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India’s Counter-Terrorism Record - An Open Letter to Fareed Zakaria !!

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India’s Counter-Terrorism Record - An Open Letter to Fareed Zakaria


By B. Raman

Dear Mr. Fareed Zakaria,

I read with considerable interest extracts from your interview to the CNN-IBN on counter-terrorism in which, interalia, you have compared the track record of the Indian counter-terrorism community with that of the US.

2. Rediff.com has reported on your CNN-IBN interview as follows:

“When looking at the capacity and talents of intelligence agencies around the world, I don't think anyone has spoken highly about the Indian intelligence agencies.

“As a matter of reporting, India's counter-terrorism operations are not regarded very high. This is an area India has not focused on a great deal.

“India has not done good because as it has a large Muslim population, but again India's police force is pathetic. Look at Mumbai -- India's police force is not a police force -- it is a patronage job that is given to people to support communities, they don't know how to police.”

3. Before I comment substantively on your observations, I must introduce myself: I was an officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS). I joined the IPS in 1961 and retired in August, 1994, after having served for about four years in the Madhya Pradesh Police, one year in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of the Government of India and 26 years in the Research & Analysis Wing ( R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency. When I was in service, the R&AW had two divisions dealing with terrorism----one with indigenous terrorism --- what many now call home-grown terrorism--- and the other with international terrorism. I headed the Division dealing with indigenous terrorism from 1981 to 1985 and headed both the Divisions from 1988 till my retirement in 1994. Between 1991 and 1994, I used to wear a second hat as the head of the division responsible for intelligence liaison with foreign intelligence agencies. In that capacity, I had interacted closely with the intelligence agencies of the US and the UK----particularly in matters relating to counter-terrorism.”

4. The Indian track-record in counter-terrorism is not one of abysmal failure. We have had remarkable success stories particularly against Khalistani terrorism in Punjab and against the terrorism of Al Umma in Tamil Nadu. In both these instances, it was the local police force which led the counter-terrorism operations and won final victory despite all the handicaps suffered by it. In Jammu and Kashmir too--- though final victory has not yet been won--- the Indian counter-terrorism forces led by the Army have succeeded remarkably in bringing what we call cross-border terrorism under control.

5. The poor track-record of the Indian counter-terrorism community has been mainly against jihadi terrorism in North India.

6. We have had instances of jihadi terrorism in the South too in places such as Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh and Bengaluru. In the 1990s, we had the Al Umma phenomenon in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

7. The police in South India has generally done better against terrorism emanating from the Muslim community than the Police in North/West India because the political class and the media in the South have generally refrained from demonising the Police and the intelligence agencies whenever they have acted against Muslims who have taken to terrorism. The Police in the South has, therefore, the confidence that it can do whatever is legally permissible in order to bring terrorism involving the participation of some Muslims under control.

8. Thankfully, in the South, there has been no politicisation till now of counter-terrorism which affected some members of the Muslim community. Unfortunately, there was politicisation of counter-terrorism directed against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). We paid a heavy price for it in May 1991, when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE in Chennai. Since then, this politicisation too has come down.

9. In North and West India, the admittedly poor record of the counter-terrorism community against jihadi terrorism---whether of the home-grown or Pakistani variety--- has been considerably due to the reluctance of the political class to act against the terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan and its equal reluctance to act against those members of the Muslim community who take to terrorism.

10. It is very unfair on your part to have compared the track-record of the Indian counter-terrorism community with that of the US. Many things which are permitted against Muslims in the US will not be permitted in India and we in the counter-terrorism community feel should not be permitted by the political leadership. Examples of what we in India do not do and will never do are:

Treating a Muslim as a suspect by virtue of his religion and appearance unless proved otherwise. Shah Rukh Khan, the famous Indian film actor, was treated as a suspect in the US. Such things will not happen in India.

Treating jihadi suspects as “war criminals” and keeping them in a military camp (Guantanamo Bay) and subjecting them to trials by military tribunals.

