explained how Rahul marrying Sheena would deprive Vidhi of her wealth. After all Rahul would marry someone in his life. The other point is that both Vidhi and Sheena are daughters of Indrani. For a mother to kill one daughter to protect the interest of another does not hold water.

The police also says that Indrani transferred some of her ill-gotten wealth in other names including Sheena for safekeeping. Sheena refused to part with this money when Indrani asked to return it and therefore she was killed. If Sheena had the money where is it ? The police has not found any such bank account or discovered any such transaction. Without a motive it cannot be conclusively said that Indrani murdered Sheena.

2.Police has said that Sanjeev Khanna was lured by Indrani to participate in the murder by promising him that he would be allowed to meet his daughter Vidhi. Nobody in his senses would do this. Just to meet his daughter he would never murder someone. The other reason advanced is that he was paid considerable amount of money by Indrani. Again the police has not produced any proof of this.

3.Rahul Mukherjee and Sheena were living together. He was the person who dropped Sheena at the National College from where Indrani picked her up. He was the person who knew that Sheena passport was lying in his house in Dehradun. Indrani afterwards told him that Sheena has left for US. He knew that this was a lie since the passport was with him. He should have been alarmed and should have relentlessly stared searching for her. After all she was her would be wife. It is not clear why he kept quiet for 3 years. According to the police he has told that he went to report it but did get any response so he just did not do anything. Pretty thin excuse.

4. Mikail Bora brother of Sheena reported that a attempt was to murder him also on the same date Sheena was murdered. He just ran away to Guwhati . He did not report this matter and neither did he made any attempts to find out about Sheena. This is pretty strange

5.Police has claimed that Indrani impersonating Sheena sent several messages from Sheena's mobile to Rahul telling him she is no more interested in him. It is not clear if Sheena mobile has been traced. Where ever the mobile is it can be traced by its sim card to Indrani's house. It is not clear why this has not been done.

6. It is not clear why the police was not interested in tracing and questioning the first husband of Indrani. He has been traced by the media and still not questioned and neither his house searched. There is every possibility that he was in touch with his daughter Sheena and she disclosed some facts to him about Indrani ill-gotten wealth. Siddhartha the husband then decided to make use of this information. Some evidence can be found from his phone records and from the search of his house.

7. The police has also hinted that there is a fourth person also involved. It is still not clear who this person is and his role in the murder.

8. It is not clear why police did not question Peter Mukherjee in the initial stages. He has become questioned today after 10 days. Peter said to the media that he was in love with Indrani and that is why he disbelieved Mikail and Sheena telling him that Indrani was their mother and not siblings. He even did not believe Rahul when he told him this. Indrani was closest to Peter her husband but he did not notice any unusual behavior in her conduct or movement. Right before his nose his wife plans and commits a murder and he blissfully remains unaware.

9. It is not clear why the police has still not searched the residence of Indrani and Peter in Worli,Mumbai.

10. All the accused and other people have only confessed or given their statements on paper before the police. This is not admissible before a court of law. Anybody can change its statement and whatever they said at the time of trial. Even the driver and Sanjeev Khanna can change their story. It is not clear why the confession have not been made before a magistrate under section 164 of the CRPC so that it can be treated as a evidence.

The murder plot

Till now the entire focus is on Indrani. It is assumed that she is the prime accused. She has not confessed to the crime even after 10 days of police custody. This is not a simple hit and run murder case. It involves a entire family and many relationships which are complex and many issues which are extremely private. Till now even the motive has not conclusively established. There are many possibilities other than what the police is clinging to.

1. There can be a sex angle. Maybe Peter Mukherjee was having a incestuous relationship with Sheena. Then Sheena started blackmailing Peter. She took photographs and threatened to expose him. She started demanding a share in the property. It is then that Peter decided to eliminate her.

Maybe he confessed this to Indrani and then they both planned together to kill her

2. Maybe Indrani got bored of her husband Peter. After all this was her third marriage. She decided to resume her relationship with Sanjeev Khanna. She used to visit Calcutta a lot. There can be a possibility that Sheena became aware of this. Maybe she told her father Siddhartha Das about it who was in Calcutta also to investigate. After this Sheena alone or with her father started blackmailing Indrani that they will expose them. Had they exposed this to Peter he would have divorced Indrani and taken away all the wealth. So Sanjeev and Indrani planned to kill Sheena. Maybe they planned to kill Siddhartha Das also who went into hiding.

