Challenges of Protecting India From Terrorism

The secular, pluralistic, ethnically diverse, and vibrant democracy that India has nurtured ever since its independence in 1947 has become the envy of many radical and extremist ideologies and religions that seek to bring in order through tools of fourth generation warfare like Jihad and “Proxy War.” Typical examples of such conflicts facing India are the ones being waged against her by Jehadi organizations like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and other proxy factions supported by the Pakistan Inter Services Intelligence Agency. Despite a few pro-active measures instituted by the government of India after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, there is no clear counter-terrorism policy that has been articulated either in the form of a doctrine or white paper. If India has to dispel the image of being a “soft state,” it is imperative that the government clearly spells out its stand on terrorism. Keywords: fourth generation warfareLashkarterrorism Notes From a speech made by the Union Home Minister of India, to Parliament after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. “A Leap of faith,” Times of India, February 2010, p. 1. Arie Perliger, “Israel's War on Terrorism: A Historical and Political Perspective,” April 2009, available at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/isdf/text/perliger.html (accessed 25 December 2010.). George W. Bush Jr. address to a joint session of Congress on 20 September 2001, available at http://articles.cnn.com/2001 09.20/us/gen/bush/.transcript/ (accessed 25 December 2010.). While Israel considers the Hamas and Hezbollah as their main threats, the U.S. has zeroed in on Al-Qaeda and the Taliban as the main sources of terror. Frank G. Hoffman, “Further Thoughts on the Hybrid Threats,” Small Wars Journal, available at http://www.smallwarsjournal (accessed 24 December 2010.). Praveen Swami, India, Pakistan and the Secret Jihad (New York: Routledge, 2007), 27. B. Raman, “Transnational Security Threats in India,” South Asia Analysis Group Paper No 2927, available at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org (accessed on 26 December 2010). While the U.S. uses the acronym COIN for Counter Insurgency Operations, a more universal acronym of CI ops is used in this article. Stephen P. Cohen and Sunil Dasgupta, Arming without Aiming: India's Military Modernization (New Delhi: Penguin, 2010), 127–128. Extracted from In Pursuit of Allah's Pleasure published by Al Firdaus and distributed by Message of Islam, available at http://www.islaam.net (accessed on 27 December 2010.). S. K. Malik, The Quranic Concept of War (New Delhi: Reprint Edition, Adnan Publishers, 1992). (The book provides a glimpse into the ideological foundations of the international Jehadi movement and the unapologetic rationale it offers for the use of terrorism to accomplish political and religious ends.). Brian Glyn Williams, “The Failure of Al Qaeda Basing Projects From Soviet Afghanistan to the Sunni Triangle,” available at http://www.brianglynwilliams.com/denial.pdf (accessed on 23 December 2010.). Praveen Swami (see note 7 above), 141–142. B. Raman, “Al Qaeda Empire in Pakistan,” South Asia Analysis Group. 26 November 2002. In this article, the thrust of the argument relates to how the Pakistani ISI hoped to use Jehadi Auxiliaries to expel India from J&K. Praveen Swami (see note 7 above), 190–194. Bleeding India with a thousand cuts [blog]. Available at http://www.siasat.pk/forum/showthread.php?40202-Bleeding-India-through-a-thousand-cuts-Gen.-Zia-Revisited (accessed 04 March 2011.). http://en.wikepedia.org/wiki/1989_kidnapping_of_Rubaiya Sayed (accessed on 22 December 2010.). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian-Airlines-Flight 814 (accessed 23 December 2010.). Tabarez Ahmed Neyazi, “Darul Uloom Deoband: Stemming the tide of Radical Islam in India,” RSIS Working Paper No. 219, 13 December 2010, available at http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/working paper/wp219.PDF (accessed 24 December 2010.). http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/October/05/kobad-was-making-base-for-naxals-in-delhi-cops.htm (accessed on 09 July 2010.). Cohen and Dasgupta (see note 10 above), 140. Ahmed Rashid, Descent Into Chaos (London: Allen Lane, 2008), 51–53. Swami (see note 7 above), 179–181. Rashid (see note 23 above), 47–48. Ibid. Stephen Tenkel and Ashley Tellis, “The Evolving Threat of Lashkar-e-Taiba,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Discussion Paper, 14 September 2010), available at http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events/?fa=event/details&id=3018 (accessed on 31 October 2010.). Ryan Clarke, “Lashkar-i-Taiba: Roots, Logistics, Partnerships, and the Fallacy of Subservient Proxies,” Terrorism and Political Violence 22, no. 3 (2010): 395. “Pakistani Man sought in Times Square Bomb Scare,” Times of India, available at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5888346 (accessed on 09 June 2010.). Matt Waldman, “The Sun in the Sky: The Relationship between Pakistan's ISI and Afghan Insurgents,” Crisis States Working Papers, Series 2, no. 18 (London: Crisis States Research Center, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2010), available at http://www.crisisstates.com/index.html Harkut-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh, available at http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/bangladesh/terroristsoutfits/HUJ.htm (accessed 25 December 2010.). Maneeza Hossein and Lisa Curtis, “Bangladesh: Checking Islamist Extremism in a Pivotal Democracy,” in Backgrounder 2383 (Washington, DC: Asian Studies Center, Heritage Foundation, March 15, 2010), available at http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/03/bangladesh-checking-islamist-extremism-in-a-pivotal-democracy?query=Bangladesh:+checking+islamist+Extremism+in+a+pivotal+democracy. P. Naveen, “Malegaon Blasts: Focus on new Outfits,” Hindustan Times, October 27 2008, available at http://communalism-blogspot.in/search?q=P+Naveen For a detailed analysis of when and how the JKLF was declared a terrorist