The Hindu : Congress and terrorism: clear break with the old line

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 28, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Congress and terrorism: clear break with the old line

By Hari Om

The BJP has a valid reason to "accuse the Congress of providing aid and comfort to Pakistan and its terrorist designs by releasing `terrorists' from jails in Kashmir" under the "healing touch" doctrine and not to go by Mr. Harish Khare's suggestion to the contrary (The Hindu, Jan. 22).

On February 20, 1990, the Congress severely criticised the V.P. Singh-led National Front Government in which Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Home Minister. In fact, that day, it issued a hard-hitting white paper on Punjab to expose the failure of the South and North Blocks in tackling the problem of secessionism and terrorism there. What had provoked the Congress to bring out this lengthy document was the absence of the word "terrorism" anywhere in the NF manifesto for the November 1989 general elections, as also the killing of "more than 400 civilians in Punjab" after November 1989 due to "the revival of terrorism".

It is imperative to reproduce here at least those portions from the white paper which contain some very grave charges against sane counsels for the NF Government to determine the Congress attitude towards terrorism and the nature of methodology it had recommended to crush the cult of violence and "anti-India elements" in Punjab.

"The forces of destablisation and secessionism have become more active than at any time in the last five years. Encouraged by the Government's total failure to pronounce itself clearly on the unity and integrity of the country, its blatant appeasement of terrorists, secessionists and fundamentalists, as well as its theatrical but empty gestures, these forces have begun to openly and unabashedly raise their heads again. Whereas the previous administration (under the Congress) had succeeded in rendering the terrorists and secessionists indistinguishable from common criminals, smugglers, drug-traffickers and gun-runners, in the atmosphere of appeasement generated by the new Government's policies - or, rather, lack of policies - the forces of secession are having a field day. The slogan of `Khalistan' has been raised by the AISSF and others, with the Government doing nothing to counter it".

"... It was even more disturbing that the President's address to the last session of the Parliament took no cognisance of the widespread prevalence of terrorism in the State. The use of softer synonyms of terrorism only reflects Government's ambivalence in thought and appeasement in action. The single most important cause for the worsening of the situation in Punjab is Government's failure to recognise the existence and dangers of terrorism in the State, and, therefore, to do something about it".

"The inaction, inaptitude and pusillanimity of the Government and its appeasement of terrorists, secessionists and fundamentalists in Punjab, has already cost the State and the country dear... Assassinations, bomb explosions, the laying of landmines... are on the increase. Police morale has plummeted so sharply... .and the total demoralisation of the police extends also the administration", which "has been rendered directionless and rudderless... "

"There is an immediate need to determinedly resume the struggle against terrorism, revamp and revitalise the police administration in the State" and take "... firm action against subversion, interference and intervention by hostile elements abroad, especially Pakistan... The Indian National Congress demands... resolute action against those who kill innocent people, openly incite and abet violence, threaten the dismemberment of India and collaborate with foreign forces inimical to peace... and bent upon undermining our unity and integrity".

Let us now examine the Congress-PDP-CPI (M)-Panthers Party Common Minimum Programme (CMP) released to the media at 10 Janpath on October 26, 2002, by none less a person than Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. This CMP has been prescribed for the terrorist-infested J&K. Such an exercise is extremely necessary to find if the attitude of the Congress to terrorism, secessionism and fundamentalism has undergone any change and set the record straight.

The 33-point CMP, like the NF manifesto, nowhere contains the word "terrorism". The framers of this CMP have everywhere and frequently used the word "militants" or "militancy" (paragraphs 1 to 5). What, however, is most noteworthy and striking is the use of the term "cross-border militancy" for what Pakistan has been doing in J & K since 1987 with a view to accomplishing its anti-Indian designs. Look, for example, at the last line of the paragraph 2 of the CMP. It reads: "At the same time, the State Government will fully cooperate with the Government of India in combating cross-border militancy originating from Pakistan".

As for those booked under the various laws dealing with the secessionist and communal violence or those accused of murder, pillage and terrorist activities, the word used in the CMP is the "detainees" for the "people". But this is not all. The CMP also makes it obligatory on the part of the State Government to "release all detainees held on non-specific charges, those charged with serious crimes and those who have been held on charges that are such that the period they have spent in jail exceeds their possible sentence". (Paragraph 3).

Not content with all this, the CMP framers or the Congress think-tanks also bind the State Government to "review the operation of all such laws that have been used in the past decade to deprive people (read secessionists, murderers, terrorists and their supporters and other ardent believers in the concept of Nizam-e-Mustafa) of their basic rights to life and liberty for long periods of time" (paragraph 4).

All these indicate that the Congress of 2002 is totally different from what it was in 1990 when its battle cry was: End the menace of terrorism and eliminate ruthlessly all terrorists and Khalistanis.

In 2002, it would want the NDA Government to treat the problem of terrorism and secessionism in J&K differently and replace its anti-terrorist gun with roses. In fact, in 2002, its watchword appears to be: compassion, compassion and only compassion.

But the fundamental question the Congress should be asked is: Why this contradiction?

(The writer is spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir BJP)

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