3. It is also possible that Siddhartha Das who was living a lower middle class life decided to make some extra money. He had never married Indrani. Indrani was only 17 yrs old then. They had two children in 3 yrs of their married life. So how did Indrani agreed to have a live in relationship. In those times it was never even possible to think of it. The past of Siddhartha Das is shrouded in mystery. Nobody knows what he used to do when he married Indrani. It is possible that he was a pimp in Shillong and somehow trapped Indrani. He then used her to supply to clients and earn his living. Then somehow Indrani escaped his clutches and fled to Calcutta. He had lot of material evidence to blackmail her. He conveyed this to Indrani through Sheena and maybe told Mikail also about it. So she was forced to help them with money. It is revealed that Sheena used to hate her mother. Maybe this was because Sheena knew about her mother's salacious past. Maybe Indrani had to kill both Sheena and Mikail because of this.

4. There are also reports that Sheena was pregnant at the time of her murder. She went to Singapore with some person and became intimate. Nobody knows who this person is. It is possible that Rahul came to know about this and became furious. He decided to kill her. After all he was the person who handed over Sheena to Indrani on the day of the murder and then kept quite all the time about her disappearance.

5. It is also possible that Indrani is completely innocent. She was forced into these circumstances unknowingly and the murderer is someone still hidden.

6. Till now the motive and the plot revolves around financial dealings . The police has not been able to establish this by any documentary evidence.

Ultimately the case till now is completely based on circumstantial evidence. There is no direct evidence to connect Indrani with the murder. All the witnesses have accused her only. Even her husband now has refused to defend her case. A lot of money has surely exchanged hands. The police investigation is fuzzy and has lot of loop holes .The kernel of the mystery is still hidden and only the outer shell has been scrapped.

So let us see when the real picture will emerge. Truth should prevail.

ASHOK KUMAR

                              

INDO PAK TALKS & MODI

                                           INDO PAK TALKS & MODI                                    

                                                                                                               28.8.15

The talks were scheduled on the 24th August,2015 and Mr Sartaz Aziz the NSA of Pakistan was to arrive on 23rd. South Block was buzzing with activity and the officials were giving last minute touches to documents to be presented during the meeting. Pakistan was to be presented with irrefutable evidence of its involvement in terrorist activites in India. The dossiers on Naved, Hafeez Sayeed & Dawood  were revised again and again . A Power Point presentation was under preparation projecting the various terrorist training camps inside Pakistan and the routes taken by these Jihadis to enter India with the active support of the ISI and the Pakistani Army.

Along the long corridor of the western wing of the South Block Mr Doval (NSA) was briskly walking towards the lift at the far end. He had been here many times but this time there was a sense of urgency in his gait. He pressed a button and the lift descended before him. The doors were locked and a red light was blinking on the outside. He pressed his palm against the slot and  a blinking green light with the message "Authenticating" appeared. Finger prints of all his five fingers were being matched. After ten seconds there was a whirling noise and the door opened. The lift started descending into the basement. Deep below the South Block a concrete set of offices were located where the PM  held meetings requiring utmost secrecy. It was secured against the most severe nuclear attacks. Doval entered the orange door marked "Prime Minister".  The room was informally furnished with sofa sets and coffee tables. Mr Modi was seated on a sofa with the Foreign secretary Mr Jaishankar opposite him. There was a third person also who was sitting quietly on a chair wearing a plain pyjama kurta. He was from the RSS.

Mr Doval did a namaste to Modi and then sat in a chair opposite him. Modi asked him whether all the preparation for the meeting was complete. Doval nodded . Jaishankar turned to the PM and said " Sir we know that Pakistan will never accept any evidence we place before them. I was thinking to place the recording of the telephonic conversations between COAS Raheel Sharif and Nawaz Shareef which RAW recorded last week. There the Army Chief is clearly threatening Nawaz Sharif not to make any commitment to arrest Hafeez Sayeed or Dawood. He clearly said that the aim of the Army is to separate Kashmir from India and that should be the only purpose of the talks. He also told Nawaz to make sure that Sartaz insists on meeting the Hurriyat leaders. Tell them that we would consult the Hurriyat."

Doval shifted in his seat . Modi turned to him " What do you say"

"Sir this will not be advisable" he said " Our assets in Rawalpindi and Islamabad would be in danger of being exposed. They are deep assets and providing us with valuable information. There position will be compromised and we will be deprived of sensitive information in the future."

Modi thought for a moment and said " Yes I think that is not advisable"

Jai he said " The joint statement which we issued in Ufa did it contain a clause that no other issue other than terrorism will be discussed during the NSA meeting in New Delhi ?"

"Well Sir the opening paragraph stated that India and Pakistan are committed to discuss all outstanding issues" Jaishankar replied " But clause one stated that all issues connected to terrorism will be discussed"

" This is ridiculous" Modi said in a agitated tone" This is a bloody oxymoron. Now they will say we want to discuss Kashmir also. You drafted the joint statement and left a opportunity opened for Pakistan to scuttle the talks.