Use of air strikes against terrorists and their sanctuaries, killing a large number of innocent Muslims. Since India became independent in 1947, we have used the Air Force only once in Mizoram in 1966 when the Mizo insurgents over-ran almost the entire State.

The so-called rendition flights by which the US counter-terrorism agencies kept flying Muslim suspects arrested abroad from country to country in order to avoid having to produce them before a court of law.

The extraordinary methods of torture sanctified by the US Justice department that were used against Muslim suspects---whether in Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere.

11. I am proud to say that neither the Indian political class nor the Indian counter-terrorism community would ever think of resorting to such diabolical methods. Even if we thought of them, the Indian media would have been the first to start a campaign against them.

12. Mr. Zakaria, how many of you in the US media world raised your voice against these methods when these were being used in the years after 9/11. Did you raise your voice against them, Mr. Zakaria? You all believed that any method is a good method against Muslim suspects till Al Qaeda is brought under control.

13. We have a self-denying counter-terrorism policy. We consciously deny to ourselves many practices which you in the US permit to yourselves in your counter-terrorism against Muslim suspects. We are proud of such self-denying provisions in our counter-terrorism policy.

14. One last point, I should make. India is next door neighbour to Pakistan. Much of our jihadi terrorism emanates from Pakistan. The US is thousands of KMs away from Pakistan. We face a terrorist threat from Pakistan every day. You face a threat sporadically. And yet, the kind of methods that you have used against Pakistan we have never used. We fight against terrorism emanating from Pakistan with one hand tied in the back.

15. It is not only because our political leadership will not permit it, but it is also because of the hypocrisy of the US Government which will use any methods against Pakistan in order to protect the US Homeland and American lives, but never hesitates to come in the way of India following a similar policy to protect the Indian Homeland and Indian lives.

With regards,

B. Raman

(Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com. Twitter” @SORBONNE75)

Mr.FareedZakaria,
Editor-at-large,
Time Magazine,
New York


India’s Counter-Terrorism Record - An Open Letter to Fareed Zakaria
 
A rather lame and weak article. Who is interested in your excuses for being ineffective? If you can't control jihadi terrorism the fault lies with you and your intelligence community. Don't make a virtue out of your weak kneed approach to terrorism. Who told you not to adopt the measures necessary to curb Islamic terrorism in India? Shah Rukh Khan should not be searched just because he is an actor? What utter cr@p. Tell me Mr former Intelligence officer, aren't there pressure groups, human rights bodies and other miscellaneous nuisance groups in the US who create a racket at intrusive searches or full body X-ray scans etc? Does this stop the FBI or homeland security guys or the others from doing their jobs? So who stopped you from doing yours? Can you face the relatives of those who died in the recent Delhi High Court blast and explain to them that their near and dear ones are no more because your organisation chose to adopt the moral high ground which made them ineffective. Mr Fareed Zakaria is a nobody. Instead of writing this 'Open Letter cr@p', tell your former colleagues that the nation depends on them to save Indian lives and property, No one will praise you for your high morality if you fail the nation.
 
Raman is just being a typical, defensive patriotic India who can;t read between the lines to admit India does have some serious weaknesses that need to be corrected. Stop writing old man BS articles for newspapers collecting a paycheck and make it your life mission to write a stragetic perspective of what needs to be done to set up India for 2020. You could even title it 2020 Vision India. The point is to give step by step analysis of what needs to be done to correct our problems, but the bery first step is identifying the problems and not sweeping them away.
 
11. I am proud to say that neither the Indian political class nor the Indian counter-terrorism community would ever think of resorting to such diabolical methods. Even if we thought of them, the Indian media would have been the first to start a campaign against them.

Fk the Indian Media .... DO what is necessary .
An Iron Fist approach need to be adopted.

