Will the sub-continent face a tornado of violence?
Let us analyse in brief some hall-mark events that had already moulded the policy of the three countries in the sub-continent vis-à-vis terrorists' threats.
Today the political scenario in Pakistan seems to be changing, rather from bad to worse. The Army Generals turned politicians had ruled the country, with the blessings of their distant friends, for over three decades, and had practically given a decent burial to democracy, leaving a 'show-piece' of democratic format for the left-over politicians to maintain. The current political turmoil and destruction being carried on by the Talibans in response to Pakistan Army's action to destroy their dens and in the process killing of hundreds of innocent people is likely to take the country to the docks. The recent Taliban attacks on Pakistan Army HQ in Rawalpindi, the Islamic University of Islamabad by suicide bombers, to mention a few instances that are simply taking toll of the innocents, clearly show to what extent militancy had gone, despite heavy security measures taken by the Pakistan intelligence services, Army and Airforce.
However, at the moment it would be too early to come to a hurried conclusion about the future shape of Pakistan. There is still time to save their country from total destruction. People's resentment against government had been rising high, although they had been further patted by their friend, America, as revealed by Hilary Clinton during her recent three-day visit to Pakistan, with more and more moral as well as financial assistance to go deeper to annihilate the militants. America still believes that Pakistan is the 'headquarter' of Al-Qaeda forces and their leader Osama Bin Laden is hiding there.
In India this time the threat has come direct from the rising militant forces led by the pro-China Maoists. The Maoist leader, popularly known as 'Ganapati', had warned the government that they would unleash a 'tornado' of violence if the Indian government goes ahead with their planned large-scale offensive against the Maoist insurgents. He had warned that the operation would "provoke a mass response" and the people would "rise up like a tornado" to "wipe out" the "blood-sucking vampires" now ruling the country.
The Indian government had received the threat at the most critical moment of the sub-continent's history (or may be a co-incidence), when Pakistan is hanging in balance on fire due to the militancy spread over the country by the Taliban who were created by Pakistan with the active assistance of America to end the Russian occupation in Afghanistan. So the two countries of the sub-continent, India and Pakistan, have started to feel the heat. At least, Bangladesh, the third country of the sub-continent still seems to be at a safe distance. But when the danger signal is there, she must be very cautious.
The latest challenger to the administration in India displaying their muscle-power, the Maoist 'rebels', are said to have already spread their "red corridor" over Chhathisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal states and run south through Orissa, Andhraprodesh and Maharastra. It would be rather shocking to know the armed Maoist movement, which started its journey on India's soil as a peasant uprising in 1967, has now secured 'hot-bed' in more than half of India's 29 states. Perhaps the Congress, which had ruled the country much longer than other parties, took the new rising force very lightly until recently when they had started showing their sharp teeth and nails.
Indian PM Manmohan Singh, in a recent statement, had warned its administration, particularly its security forces, against the "deteriorating security scenario" in the region, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But he stopped short of directly naming the rising forces. However, the Indian provincial governments had already been put on alert to curb the activities of the Maoists.
The Maoist "rebels" had already started showing their muscle-power when they made daring raids on police stations, caused several land-mine blasts and exchanged heavy fire with the security forces, looting arms from police stations, killing and abducting security officials.
The rise and success of the Maoists in Nepal, where they recently defeated the pro-India Nepali Congress, to win majority in the Parliament, must be serving as a 'Model' for the Indian Maoists to follow to capture power by 'hook or crook'.
Now we come to Bangladesh which is the closest neighbour of Maoist affected India. But the threat here is not the same. Although Bangladesh is a Muslim-dominated newly emerged state in the subcontinent, the Muslims in general or in majority are against religious fanaticism and so-called Islamist militancy, although a number of such fanatic groups had been identified and proper actions are being taken by the government to uproot them. But the government's anti-militancy policy's success largely depends on the people at large. Hopefully, the people of the country are peace loving and against any kind of violence. So with the people's support the government should gird up its loins to meet any such situation.
AMM Shahabuddin is a retired UN official
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