"But Sir " Jaishankar replied " I showed you the draft"

" What shown me the draft ? Don't you know that I am weak in english. If I have to read every draft then what are you doing as Foreign Secretary. Moreover I am new as PM. In this situation I cannot even blame the UPA if anything goes wrong."

The RSS man slipped one leg over the other and bent forward towards Modi and said

" There is one more thing. Read clause 4 it says mechanism for facilitating religious tourism will also be discussed. Modi Ji as a former RSS Pracharak you know very well that as a Hindu nation we must discourage all Muslim activities here. In fact our cadre  is doing their best to demean the Muslims and other minority communities and hit them where necessary. Contrary to this you are encouraging Muslims from Pakistan to come to India for religious pilgrimage. This is not acceptable"

"Did you do this" Modi asked Jaishankar who was now sitting with a sullen face

"Sir what to do" Jaishankar replied" A joint statement has to take into consideration the demands of the opposite side also. Moreover they also agreed not to mention Kashmir ."

"But why specifically religious tourism? Modi said" Why not general tourism where everyone can visit Pakistan. Why tie up tourism with religion. By the way what is Sushma Swaraj doing ? Why does she not look into all these mattes? It looks that I have to do everything myself"

There was a smile playing on Doval face. He said to Modi " Sir after becoming PM you had clearly instructed that all Ministers should only keep their offices clean and leave all official matters for the PMO office to deal. Nobody reports to Cabinet Ministers and all decisions are taken by your good self"

"Hmmm" Modi said" Yes it is OK. The Gujrat model of governance is the best"

"Sir I want to tell that last time you cancelled the talks because Hurriyat was invited by the Pakistan High Commissioner for discussions. Though I had clearly explained to you that such meetings will hardly effect our position on Kashmir. Hurriyat is also on our payrolls and our agents in the valley hold them by their necks. These meetings were held earlier also.These are only photo sessions. Pakistan has to feed something  to its gullible public back there . So drawing a red line on the Hurriyat issue was not advisable. Moreover we have already jumped one red line drawn earlier regarding no talks till terrorism and cross border attacks are stopped by Pakistan. This time also Hurriyat has been invited for discussions. So do you want the talks to be cancelled this time also.?"

"You have a point there Doval" Modi said in a pensive mood" Sometimes I think I am still the CM of Gujrat. I was much happier there. It will take some time for me to broaden my thinking to fit into this new role. Maybe I should go through some books written by Nehru."

"But Sir by cancelling the Indo Pak talks last time you have drawn a unnecessary red line" Doval repeated

" I had to prove that I am more macho than MMS in dealing with Pakistan. Moreover I received a call from Mohan Bhagwat himself that Hurriyat meeting is not acceptable even at the cost of cancellation of talks.Now how can I refuse him ? After all he made me the PM. "

The RSS man fidgeted in his chair. Coughed and said "But we told not to meet before the talks. After the talks we did not have any objections"

"So before the talks they are a separatist organisation" Jaishankar said" but after the talks they become a social organisation. What nonsense"

The RSS man glared at him.

Jaishankar continued " Modi Ji tell us what we should do now. The Hurriyat is invited on the 23rd at a reception in honor of Sartaz Aziz. The talks are on 24th. According to the RSS on 23rd we cannot allow them to meet the Pakistanis but on 25th they can meet."

" Oof" Modi  took a deep breath" What a mess. You people have put me into a difficult situation. On the other side US is poking me with a stick to go ahead with the talks. Here I am surrounded by morons who cannot find a solution.Now we cannot do anything. We are trapped. Izzat ka sawal hai. A man of my stature with a 56" chest cannot bend now."

"But Sir" Jaishankar pleaded" This is coercive diplomacy. That too on such a insignificant matter. The talks are important for our long range objectives and for the prosperity of our people"

"It is now to late to alter our red lines. It will shatter my image . What will my bhakts think of me" Modi retorted

The telephone on the table buzzed and Doval picked it up and listened intently.

"Sartaz Aziz is giving a press conference" he said " I will switch on the TV.

He walked towards the front wall,pulled a panel and switched on the large screen TV inside.

Sartaz Aziz wizened  face appeared on the TV with a sardonic smile playing on his lips. He was waving some folders and roaring that here is the evidence that RAW is behind all the terrorism in Pakistan. A close camera shot revealed that the folders were empty. He was saying we also have our red lines. No talks if Hurriyat is not allowed to meet me. No talks if Kashmir is not discussed"

So before the hen could hatch it was killed.

