THERE has been no letup on the part of Indian security and intelligence agencies to meet terrorlinked threat challenges emanating from within India or abroad. The main threat that remains under the lens in the very recent past is the one issued by Sikh separatist activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun when he threatened to harm security interests in Indian Parliament and other infrastructure in addition to his threat of assaulting with terror Air India aircraft flying to India.
Most disturbingly, such threats were carried out from the US soil and so far, there has been no reprimand to him from any segment of the US security agencies or any position of authority of the US Administration. This calls for a critical introspection of the US security stance towards India as the former claims to be policing security, that too globally.
Judging by dispassionate and objective assessment, it would appear that Pannun is enjoying the blessings and support of certain powers, which are invisible, yet they are behind provoking Pannun to continue with his unbridled, irresponsible rhetoric against India repeatedly threatening to impair Indian security interests. Pannun’s audacity and emboldenment are testimony to this assessment.
Pannun’s threat to the Indian Parliament is most condemnable and it is surprising that many world leaders, who claim and feign to be sympathetic towards India for its terror cause, have remained conspicuously silent on his endless security challenges posed to India.
NIA crackdown on IS Meanwhile, continuing with its campaign against terror, Indian security agencies unleashed a crackdown on network of Islamic State (IS) operatives and arrested 15 of them on December 9 from 44 locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Numerous Hamas flags, firearms, swords, knives and unaccounted money were recovered from these activists who were rounded up under the superintendence of National Investigating Agency (NIA). It is further revealed that those arrested had been administered the oath of allegiance by one Mohammad Saquib Nachan. It may be recalled that Saquib Nachan was complicit in the blasts of Mumbai Central (2002), Vile Parle and Mulund Station (2003). The recent NIA action shows that the Indian agencies are completely sensitised with the terror scene and intelligence warning and, therefore, they could zero in such into actions.
Also, it is worth mentioning that all those arrested are members of the Maharashtra module of the IS, which was run by the handlers based outside India. Such sponsors were allegedly abetting terror and terrorrelated acts as well as activities of the IS, which included fabrication of IEDs.
It is further disclosed by authoritative sources, who wish to be anonymous, that those now under NIA custody were motivating and radicalizing a section of the youth who had gone astray from the mainstream to pursue the cause of jihad.
An unholy nexus
This breakthrough was carried out in perfect coordination between the state police and their special cells. While any direct link between the Sikh Separatist activists and the IS has not yet been established, many security experts and counterterror sources do not rule out the possibility of an unholy nexus between the two as it is the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) which is well known to promote the cause of Sikh separatists as well as in fuelling of Islamic radicalism abusing the religiously indoctrinated youth in India. Hence, the Indian intelligence agencies would do well to go an extra mile to exercise additional vigilance to contain the growing threats of terror having the propensity of affecting the Indian security interests within and from the external IS handlers.
In the meantime, certain external quarters, who are inimical to Indian security interests, are suspected to be feeding disinformation to the international media about alleged Indian hand in the mysterious killing in Canada, Pakistan and threats to some India-hostile elements operating from the US soil. Such malicious propaganda blitz, which is by a nefarious design, is apparently to malign India as India is seen to be globally successful in all spheres of activities. Of course, such an undesirable negative publicity is unlikely to yield dividends to the radicals and other anti-India forces.
This said, however, there is no scope for any complacency on India’s part as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas carries the possibility of further radicalising a section of the drifted youth which might imperil prospects of terror in India. This factor has already been highlighted in these columns in one of the previous opinion pieces. In sum, there should not be any lowering of guards to maintain security vigil.
