Waging a war

One thing is clear after Wednesday night’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai — we have no choice now but to wage a full-scale war against terrorism of our own...

One thing is clear after Wednesday night’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai — we have no choice now but to wage a full-scale war against terrorism of our own, like the one fought by the United States of America. It is no plain luck that the US has not witnessed a single terrorist attack on its soil after 9/11. Their political parties were united in their resolve to fight terrorism, the media gave full support and above all, US citizens of all classes and religions regarded terrorists as their common enemy. In the wake of an unprecedented attack on 9/11, American retaliation and security beef-up was equally unprecedented. We now need a similar mindset.

This is no time for cynicism and for pointing fingers at individual governments and political parties. Terrorism is our biggest national crisis today and fighting it demands national unity at the highest level. In any case, no political party can guarantee a straightforward solution. This year alone, terrorist attacks have taken place in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Karnataka, all states ruled by different parties.

The latest terrorist attacks have clearly targeted the symbols of India’s high-growth economy and its growing international status. By purposely targeting foreigners at five-star hotels, terrorists have tried to send a message to the outside world —that when it comes to doing business, India is as unsafe a destination as Pakistan. Pakistan’s economy is in shambles because of repeated terrorist attacks. No company wants to go to Pakistan today and nobody is willing to invest there. The primary motive behind Wednesday’s terror attacks is to hurt India’s economic progress and force the Indian businesses’ inclusion in the dreaded “orange list” of companies, which are located in volatile zones and are unsafe to do business with.

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The media also needs to reflect on its role during times of a national crisis in the aftermath of the latest attacks. Names of terrorists involved were flashed on TV screens even before the security agencies reached any conclusions. Not only this, the mad scramble for TRPs had TV channels reporting live every single detail of the retaliation planned by the Indian security agencies outside the two hotels. Terrorists inside the hotels were watching the live feed and planning their counter moves. The hotel authorities had to cut off cable feeds inside the hotel to stop terrorists from gaining this vital information advantage. This was irresponsible reporting at its worst, and a blatant misuse of the freedom enjoyed by the press. The government has to take the initiative in laying down a code of conduct for live reporting by electronic media.

Hope returns

Jammu & Kashmir is turning to a decisive chapter in its turbulent history, if early trends in state assembly elections are anything to go by. A 65 per cent voter turnout in the face of boycott calls by separatists is an extraordinary figure. Remarkably, constituencies worst affected by the separatist movement have recorded the highest turnout. Despite threats by separatists, Kashmiris have gone all out in exercising their democratic rights, in an election conducted by Election Commission of India and contested by mainstream political parties owing allegiance to the Indian state.

A fortuitous turn of external events has also stoked this hope. In Asif Ali Zardari, we have a Pakistani head of state more pragmatic and open-minded than any of his predecessors. The opportunity is ripe for India and Pakistan to vow complete non-interference in the each other’s internal affairs.

The writer is a Congress MP