Modi turned to Jaishankar and said" Connect me to Sushma Swaraj"

Jaishankar dialed the number, briefed her then handed over the phone to Modi

"Sushma Ji call a press conference" Modi said" Tell them that Sartaz is welcome to come but no Hurriyat. No Kashmir"

" Why should I be always chosen to do the dirty work" Sushma squeaked on the phone" You mess up things and I am the person to announce the fatal outcomes. Moreover I am busy winding up the messy Lalit Modi affair"

"Do as I tell you" Modi shouted and banged the phone.

So gentlemen wait for the next thrilling Indo Pak episode . Till then. Bye

ASHOK KUMAR

STRIKING THE TERRORISTS INSIDE PAKISTAN

STRIKING THE TERRORISTS INSIDE PAKISTAN  15.12.14

The list of strikes by terrorists from Pakistan on places in India is a long one. Some of the major attacks by Pakistani terrorist in India are given below :

December 22, 2000			2000 terrorist attack on Red Fort			3killed
October 1, 2001			2001 Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly attack			38 ”
December 13, 2001			2001 Indian Parliament attack in New Delhi			7 "
May 13, 2002	2002 Jaunpur train crash			12 killed	80 injured
September 24, 2002		Terrorists attack the Akshardham temple in Gujarat					31 killed
March 13, 2003		A terrorist bomb attack on a commuter train in Mumbai					11 killed
August 25, 2003		25 August 2003 Mumbai bombings					52 killed
October 29, 2005		29 October 2005 Delhi bombings: Three powerful serial blasts in New Delhi at different places just two days before the Hindu festival Deepawali[13]					70 killed
March 7, 2006		2006 Varanasi bombings: Three synchronized terrorist attacks in Varanasi in Shri Sankatmochan Mandir and Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station[14]					21 killed
July 11, 2006		2006 Mumbai train bombings: Series of 7 train bombing during the evening rush hour in Mumbai					209 killed
January 1, 2008		Terror attack on CRPF camp in Rampur by Lashkar-e-Taiba,[18]					8 killed

May 13, 2008	Jaipur bombings: 9 bomb blasts along 6 areas in Jaipur		63 killed
July 26, 2008		2008 Ahmedabad blasts: 17 serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad		29 killed	110 injured
September 13, 2008		13 September 2008 Delhi bombings: 5 bomb blasts in Delhi markets		21 killed	110 injured
November 26, 2008		2008 Mumbai attacks[19][20]		171 killed	239 injured
February 13, 2010		Pune bombing[23]		17 killed	60 injured
July 13, 2011		2011 Mumbai bombings		26 killed	130 injured
September 7, 2011		2011 Delhi bombing[25]		12 killed	76 injured

The latest attack was on 5.12.14 in 3 places in Kashmir in which 11 security men and 8 militants have been killed.

It is clear from the above that it is nothing short of a war which Pakistan is waging against India through its proxies. Inspite of this the response of Govt of India to these attacks have been very weak. Mostly it consist of issuing verbal warnings to Pakistan that some serious repercussion will follow if another attack takes place. It is like a challenge thrown by a coward person to slap him again till he receives another slap and challenges again. Other than verbal warning the Govt goes on a self pity mode and howls and cries before the international community to punish Pakistan. Infact instead of finding a solution to stop these attacks the Govt of India sits backs and wait for a another attack to come. These useless reactions further emboldens Pakistan to continue killings of civilians in India.
The present Modi Govt promised a lot of direct action to eliminate terrorist and its sanctuaries inside Pakistan. It promised to punish Pakistan for any further terrorist attacks. The macho image built of Narendra Modi by clever publicity was imprinted on peoples mind. Where has all that Modi magic disappeared ? Now nobody in the Govt speaks of retaliation or surgical strikes against Pakistan. After the recent attack in Uri,Kashmir  Modi tweeted " attacks in J&K is condemnable " . Everybody knows it is condemnable. What is new in it ? There is no mention on how the Modi Govt is going to deal with this menance.The Home Minister went one step further to educate the public.Rajnath Singh said " the attack is to create fear psychosis among the people". Such words of wisdom !

It looks that nobody in the Govt including the PM with a 56" chest has the slightest idea of how to defend our people against these terrorists sponsored by Pakistan. Already LeT which is part of Pakistan proxy terrorist organisation has declared jihad on India. Its leader Hafeez Sayeed has openly organised a mass rally in Lahore on 6.12.14 and the Pakistani railways ran special trains to transport its members. Al Queda has already included India in its plans for jihad. All this sums into the fact that large scale attacks can be expected in various cities in India in the coming months. However the Govt seems to just lay back and enjoy the sunshine of its latest victory in the polls.

