THE WHODUNNIT

Now that the ordeal is over, the attention of the media and the public has turned to the inevitable question of who is responsible. Apart from the politicians who deserve condemnation, all fingers are once again pointing to Pakistan and it is not difficult to fathom why.

The long standing sibling rivalry over a piece of coveted territory has been well documented by historians. However, it is no secret that ever since India played a major role in the creation of Bangladesh, Pakistan has harbored the desire to dismember this country. Successive Pakistani administrations have hovered between blatant moral and material support for cross border terrorism to turning a blind eye to the issue. However, it is a truism that if you rear a monster it will someday turn around and bite you in the backside. Bin Laden was a part of the guerilla warfare against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan which the US had funded and armed. Bindranwale was propped up by the Congress and Mrs. Gandhi. And so also, the Pakistani establishment, at some point down the road lost control over the extremist elements it had itself nurtured. This happened primarily because of 9/11. Previously, the Indian security agencies had cried themselves hoarse about the dangers of cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan, but the US took no notice until it realized that the same radical elements were also a threat to Western society. Suddenly, Pakistan had to choose. You were either with George W. Bush or against George W. Bush. General Musharraf received a phone call laying down this hobson’s choice and decided to crack down on radical elements which his own military and secret service had helped establish. Unfortunately, in a delicious irony of history, he found that he no longer had control over their actions since rogue elements in his own secret service were sympathetic to their cause and he himself became a target of terrorism culminating in the assassination of proponents of democracy like Mrs. Bhutto and the destruction of the Marriott Hotel. And now these same radicals have set new standards of cold blooded murder in Bombay. Little wonder then that most Indians are now baying for Pakistani blood.

Indeed, we Indians have every reason to be furious. These were not ragamuffin uneducated and misguided young men but highly trained and ruthless animals. In which neighboring country are there training camps for armed militia which even the western intelligence agencies are well aware of? Cell phone records and GPS logs clearly prove the link to violent groups based in Pakistan. And after all, it is not too long ago that the Pakistani state media continuously referred to these eunuchs as “jehadis” – indicating holy war and thereby conferring on them a sort of recognition and status which itself is despicable. What emotion other than contempt can you express for a nation which allows genocidal men like Masood to roam free in its streets?


Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the signs that the recent terrorism on Pakistani soil may indeed have caused the emergence of a delicate balance between the Government of Pakistan which is now a fledgling democracy and the militant forces within its ranks. If one has to win this battle against senseless violence it has to start with the realization that it is not necessarily a war between nations and all the people. It does not take too much intelligence to understand that a large majority of people in all countries and across all religions do not subscribe to a barbaric philosophy. Therefore, even though the initial anger and bitterness is completely understandable, we must rise above the base instinct of vengeance and realize that the best way to ensure that 26/11 never happens again is to cut across national and religious boundaries and work with the right thinking segments in all societies and all countries. The great pity is that collective public anger in India is likely to make Indian politicians rattle some sabers and if the geopolitical situation in the sub-continent deteriorates it will only help the terrorists and extremists in their cause.

At a time when there is a wringing of hands and a call to “do something” there is indeed a lot that can be done but that does not include pandering to the irrational sentiment and allowing the relationship with Pakistan to once again deteriorate. Instead, its time for India to seize the initiative and collaborate with the Pakistani Government by asking it to hunt down the barbarians who are clearly on Pakistani soil and hand them over to us to face trial under our judicial system. Make no mistake. This is not to say we should not do anything. The important thing is to do that which is going to yield results. Instead of the Indian air force unilaterally “taking out” terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan – a move which can be seen as an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty - India should furnish to Pakistan under the full glare of the global community the necessary evidence and demand action from the Pakistani authorities themselves. This has been done before as well but this time the terrorists have crossed a line which has shocked the world and unwittingly they may have created a situation which if handled well could result in their own elimination. India to-day has earned the goodwill of the whole world in the same way that America had the sympathy and support of the world after 9/11. This goodwill should not be squandered like the US did by going into Iraq, but instead turned to our advantage by demanding that the US and the global community ensure that not just the group directly responsible for this dastardly crime but also all militants in Pakistan wanted in India for similar incidents, such as Masood, are apprehended and handed over.

It is likely of course that the Pakistan establishment for reasons of its own existence may refuse to co-operate. But then that country would be exposed for what it stands for and its role in perpetuating global terrorism would be apparent to all. That itself would be a vindication of sorts for India and its people who have been victims of barbarism in modern times.


And while the immediate challenge is to harness the cold anger we are beginning to see in the streets, there is also a need for a long-term plan to battle terrorism. This does not mean just an overhaul of the security apparatus. The time has now come for global action. And once again it is only the realization that terrorism has no nationality or religion which will make this possible. Once this is understood, the anger will be directed against the radical elements themselves and not the nation in which they were born or live or the religion they purport to follow.

Further, global action can become a reality only if there is an international framework which addresses some key questions. Just like the Geneva treaty on warfare, we need a new treaty which sets out acceptable norms in a terrorism related incident. For instance, if there is an attack on foreign nationals which Government should have the right to take action? It’s a different world out there and the old rules of sovereignty may need to be debated and reconsidered. After all once you accept that we are all in it together, is there anything wrong in asking the foreign agency to step in and see what best it can do for its own nationals? Apart from developing norms on this and many such similar issues which can form the basis of an international treaty, it is important that for global action to be effective there must be a proper framework for consideration of evidence and joint action if necessary. Many a times evidence furnished by India has been pooh-pooed even by the Western countries for their own self serving interests. The perverse logic is that if they give recognition to the complicity of Pakistani groups then tensions between the two countries will increase and Pakistan will divert its forces from its western borders to face India and this will diminish its efforts on the Afghan border which is where the US wants Pakistan’s assistance. While this is one more reason for India to exercise restrain in the short term, such narrow interests can be addressed only within the framework of an international treaty.

As the Kyoto protocol and the Doha rounds on trade negotiations have shown, negotiating a fair treaty will prove to be an enormous diplomatic challenge. However, there are times in history when events create a collective mood where a lot can be achieved. The brutality of the Bombay attacks is one such time. Unfortunately, India does not have the leadership to seize the initiative and do what needs to be done. If we the patriotic citizens of India want to do something then let us work to spread this idea whose time has come instead of expressing impotent anger before life once again grabs us by the throat come Monday morning.