15. It is not only because our political leadership will not permit it, but it is also because of the hypocrisy of the US Government which will use any methods against Pakistan in order to protect the US Homeland and American lives, but never hesitates to come in the way of India following a similar policy to protect the Indian Homeland and Indian lives.

The times hve changed...do what should be done ..America isn't in a position to loose influence in south asia.
 
A very well written article by Mr B Raman. The terrorist threat faced by US and India are very different due to geographical and demographic issues. Both countries has many thing to learn from each other.

10. It is very unfair on your part to have compared the track-record of the Indian counter-terrorism community with that of the US. Many things which are permitted against Muslims in the US will not be permitted in India and we in the counter-terrorism community feel should not be permitted by the political leadership. Examples of what we in India do not do and will never do are:

Treating a Muslim as a suspect by virtue of his religion and appearance unless proved otherwise. Shah Rukh Khan, the famous Indian film actor, was treated as a suspect in the US. Such things will not happen in India.

Treating jihadi suspects as “war criminals” and keeping them in a military camp (Guantanamo Bay) and subjecting them to trials by military tribunals.

Use of air strikes against terrorists and their sanctuaries, killing a large number of innocent Muslims. Since India became independent in 1947, we have used the Air Force only once in Mizoram in 1966 when the Mizo insurgents over-ran almost the entire State.

The so-called rendition flights by which the US counter-terrorism agencies kept flying Muslim suspects arrested abroad from country to country in order to avoid having to produce them before a court of law.

The extraordinary methods of torture sanctified by the US Justice department that were used against Muslim suspects---whether in Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere.

This approach of US is required or not required is a issue for debate but India cannot go that way for sure because of softness we adopted since independence.

7. The police in South India has generally done better against terrorism emanating from the Muslim community than the Police in North/West India because the political class and the media in the South have generally refrained from demonising the Police and the intelligence agencies whenever they have acted against Muslims who have taken to terrorism. The Police in the South has, therefore, the confidence that it can do whatever is legally permissible in order to bring terrorism involving the participation of some Muslims under control.

8. Thankfully, in the South, there has been no politicisation till now of counter-terrorism which affected some members of the Muslim community. Unfortunately, there was politicisation of counter-terrorism directed against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). We paid a heavy price for it in May 1991, when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE in Chennai. Since then, this politicisation too has come down.

100% agreed. Specially Congress led the way into politicizing the anti-terrorist operations while they themselves have seen successes of ironfist against khalistan. somewhere we need talk, somewhere we need guns and somewhere both.
 
A very well written article by Mr B Raman. The terrorist threat faced by US and India are very different due to geographical and demographic issues. Both countries has many thing to learn from each other.



This approach of US is required or not required is a issue for debate but India cannot go that way for sure because of softness we adopted since independence.



100% agreed. Specially Congress led the way into politicizing the anti-terrorist operations while they themselves have seen successes of ironfist against khalistan. somewhere we need talk, somewhere we need guns and somewhere both.



Things need to change. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

---------- Post added at 07:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:22 AM ----------

A very good letter by B.Raman. Thank you for posting.


What is so good about it. Typcial defensive attitude. Not willing to take criticism especially since he was part of the defence and intel establishment, so if he doens;t defend it, it will make him look bad. Plz....Raman offer some insight not the same ol' BS
 
No one is comparing terrorism in India with that faced by America. Nor is anyone advocating that we adopt American methods. America uses methods that work for America. Instead of attacking American methods or calling them diabolical, let us devise methods that work for India. We do not have to justify our methods to anyone except to ourselves. The US, Russia, China all follow their own methodologies which are tuned to the ethos and needs of each countries. They do not justify these methods to anyone, nor do they allow them to be politicised. We have to evolve our mechanisms which work for us. Indulging in moralistic grandstanding by showing the anti terror methods of other countries in bad light will not solve our problems.

India has to do what India must do to stop the Islamic terrorism in India. We have to stop the needless loss of life. The methods we have been using till now have to be changed, since, obviously they have not worked.
 

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