One thing is clear that no nation would help us to fight terrorism. We have to fight our battle alone. There has been a strategic agreement recently with the US which also includes fighting terrorism together. But experience has shown that the US is extremely selfish and does not consider India on a equal footing. India is a joint partner in fighting terrorism only on paper. Not a single operation against terrorists have been launched jointly. Access to CIA data and other vital intelligence is never shared even if it points to a terrorist attack on India. The information on David Coleman that he his part of a operation to attack Mumbai was never conveyed to New Delhi in time. On the other hand US is forming special relations with Pakistan knowing fully well its role in international terrorism. The recent 2 weeks visit of Raheel Sharif COAS of Pakistan seems to have established a new bonhomie between them. There is no mention in their agreement to target India specific terrorist groups in Pakistan. The comments of  the US state department on the recent militant attack in Kashmir was "we're concerned about any violence in Kashmir, and I wouldn't jump to conclusions here (about Pakistani involvement in the Uri incident)" . This statement was issued inspite of clear evidence that the attacks were carried out by Pakistan based terrorist under the direct control of their army. Perhaps this magnanimous gesture was in return for some measly Al Queda operative killed by Pakistani forces. It seems that the US has agreed that Pakistan is free to promote terrorism in India in return for killing terrorists harmful to it.

 So this being the position let us explore the various possibilities which could be employed to neutralise or at least reduce these terrorist attacks in our territory by Pakistan.

 1. There is also a flip side to our relationship with the US. We should look into the missing ingredients which prevents US to bond with India effectively. On one side we shy away from joining US and others in fighting international terrorism be it in Afghanistan or Iraq. On the other side we complain about US not helping us adequately to fight Indian centered terrorist organisations based in Pakistan. Both cannot run together. India should seriously consider to send its forces to fight Taliban,Al Queda and ISIS. After all today they may not be actively operating in India but tomorrow they can be here. Nothing comes free. If India joins the US led coalition fighting terrorism  then certainly the US would come forward and actively help India to exterminate terrorists in Pakistan who launch attacks here. Contrary to our position Pakistan has cunningly adopted a more pragmatic approach. Inspite of being kicked around by US it has faithfully followed it like a dog. Pakistan does not allow national pride to prevent it from constant licking of US boots. It is another matter it cheats US on the side but the licking effect on the US is so pleasurable that it ignores it. Even the presence of Osama Bin Laden in a Pakistan military cantonment does not convince the US that Pakistan is the real enemy. So be it. But Pakistan has reaped rich dividends from this policy. Billions of dollars in aid with the option of retaining terrorism as tool for achieving its strategic objectives.

India of course should never stoop so low to woo the US. Its record ,be it on nuclear proliferation ,terrorism or democracy is clean and to be proud of. At the same time US support will go a long way to provide muscles to our efforts in fighting terrorism. The type of technology and intelligence network which the US possess is mind boggling.Its    satellites,drones,database,computers,military hardware are invaluable tools which hardly anyone in the world possess. So we should develop our relationship with the US in such a way that it is ready to share these technological tools with us. Let it start with a quid pro quo arrangement. We should share US fight in Afghanistan & Iraq.Allow them military and air bases. We can also allow their aircraft carriers to station in our sea territory with the aim of neutralising China. In return we demand a joint operation against LeT,Hafeez Sayeed,Dawood,JuD,JeM, Harakat ul-Mujahadeen and host of others which are targeting India. This will also serve the purpose to expose Pakistan and wean away US from its web of deceit.

