Countering terrorism ideologically

Stating that terrorism is the biggest threat to the global peace, New Delhi-based think tank India Foundation director Alok Bansal said that it need to be countered ideologically more than with weapons.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Terrorism Today-Aspects, Challenges and Responses’, organised by Social Cause on Saturday, he stressed the need to convince the youth who have been romantically addicting to IS and other terror out-fits.

He strongly disputed with the contention that terrorism is a `mindless act’ and said it has been used with firm conviction with a definite ideological basis. “Though India has been facing terrorism since many decades, the world is only caught aware of this threat in recent times,” he said.

“Many countries like Pakistan have been having weapons of mass destruction and that would lead to great danger as such nations are using terrorism as a state policy,” he stated referring to three major terror threats prevailing like left-wing, religious and nationalistic terrorism. “To counter such threats first we need to understand their ideological basis,” he said.

Referring to jihadi terrorism, he said presently it has been emerging as a major danger in the form of Islamic State (IS), besides Al Quida, Bansal said that Islam is not a monolithic religion as it is been viewed and there are many point of views among its scholars and preachers.

Stating that now a large number of youth all over the world, mostly from affluent sections, is being attracted towards IS with determined efforts, Bansal said felt the need to go into Islamic teachings to counter them. “We need to discourage youth from joining IS only by convincing them their ideological path has no basis in Islam,” he added.

Maharashtra State Minorities Commission Chairman Asmir Saheb asserted that Islam or Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had never advocated violence and that terrorism has no sanction of religious preaching. “Islam preaches humanity, peace and harmony,” he said and added, “Some groups that have been using religion as a cover up for their evil activities should be exposed thoroughly. “

Presiding over the programme, former union home secretary K Padmanabhaiah said that to counter terrorism is not the lone task of the government, but the society and people as a whole should be involved. He deplored that the Indian government policies have many weaknesses while dealing the problem of terrorism. “We don’t have a strong law to deal with terrorism,” he said.

Referring that presently that National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is the only body dealing with terrorism at national level, he said that out of 122 cases it is dealing, only 25 cases related to terror acts and only one case was resolved during till now. He said there are cases related to 2006, for which even trail is also not started.