Author: Rakesh Singh
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: December 12, 2007
Maoists killed 179 security personnel in first 8 months of 2007 as against 110 in 2006
Painting a grim internal security scenario across the length and breadth of the country, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has warned that India is under the siege of terror and the trend and the threat could increase in the future as India moves towards economic prosperity in a globalised world.
The alarming rise in the casualties suffered by the security forces both at the hands of Maoists and terrorists fly in the face of repeated claims of improvement in the security situation by Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
Casualties among security personnel in the Maoist-affected States have been more pronounced this year till August with 179 deaths in contrast to 110 loss of lives in the corresponding period in 2006. The spurt in violence against the security forces by the Maoists notched a worrisome 62.72 per cent surge in comparison to the corresponding period last year.
"Violence in Jammu and Kashmir continues to be substantially lower this year than last year. However, in recent months attacks aimed at security forces have witnessed an upward trend,'' according to classified dossier of the IB.
"The overall security scenario in the hinterland remains under stress due to continued activities of Pakistan-based jihadi groups, both in terms of statistics and spatial spread. Investigations in recent cases as well as intelligence reports present a picture wherein the whole of India gets covered by designs of terrorist groups.
Either existence of terrorist modules or creation of proposed nodes in different States by the Pakistan-based jihadi groups encompass practically the entire length and breadth of the Indian mainland. "Various terrorist groups, particularly LeT, have been given directions by their bosses to exploit the existing conflict situations in the country by inciting violent protests and clashes,'' says an IB note on the overview of national security.
"Disturbingly, reports also indicate that large groups of militants belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba have also infiltrated unchecked. Reliable inputs suggest that contrary to Pakistan's assertions, terrorist training continued unabated in LeT training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir," the IB note further warns.
The note also says that the violence in the North Eastern States continues to remain at a high level and there is a marginal increase in the quantum of violence generated by the Maoist outfits.
However, there is a perceptible improvement in the overall level of violence in Jammu and Kashmir but the same has been coupled by the violence perpetrated by Pakistan-based Jihadi groups in the hinterland.
The classified dossier also estimates that there is an attempt by the Pakistan-based ISI and Sikh extremist leaders based across the border to revive the spectre of Sikh militancy in Punjab.
The overall violence level has come down in Jammu and Kashmir by 43 per cent till September 6, 2007 compared to the corresponding period last year. However, the volatile security scenario in the State can be gauged from the fact that a call by both the factions of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) against non-Kashmiri labourers resulted in the exodus of 8,000 workers out of Jammu and Kashmir during the fortnight preceding the Independence Day this year. APHC leader SAS Geelani and others had protested the gang rape of a local woman on July 20 at Langate in Handwara district allegedly by a migrant labourer.
The intelligence estimate also suggests a spurt in casualties suffered by the security forces at the hands of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and more particularly by the Maoist onslaught.
On a positive note, the 84-page dossier says that infiltration till August has slightly decreased by 6.4 per cent and stands at 399 this year compared to 426 in 2006 and a dampening effect on secessionist activities in the strife-torn State.
"The perceptible decrease in violence level during the period under review as compared to the corresponding period last year appears to have some dampening effect on secessionist activities also," says the document.
Cross-border terrorist infrastructure remains intact with 44 training camps, 34 launch pads and 19 communication control stations along the LoC and indications suggest that infiltration will increase in the coming months.
"Global and regional developments, particularly those relating to terrorism, fundamentalism etc. are impacting on internal security more than ever before and consequently shaping the challenges that confront the country. This is a trend and threat, which could increase in the future as India moves towards economic prosperity in the new globalised world,'' the note says debunking claims by the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on the improving internal security scenario in the country.