Handling Terror: Still not a Serious Business

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On the eve of Independence Day, Prime Minister of India, reaffirmed his commitment to 'firmly fight terror'. By the way the statement is not new and has been consistently made by many P.M's past 60 years. Manmohan Singh's is just a reaffirmation of that legacy. 'Talk it loud and then flip it over' - is the definition of India's terror policy. We have, and shall continue, to be a soft state in handling terror. But why are we so? Why is it that no successive government was able to put a halt on the terror? Why is it for 6 decades we have been constantly eroded by terrorism? Why do we suffer from the countless conspiracies run by our neighbors? What wrong have we done to any? Any answers? If something is killing India, there are three: inaction of its citizens, inefficient presentation of truth by the media and the corruption of our political class.

The terrorists in the country are indeed very handful. They are less than 0.01% of our populace and their theories being 'medieval' in the making, be that of Maoists or Islamic Fundamentalists, there is hardly any chance for them to gain momentum. Those fundamentalists could find place in countries of the West and Middle East easily, but India is too big and complex for them to gain momentum. At least not until the mainline media give them a say and way!

But with the medias are changing side with the 'anti-nationals' and 'anti-constitutional' powers like that of Jihadies and Naxals, there is a growing discontent among the Muslims and the economically oppressed classes to find their way into them. How many times have we seen a trouble faced by a terrorist being glorified in the media to justify their acts of terror? And how many a time have we been speaking about them?

When Dr. Haneef was arrested in Australia the entire media of the country was behind him - as if to prove that he was the last Muslim who was not a terrorist. Why this double standard? Why so disparity? The day Haneef was released three army personnel's had laid down their lives in fighting against the antagonists of our land. They had to wait for two days before they could make their way into 10 lines of news in some scarcely visible space of our 'mainline' newspaper.

By the way the Medias in the country were so desperate to find him innocent that they simply declared him 'not guilty' by the time he was given a 'bail'. When few handfuls of people in Australia, mainly fanatic Muslims and unjust secularists, started raising their voice in his favor this was considered as an 'important' point to prove his innocence. Poor Politicians of the country seemed to have forgotten the fact that 'Judiciary' is supreme than the people who vote for them, at least, when it comes to declaring someone is right or wrong. While Prime Minister of the country lost his 'Sleep' over the issue, Karnataka Chief Minister went out of his office to find him at Haneef's door step in Bangalore and offer him a 'Government Job'. Could it have been more insane? I am sure not.

Let alone the Islamic Terrorism, let's talk about the Naxalites. Did we just spoke about Prime Minister's commitment to fight terror? I am sure we certainly did. However that's just one statement for Independence Day speech. Besides it is yet to get sanctity from our Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj Patil, who describes the Naxals as "My Brothers and Sisters."