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A series of unexplained bomb blasts in Punjab and Haryana (besides
Delhi) during the past three months points to efforts by Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence to de-stabilise the region. The blasts,
including the recent one at Pathankot last week, have all occurred in
busy places, reviving fears of a revival of terrorism.
lie blasts were instrumental in the five north-western states - Punjab,
Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi - deciding to
revive the core group to co-ordinate anti-terrorist efforts and evolve a
joint strategy. The group held its first meeting at Chandigarh on April
2.
Since December 2, 1996, there have been seven bomb blasts in the region,
leaving 22 persons dead and over a hundred injured. Police
investigations indicate that different terrorist outfits were engaged in
these incidents. There is also evidence of greater co-ordination
between terrorist organisations in Punjab and Kashmir.
While the bomb blast in Jhelum Express at Ambala railway station on
December 2 was said to be the handiwork of Kashmiri terrorists, Punjab
terrorists were reportedly involved in the explosion in a bus near
Pathankot last week (April 6). The police believe that some Punjab
terrorists are active in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. "We have
definite leads which point to the involvement of one such group in the
blast," Director-General of Punjab Police PC. Dogra said.
Some residual elements of Punjab terrorism, basically trans-border
smugglers, are still operating in the R.S. Pura belt of Jammu after the
killing of top terrorist Mohinder Singh Pappi, by the Punjab Police a
few years ago. These elements were used by ISI to forge a link between
the Kashmiri and Punjab terrorists and to smuggle arms and narcotics.
Omar Mohammed, a young boy suspected to be an ISI agent, who was caught
by the Haryana police taking photographs of sensitive defence
installations at Ambala, has given useful information about the
involvement of Kashmiri militants in the Ambala train blast. Director
General of Haryana Police Budh Ram Fansal appears hopeful of making a
breakthrough in the half-a-dozen blasts which have taken place in
Haryana in the past few months. Police officers say RDX explosives were
used in the bigger blasts.
Dogra said after its failure to revive terrorism in Punjab with the
installation of a popular government in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has
embarked upon a fresh plan to engineer de-stabilisation.
Finding it difficult to implement the ambitious "grand de-stabilisation
plan", ISI has started using paid mercenaries to engineer bomb blasts in
Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. The move was also aimed at boosting the
sagging morale of the Punjab extremist ideologues as ISI was finding it
increasingly difficult to get recruits from Punjab.
Police officers say they have information that some Punjab fugitives who
are in certain European countries (and also countries which were a part
of the erstwhile Soviet Union), were being approached to escalate
terrorism in Punjab. But with the Badal Government in Punjab taking a
tough line on terrorism police officers are confident of controlling the
situation.
Moreover, Pakistan's strategy has always been to stretch the security
forces in the country by creating disturbances in different parts. The
suspected involvement of a terrorist group, 'Ahle Hadith', in the blast
at Jalandhar railway station and other explosions in Haryana and Delhi
has become intriguing for the police force.
Ahle Hadith, which derives its name from an eponymous puritanical sect,
was formed to avenge the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya and
subsequent anti-Muslim riots in Mumbai in 1992. According to police
officials, the organisation was responsible for over 50 crude bomb
blasts all over Maharashtra. Similar blasts have occurred in Rajasthan
too.
Another plausible reason for these blasts in Haryana was the
installation of a government in which BJP is a partner. Able Hadith has
been involved in low intensity bomb blasts in states where Shiv Sena-BJP
governments are in power.
Dogra is of the opinion that Kamlesh Kumar, the carrier of the crude
bomb at the Jalandhar railway station blast, was given it by a person
who stayed in a city hotel a day before the blast. The man gave his
address as village Kashmir, district Anantnag, which was wrong. The
features of the suspect also did not match that of a Kashmiri and he was
identified as being either from Bihar or Uttar Pradesh.
The involvement of some other terrorist organisations in co-ordination
with some Punjab terrorists has also not been ruled out.
One such unit under scrutiny is that of Abdul Karim who fled the country
when most of his companions were either arrested or were on the run
after blasts in 1992-93.
Ale clue pointing to this group is the modus operandi, which includes
use of some country-made explosives without detonators. Intelligence
agencies also suspect the involvement of some elements of the Students
Islamic Movement of India, a fundamentalist students' body, which was
earlier allegedly involved in smuggling weapons.
The identification of bomb blast suspects in Haryana and Delhi also
points to the involvement of people belonging to either Uttar Pradesh or
Bihar. Police officials said the organisation has bases in these two
states. ISI has been co-ordinating, directly or indirectly, the
activities of all such groups.
Intelligence outfits also suspect that the some groups get guidance and
sustenance from ISI bases in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Besides forming a core group to deal with the situation, the police
forces of the northern states have stepped up efforts to educate people
to prevent repeats. "With better co-ordination and joint sharing of
information between states, we hope to perform better," said a Punjab
officer.
Punjab Police officials suggest that surveillance be maintained on
migrant labourers coming into Punjab and Haryana and their antecedents
be checked.
They also suggest certain measures at the level of the Union External
Affairs Ministry to counter subversive propaganda abroad.
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