2. Afghanistan is the Achilles heel of Pakistan. Touch Afghanistan and a paranoia strikes Pakistan. It starts getting nightmares that India is surrounding it. It considers Afghanistan more or less its own territory where its writ should run. The Taliban problem is due to Pakistan supporting the Taliban, through which it intends to tighten the screws on Afghanistan. Our formidable presence in Afghanistan is absolutely necessary to squeeze Pakistan till it relents to abandon use of terrorism against India. Moreover setting of bases in Afghanistan to collect intelligence on Pakistan will pay reach dividends. A lot can be done to build up a network of informers and to plant assets inside Pakistan. The Afghanistan Pakistan borders are porus unlike between India and Pakistan. Lot of people shuttle daily across borders. By planning carefully a lot of harm can be inflicted on Pakistan if we station our troops and intelligence network there.
However India seems to have never tried to bond with Afghanistan as was expected. The former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai paid innumerable visits to India. He requested help to fight the Taliban. To supply military hardware,training of Afghan military force and even for placement of Indian army officers in Afghanistan. India cold shouldered all these requests and confined itself to economic aid and building of infrastructures. What is the use of such so called development help by India in a envoirment of insecurity. If and when Taliban takes over the first thing they will do is to place explosives in Indian built structures and blow them up. In any case a Taliban takeover will ensure that it removes all the goodwill which India has earned.
The new Government in Afghanistan  has now reversed its policy. It is getting closer to Pakistan and China. It has also cancelled a order for military hardware which it placed with India. Wrong policies comes to bite you later. Not everything is lost yet. The new friendship between Afghanistan and Pakistan may die a early death due to unreasonable demands of a arrogant Punjabi Army of Pakistan. The other factor in favor of India is that the Afghan people like India far more than Pakistan. It is still not late to give a renewed boost to our relation. Supply the military requirements of Afghanistan and all security related manpower. In return we can get wider access in Afghanistan and both countries can together fight against the terrorist menace which Pakistan has spread in the region. The increased pressure on Pakistan on its western border will prevent it from venturing into adventurism on its eastern border.

3.We have never sharpened our support for the freedom of Balochistan. For the last many years the insurgency in Balochistan has passed through many phases and particularly flared up after the killing of one of its veteran leader Akbar Bugti by Pakistan Army under the orders of Musharaf. Since then freedom fighters of Balochistan have heightened their attacks on Pakistan armed forces. They have also started attacking Punjabi residents of Balochistan. Gas pipelines were blown. Massive rallies and demonstrations have been organised against occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan. The retaliation by the Pak army has been ruthless. Thousands of civilians have been murdered or have disappeared believed to have been killed by the Pak army. Mutilations ,rape of women, killing of children by the Pakistan Army is touching a new low. It is like what they did with civilians of the erstwhile east Bengal. Inspite of this large scale insurgency  in Balochistan it is hard to understand the reason behind India's mysterious silence. Pakistan raises the Kashmir issue in every known international gathering even when constitutionally and legally it is part of India. But here in Balochistan the entire region is demanding freedom and we keep quite. It should not be forgotten that at the time of partition in 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh legally acceded Kashmir to India. In case of Balochistan the Raja of Kalat never acceded his state to Pakistan. Pak Army forcefully occupied it.

It is time that India should forcefully come out in support of Balochistan freedom. It should raise the issue in the UN and all other available international forum. It should establish contacts with the leaders of the freedom movement and provide them guidance and support to achieve their aims. India should also encourage them to establish a Baloch Government in exile. Arms,training and ammunition as well as funds should be provided to them through secret channels. Attacks on vital installations and army camps in Balochistan on a regular basis would go a long way to rattle Pakistan. The Gwadar port build by the Chinese is particularly important for Pakistan. The Baloch freedom fighters if given the right equipment and training can inflict a deadly blow to this port which will not only destroy a important infrastructure but also force China to rethink whether to invest in Pakistan. If India moves along these lines and provide muscles to the freedom movement in Balochistan it would have a sobering effect on Pakistan. It would certainly discourage Pakistan from resorting to terrorism in Kashmir and elsewhere in India. This may also help in pushing Pakistan to accept the reality of Kashmir being part of India.

4. The world of covert operations is shrouded in secrecy and details of its operations remains hidden. Iam sure that RAW and similar Indian outfits are doing what is required inside Pakistan. Recruiting and installing a network of informers in Pakistan should be the topmost priority. This network was completely destroyed during the tenure of I.K.Gujral as PM under his instructions. This was a serious lapse and a blunder which made the nation vulnerable to dangerous possibilities. The present NSA Ajit Kumar Doval is a no nonsense person and believes in securing India against Pakistan by all means. Even non conventional. He is a former intelligence officer and can do a lot to puncture the aggressive designs of our neighbor.

