India – The continuing terrorist threat
INDIA | Monday, 8 January 2007 | Views [1539]
On 5 January 2007, Indian police arrested a suspected militant in a village near the city of Bangalore that hosts a number of high-tech firms. Police discovered a rifle, ammunition, five hand grenades and a satellite phone with several SIM cards in his possession. More significantly, they found a map of Bangalore with several locations allegedly marked out, including the airport, Wipro Technologies Ltd and an Infosys Technologies facility. Three weeks earlier the Israeli foreign ministry issued a travel warning for the popular Indian tourist state of Goa, citing a concrete terror threat over the festive season. Both of these developments highlight the growing threat of terrorism directed toward both India’s booming high-tech industry and its tourist industry. With the country still reeling from the 11 July 2006 Mumbai blasts, which claimed the lives of at least 200 people and injured a further 700, the Indian government faces a number of challenges in curbing this threat.
India’s counter-terrorism officials are particularly concerned over what appears to be a shift from hard to soft targets, such as business compounds, public transportation systems and areas frequented by tourists. These soft targets include the country’s booming hi-tech industry, which is made up of many Western multi-national corporations. Over the last 12 months, a number of potential terror attacks on high-tech centres, such as Hyderabad and Bangalore, have been thwarted. On 27 October 2006, Indian police arrested two suspected militants of a Kashmiri group, Al Badr, in Mysore city in Karnataka state. The two men were apprehended after they tried to avoid a police checkpoint near the city’s Infosys campus. It appears the militants were carrying out surveillance with the aim of carrying out an attack during a major information technology conference. The militants hoped to cause significant damage to India’s burgeoning economy in order to promote the cause for greater autonomy in Kashmir state. Foreign companies may reconsider their need to establish a presence in India, and the potential loss of foreign investment may force India to rethink its claim on Kashmir.
Another soft target is India’s tourism industry. Almost three and a half million foreign tourists visited India in 2006. Despite an attack in 2003 on the popular tourist destination the Gateway of India in Mumbai, tourists have generally not been affected by terrorism. However, recent warnings from various foreign governments warned of a specific threat from al-Qaeda in the tourist hub of Goa. Prior to an international film festival on 24 November 2006, the Indian government stepped up security in the state after intelligence agencies warned over a possible terrorist attack. Intelligence sources have also warned of possible airplane hijackings by Kashmiri separatists, and on a number of occasions in 2006 security at and around airports was tightened. A suspected goal of the terrorists is to make tourists reconsider travel to India. This was achieved after the travel warning for Goa led to a significant decline in arrivals over the festive season.
The majority of terrorist attacks in India are carried out by groups opposed to Indian rule in the northern state of Kashmir. However, recent trends show a very different threat from India’s Muslim population. With over one hundred million Muslims living there, India is home to the world’s second largest Muslim population. However, in a country of a billion people, Muslims constitute a disadvantaged and marginalised minority and often lag behind their Hindu countrymen in a variety of social indicators. These perceived injustices have provided ideal recruiting conditions for groups, such as the Student Islamic Movement for India (SIMI), which was thought to have played a key role in the Mumbai bombings.
Furthermore, Indian intelligence reports have hinted at a possible al-Qaeda presence in India. Shortly after the Mumbai bombings, a man claiming to be the leader of al-Qaeda in Jammu and Kashmir called a local news agency and stated that al-Qaeda had established an operation in the region. Al-Qaeda is known to have ties with Kashmiri separatist groups, such as Lasskar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. The organisation has already identified India as an important front for its global jihadist war, and strengthening ties between Delhi and Washington may provide an additional reason for future attacks.
The seemingly growing tide of terrorism in India has prompted calls for a more effective counter-terrorism strategy from the government. Security was bolstered at a number of the country’s borders after investigations into the Mumbai bombings revealed that militants and weapons were being smuggled into India from Bangladesh and Nepal. In addition, the government announced plans to install closed circuit televisions and metal detectors at a number of train stations. However, there is a growing consensus that in order to fight terrorism effectively, the Indian intelligence system needs to be reformed and the justice system made more efficient.
Attempted terrorist attacks are certain to continue throughout India in the foreseeable future. Terrorist groups have proven that they have both the intent and the ability to carry out large-scale attacks. That a settlement to the Kashmir dispute is unlikely will aggravate this threat, although Indian authorities can limit the threat by addressing the concerns of some of the Muslims living within their borders. Even though India’s economy has not been significantly hampered, foreign and local investors need to note that they are increasingly targets and should take proper precautions to minimise the risk to their person and property.
Tags: Travel Safety
Add your comments
Bookmark this page:
|
|
|
|
We're Carbon Neutral