organization, see http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic463af2212.html (accessed 29 December 2010.). Bruce Lawrence, “Declaration of Jihad,” in Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama Bin Laden, ed. Bruce Lawrence (London: Verso, 2005), 25. For a detailed overview of the ability of Al Qaeda to network regional Jehadi groups see Rohan Gunaratna, Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror (London: Hurst, 2002). Peter Bergen, The Osama Bin Laden I Know (New York: Free Press, 2006). Swami (see note 7 above), 202. Neyazi (see note 20 above). Clarke (see note 28 above), 399. R. Upadhyaya, “Students Islamic Movement of India,” Paper No. 1884, South Asia Analysis Group (July 2006), available at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers19%5Cpaper1884.html Varghese K. George, “Indian Mujahedin has links with Pak, Lashkar,” Hindustan Times, 10 December 2010, available at http://www.hindustantimes.com/Indian-Mujahedin-has-links-with-Pak-Lashkar/article.asp. Ibid. Gurmeet Kanwal and N. Manoharan, eds., “Tracking Terrorism in the Indian Context” from India's War on Terror (New Delhi: KW Publishers, 2010), 48. SukuMarch Mahto, “Talk or we attack cities, Kishanji warns centre,” Sunday Times, New Delhi, March 7, 2010, p. 1. Caesar Mandel, “Maoists trigger train crash, 100 die,” Times of India, May 28, 2010, available at http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-28/india/28279623_1_maoist-attack-southeastern-railway-goods-train The assassination of Indira Gandhi was carried out by her Sikh bodyguards in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar in which Indian security forces stormed the Golden temple in 1984. Her son, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE in retaliation for Indian intervention in the ethnic conflict between the Sri Lankan state and the LTTE. Majority of incidents taken from Gurmeet Kanwal and N. Manoharan, eds., India's War on Terror (see note 44 above), 283–296. Attacks by left-wing extremists in 2010 only have been included as terrorist attacks. However analysis of attacks by LWE indicate that they have carried out more than 20 attacks on security forces since Jan 2008, indicating increased belligerence in the face of state government apathy. Whenever a reference is made to Indian Security Forces, it implies that operations were conducted jointly by the Indian Army, Para-Military Forces, and State Police Forces. For example the operation that broke the back of the Hizbul Mujahedin was the elimination of its top commander Ali Mohammad Dar by the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Special Operations Group. Swami (see note 7 above), 196–198. Kanwal and Manoharan, eds., India's War on Terror (see note 44 above), 283–296. Swami (see note 7 above), Table 7.1, 175. Ibid. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/unified-command.htm (accessed 15 April 11.). Cohen and Dasgupta (see note 10 above), 126–129. Fourth Generation Warfare or 4GW can be further understood by reading William Lind in his treatise titled “Understanding Fourth Generation Warfare,” available at http://www.antiwar.com. “The Indian Army's Doctrine for Sub-Conventional Operations” (HQ ARTRAC, Simla, December 2006), available at http://ids.nic.in/India%20Army%20Doctrine/doctrine%20sub%20conv%20w.pdf Air Chief's remarks at a press conference at Allahabad on April 11, 2010, available at http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article/39487,ece (accessed June 2, 2010.). George K. Tanham, “Indian Strategic Thought: An Interpretive Essay” (Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 1992), 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Bombay_bombings (accessed 12 April 2011.). This can be confirmed from the confession of Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist who was captured and now stands sentenced to death by the Bombay High court for his role in the terrorist attacks. V. Sakhuja, “Securing India's Littorals,” Journal of Defence Studies l3, no. 2 (2009): 8. Cohen and Dasgupta (see note 10 above), 158–159. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/91509/LATEST%20HEADLINES/Dantewada+massacre:+CRPF+ignored+warning.html (accessed 02 Jun 2010.). http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/November/30/mumterror-2611-probe-findings-ill-equipped-cops-careless-govt.htm (accessed 02 June 2010.). Chiefs discuss anti-Maoist military use, 02 June 2010, available at http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/chiefs-discuss-anti-maoist-military-use-29230 (accessed 28 December 2010.). Ajai Sahni, “Covertly Does It,” Times of India, New Delhi edition, 04 May 2011, p. 18. Ibid. Sakhuja (see note 63 above), 2. John Rollins, Liana Sun Wyler, and Seth Rosen, “International Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Security Threats, US Policy and Considerations,” Congressional Research Service Paper, January 5 2010, pp. 15–16, available at http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/134960.pdf. Sakhuja (see note 63 above). Kanwal and Manoharan (see note 44 above), 26–27. Ibid. Adri Wanto, “Indonesian Islam: What went Right?,” RSIS Commentaries No 168/2010, 13 December 2010, available at http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/perspectives/rsis168201.pdf (accessed 24 December 2010.). Seema Chishti, “With an MBA cleric as its new head, Deoband Marchks a generational shift,” available at http://www.indianexpress.com/news/with-an-mba-cleric-as-its-new-head-deoband/738078/ (accessed on 04 March 2011.). Atiq Khan, “Vastanvi Removed as Dar Uloom Chief,” The Hindu, July 24, available at http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2290108.ece (accessed 03 September 2011.). Taken from a talk, “Challenges of Globalisation,” delivered by Dr. Arvind Gupta, Lal Bahadur Shastri Chair of Excellence, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, New Delhi at National Defence College, New Delhi on 07 June 2010. Additional informationNotes on contributorsArjun Subramaniam Arjun Subramaniam is serving as Air Vice Marshal of the Indian Air Force

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