Pakistan is already a fragmented society with sectarian and ethnic violence now deeply embedded in its ethos. It is a fertile grounds to recruit ,help,incite a group to attack its torturers. Shias,Ahmedias,Baloch,Christians are being killed by one or other group of terrorists. Blasphemy laws,forced conversions and the persistent attempts to define a true Muslim is heaping humiliation on a large section of its society. Our covert operations should intelligently deploy strategies to befriend persons from these oppressed groups and encourage them to strike against their oppressors. The resulting chaos would embroil Pakistan into a never ending cycle of violence and would considerably weaken its potential to attack India through its terrorist proxies. In today’s time intelligence agencies give the work of carrying subversive activities on contract in places of their operations. There is no dearth of people in Pakistan who would undertake a job like blowing a train or throwing a grenade in a public place if adequately compensated. After all this is what Pakistan is doing in India. Large amounts are paid by the ISI to terrorist organisations to inflict damage inside India. Of course in their case the US generously keeps their coffers full by granting billions as aid. The Indian Mujahedeen ,SIMI ,JKLF,Hurriyat and various other cells are employed by Pakistan on contract. A similar tit for tat approach will work in our favor.
Covert operations also includes assassination of terrorists who are being protected by Pakistan for example individuals like Hafeez Sayeed and Dawood. The use of snipers in such situations is a good policy. A long range shot not only effectively gives time to the sniper to escape but keeps its identity hidden. Nobody comes to know who the killer is and the endless speculation which follows buries the matter in the end.
Satellites ,drones ,web policing,listening devices and all sorts of spy gadgets has to be employed to keep a watch over the enemy. Recently the use of drones for spying ,mapping and keeping watch over a specific target has proved to be very useful. Prior to attack on Osama house in Abbottabad his residence was photographed from different angles and the occupants were also fairly identified. India at present does not have this type of drone technology. US and India are strategic partners in the fight against global terrorism. Therefore India should strongly request the US to reserve specific number of drones only for Indian specific operations for detecting sanctuaries of Indian specific terrorist groups inside Pakistan. A request to the US to sell these drones to us together with its technology should also be taken up on a priority basis.

It goes without saying that covert operations inside Pakistan is the most potent tool to neutralise terrorist attacks on us.

5. There have been lot of discussions on carrying out surgical strikes inside Pakistan. After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks India was almost on the verge of carrying out such a operation. A surgical strike means our security forces would have to enter Pakistan territory. This can trigger a war which is not advisable at this stage. However incase there is a 26/11 repeat such a strike would become inevitable since Pakistan would be deemed to have carried out hostile operations in our territory. In such a event there should not be any hesitation to carry out surgical strikes on terrorist targets inside Pakistan. Incidentally it is widely speculated that US took the help of India in operation Neptune Spear to eliminate Osama Bin Laden. According to the events described in the book ' No Easy Day' written by Mark Owen who was one of the Seals who took part in the operations they flew on a MH60 Black Hawk helicopter from Jalalabad to Abbottabad. But these helicopters did not take a straight path. They travelled and crossed LOC at Uri inside Indian air space and then turned towards Abbottabad. Obviously they entered Indian airspace after secretly obtaining permission from the Indian Government. India gladly must have given permission and it is speculated that India also provided intelligence on how to escape detection by Pakistan radars. Therefore India should also not hesitate to request US to provide intelligence and strategic support incase it carries out a similar surgical strike inside Pakistan. Security analysts are predicting that there is a very high probability that a major terrorist attack could be launched on India from Pakistan. In such a scenario a surgical strike team and means of transportation  should be kept ready at all times and the moment a terrorist strike takes place it should take off to retaliate without delay before international pressure to stop it is raised.

6.The rise of communalism and targeting of Muslims and Christians by Hindu fanatics has reached alarming proportions since the BJP has come into power. It is also being perceived that the Modi Government is deliberately keeping its eyes,ears and mouth closed to the daily attacks on minorities by its affiliates the Bajrang Dal and VHP. Even Ministers in the Union Cabinet are issuing obnoxious statements which are not only against the spirit of our constitution but also against the ethos of our age old tradition of  tolerance and coexistence. Recently a attempt has been made to convert Muslims to Hinduism by offering them cash and BPL cards. This was described as Ghar Wapsi! As if they are cattle’s and not human beings. This is nothing short of demeaning and humiliating the minorities. There is another MP who declares that Nathuram Godse was a patriot. There is no doubt that if these sections of society are pushed against the wall they would become easy fodder for the terrorist groups to lure them into their folds. What is more serious is that educated and middle class of non Hindus would also opt for the option of using terror to retaliate. A powerful and hate filled fire of terrorism would rise to consume this country which would be difficult to control. Let us not forget that terrorist organisations like SIMI and now IM are the results of the demolishing of Babri Masjid and Gujrat massacre.

The Government should take immediate forceful steps to stop this terrorism against the minorities. It should henceforth expel any Cabinet Member and MP who indulges in anti minority statements or shields any communal organisation. Suitable warnings should be issued to Bajrang Dal and VHP to keep their hands off from bashing the minorities. These organisations should be banned it they still continue to sow poison in the society. RSS Hindutva agenda should be shelved. The people have elected this Government on the development plank. Not to build Ram Mandir or do shuddhikaran of non Hindus.

It should not be forgotten that internal turmoil opens the doors to the Pakistani based terrorist as well as international terrorist like ISIS to spread and strike inside India with ease.

