‘Involve international community to pressurise Pak’

In the wake of the recent terror attack on Mumbai, Josy Joseph spoke to Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, senior fellow of South Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, about the steps India should take to ensure the safety of its citizens. Excerpts:

Do you think Indian agencies ignored the threat of maritime terrorism?
Intelligence agencies always prepare for the next attack based on past strikes. As a result, they were focusing on the possibility of bomb explosions, not indiscriminate firing and use of grenades by terrorists. The manner and scale of the Mumbai attack was unprecedented. The terrorists’ mode of travel was again new. The manner in which the terrorists reportedly used an Indian trawler and then  rafts highlights the failure of coastal defence in India. This was a key issue discussed by the GoM in the wake of the Kargil conflict in 1999. Unfortunately the recommendations on coastal security were never fully implemented.

Where do you think the present wave of terrorism originated?
Although we are still at an early stage of the investigation, it appears to have links with Pakistan. A terrorist under interrogation admitted he was from Pakistan Punjab and had undergone training in that country. Most of the attackers came by sea, ostensibly from Karachi. However, in terms of the sophisticated weapons, training and logistic support, we may well be seeing a new form of hybrid terrorism. The terrorists could be multinational, including Indian, based in different countries, with motivations ranging from jihad against Indians to an Al Qaeda anti-West mindset.

Will the recent attacks change the way India conducts its counter-terrorism operations?
The country’s counter-terrorism efforts need to be bolstered, especially in terms of intelligence, surveillance, coordination and operations. As this requires a long-term perspective and consensual political support, it will be difficult to achieve this goal immediately. In effect, we will see, short-term measures being undertaken by the Indian government to boost the country’s intelligence and counter-terror capabilities.

Do you think India and other powers will be able to ensure that Pakistan ends its support to terrorism?
This is a complex issue. If the probe proves that sections of the Pakistani military and intelligence apparatus played a role in the attacks, India should demand that their support to terror groups ends once and for all. But, the most important part will be to ensure that Pakistan’s President Zardari is able to implement either of these options.

However, in view of Pakistan’s complex civil-military relations, he is likely to fail. India needs to involve the international community, especially the US, UK and Saudi Arabia, in putting pressure on Pakistan.

Given India’s huge Muslim population, the wave of siege mentality gripping it, should India look at measures more than security steps to ensure its citizen’s safety?
It is essential to ensure that radical Muslims are isolated by the community. India needs to listen to the Muslim community, seek their views, and devise a useful counter-radicalisation strategy.