Author: TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 27, 2008
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/BJP-ruled_states_incur_wrath_of_terrorists/articleshow/3286115.cms
The deadly serial bomb blasts on consecutive
days in Bangalore and Ahmedabad have shown that the terrorists are confident
of striking at will. But what's the message they are trying to send?
Strategic analysis expert B Raman says that
the blasts seem to be directed against the BJP-ruled states.
"The next series of blasts could possibly
be carried out in Madhya Pradesh. It is no coincidence that SIMI cadres were
arrested in Indore and Ujjain recently," he says. Earlier blasts this
year were carried out in Rajasthan and Karnataka, both BJP-ruled states.
Five minutes before Saturday's blasts, a television
channel received an email from a terror group claiming to be Indian Mujahideen.
In the past one year, this group has owned
responsibility for several other strikes. They seem to nurse a grudge against
the country's criminal justice system.
"The innocent Muslims arrested in the
(Mumbai) bomb blast case are being tried for years and years," it says.
There is no reference to Kashmir in the email.
According to Ajai Sahni, executive director,
Institute for Conflict Management, the blasts do not reflect any dramatic
augmentation in the strike capacity of the terrorists.
"We must not forget that the terrorists
have only been able to hit at soft targets since the Parliament attack in
2001. And every soft target cannot be secured." However, he adds: "If
the Bangalore and Ahmedabad blasts are co-related, then it reflects a greater
central coordination."
Sahni is of the view that the material damage
wrecked by terrorism is limited. "But the psychological impact is much
more. And this is what needs to be controlled," he says.
He feels there is an urgent need to shore
up the national security apparatus also points out the roadblocks in the way.
"India's police to population ratio is
one of the lowest in the world, barring the poorer African countries. There
is a high deficit of personnel in intelligence gathering. The IB has barely
3,500 field officers. We need to address these shortcomings," Sahni says.
Security expert Prakash Singh, however, feels
that the successive blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad show the overconfidence
of the terrorists.
"They have no fear of being detected,
arrested or prosecuted," he says.
Affirms PR Chari, research professor, Institute
for Peace and Conflict Studies, "The blasts were a demonstration of their
capabilities and a terse reminder of the state's helplessness."