7.Our security and intelligence organisations no doubt must be keeping a close watch on suspected person and is equipped with the latest tools to detect conspiracies before they reach their implementation stage. However the existence of a centralised national data bank of all criminals ,offenders,missing persons,suspected persons is of utmost important. Information from all the police stations in India and enforcement agencies should be fed in this national data bank. Information should contain photograph,biometric data,blood group,DNA identification. This would greatly facilitate in the identification of persons involved in terrorist activities. Fingerprints and DNA can be obtained from the scene of crime and can be compared against this data. Even the data can be compared with those entering and leaving India. Candidates applying for recruitment in security agencies can be screened against this data. Real time Cyber and Mobile surveillance  is a area in which India has yet to acquire cutting edge technology. It gives the intelligence agencies the power to accurately trace a terrorist and apprehend him at the spot and it also helps to identify actual and potential terrorists lurking on social sites as well as those with mobiles (By tracking it). Recently a ISIS active propagandist Mehdi Masroor based in Bangalore and working in a MNC was identified by this means by Channel 4 UK and later on arrested. The unfortunate part is that our intelligence agencies failed to identify him. It is therefore obvious that a great deal of work has be done in this field by our agencies.

8.Pakistan unreasonable demand to solve the status of Kashmir can never be accepted because of the simple reason that legally and constitutionally it is part of India. There can never be talks on the territorial integrity of this country. Before the world Pakistan justifies terrorism and links it to a dispute which never exists. The fact is that Kashmir is only a symptom of the disease 'India hatred' which the establishment in Pakistan is suffering from. To be blunt the Islamic state of Pakistan foolishly thinks that it is some sort of Islamic obligation to perpetually wage a war against Hindu India. So Kashmir or no Kashmir Pakistan would always be aggressive towards India till its Army is beaten to pulp.It is unacceptable that a State in this 21^st century uses terrorism and threats to achieve its goals. Even the US is buckling under this threat when Pakistan demands ransom(aid) for reigning  Taliban in Afghanistan. However India will never succumb to such a threat though we know that Pakistan is nurturing homicidal dogs like Hafeez Sayeed and many others of his likes.

Since the new Government has taken over a clear message has been delivered to Pakistan that there can be no talks on change of territorial boundaries of India other than returning the portion of Kashmir illegaly occupied by Pakistan.Talks can be held on various other issues relating to Kashmir,end of terrorism ,mutual trade,steps to bring people of the two countries closer and generally for promoting peaceful coexistence.

The problem with Pakistan is that the civilian Government is not in charge of foreign relations and security. Pakistan Army has since its inception  kept these two portfolios to itself. Therefore any talks with the PM of Pakistan ends in failure because its Army reverses any agreement or undertaking he makes with his Indian counterpart. This is going on for several past years. Terrorist attacks and LOC firing is resorted by the Pak Army and any progress made towards peace is shattered and we reach back to zero point. Since this scenario in Pakistan is not going to change why not talk directly to the Army there. Recently the US invited the COAS Raheel Sharif for prolonged talks which lasted nearly two weeks. Can you imagine any country Army head going for talks with another nation on matter of foreign policy and strategy when a duly elected PM is already sitting in the chair? But this is Pakistan and things work here in weird ways. The US has accepted this and showered him with all the honors including US legion of Merit Medal. After all a weird situation deserves a weird honor.

The point is that India can also consider direct talks with Pakistan Army on terrorism and Kashmir which perhaps has more chances of succeeding. Let us invite Raheel Sharif. Put some garlands around his neck and sprinkle some flowers & itar(No tika please otherwise he would be charged with apostasy)  and then honor him with some some fancy medal. We can then have a frank talk with him to explore what is in his mind. Tell him frankly that India has no intention of parting with Kashmir and therefore will he continue with terrorism. Assure him that India & Pakistan can build a new era of friendship which will benefit both our countries if Pakistan abandons terrorism. After all talking can clear many doubts and suspicions which exist between our two countries. Convince him to take action against all terrorist groups including those targeting India. Maybe such a meeting would throw up some worthwhile results.

 Terrorists in Pakistan since long are a part of Pakistan Army. They are recruited,trained and armed like any other regular troops. However this fact is never accepted openly by them. They are utilised where regular troops cannot be used by Pakistan. They can be easily denied and disowned by Pakistan. Therefore it is a challenge for India to kill this monster. If Pakistan does not refrain from use of terrorism against India it will have to pay a heavy price.

ASHOK KUMAR

P.S. Since the writing of the above article the following terror attacks by Pakistan took
place in 2015

1. Gurdaspur   27.7.15     9 killed

2. Udhampur  5.8.15        2 killed