View Single Post
  #73  
Old Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Roshan wadhwani's Avatar
Roshan wadhwani Roshan wadhwani is offline
40th CTP (FSP)
Medal of Appreciation: Awarded to appreciate member's contribution on forum. (Academic and professional achievements do not make you eligible for this medal) - Issue reason: CSP Medal: Awarded to those Members of the forum who are serving CSP Officers - Issue reason: CE 2012 Merit 101
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Islamabad, MoFA
Posts: 2,322
Thanks: 482
Thanked 1,691 Times in 640 Posts
Roshan wadhwani is a glorious beacon of lightRoshan wadhwani is a glorious beacon of lightRoshan wadhwani is a glorious beacon of lightRoshan wadhwani is a glorious beacon of lightRoshan wadhwani is a glorious beacon of light
Default

Sponsors of terrorism in South Asia

Dr Raja Muhammad Khan

In the last two decades, South Asia was worst hit by the terrorism. Indeed, the region has some unresolved issues, which constantly created an element of distrust between the rivals. Failure to resolve these issues through negotiations resulted into major wars and border clashes between the main rivals of the region; India and Pakistan.

The issues however, remain unresolved. Through another approach, the opponents resorted to promotion of insurgencies in the territories of each other. This phase has given the South Asian giant, India, an edge over its smaller and comparatively weaker neighbours. Through its large spying network (RAW), Indian agents intruded into its geographically contiguous neighbours, causing wide spread instability and terrorism. Since 1970s, India has been sending its terrorists in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries. Raising Mukti Bahini in former East Pakistan and its subsequent separation in the form of Bangladesh was the first major achievement of RAW.

The activities of the RAW continued persistently. In 1990s, following the re-start of freedom struggle of Kashmiris in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, RAW decided to target Pakistan by infiltrating hundreds of its agents in various parts of Pakistan to promote instability and terrorism. These agents of RAW carried out bomb blasts and other terrorist acts, throughout Pakistan. The 49 years old Sarabjit Singh, was one of those carried out bomb blasts in Pakistan. He was arrested in Pakistan after he conducted a series of terrorist attacks (bomb blasts) in Lahore and Faisalabad, killing 14 innocents in 1990. He was tried by Lahore High court and Supreme Court of Pakistan and sentenced to death in 1991. Owing to the nature of his offence (terrorism), the President of Pakistan even rejected his mercy petitions. His fellow inmates in Kot Lakhpat Jail attacked him on 26 April 2013. Following the attack, he was given the best medical treatment in Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, but he could not survive and died on May 2, 2013. His family was allowed to meet him in the hospital and they remained with him until his death.

Sarabjit Singh, a convicted terrorist had confessed his acts of terrorism in front of the courts and media even. He accepted that, he was assigned this mission of terrorism by Indian authorities and that he was an agent of RAW, the notorious Indian spying network. He was indeed assigned to undertake terrorists’ acts in Pakistan to create instability and lawlessness. There is no doubt that, Pakistani authorities have unnecessarily delayed his execution and that there were flaws in the security of the prisoners. However, the accidental death of Sarabjit Singh at the hands of his fellow inmates cannot make him innocent. He was a declared terrorist and a convicted offender, waiting for the execution in jail.

After his death, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh declared Sarabjit Singh as “a brave son of India” and decided to celebrate his death at national level. The Indian External Affairs Minister Mr Salman Khurshid said that, he was “extremely anguished” by this death. Both leaders from the centre clearly spelt out that, after the death of Sarabjit Sing, Indo-Pakistan relations would not remain cordial. Salman Khurshid even said that, Sarabjit Singh’s death has “hurt” people-to-people ties between India and Pakistan.” The Chief Minister of Indian Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, went further ahead and declared Sarabjit Singh as a national martyr and criticized Pakistan over the security arrangements made in jail. Mr Badal said that, Sarabjit Singh is a “National martyr who suffered unspeakable repression and torture with dignity.” The body of Sarabjit Singh was accorded state funeral and all major political leaders including Rahual Ghandi, the future Indian premier attended the funeral. Indian leadership and its media remained highly provocative and critical towards Pakistan.

This is very surprising that the Indian Government gave a terrorist, the heroic reception and state funeral. This means that, this so-called secular state and the biggest democracy of the world is truly sponsoring the terrorists and terrorist activities in its neighbourhood. As an immediate retaliation, a Pakistani prisoner, Sanaullah, who erroneously crossed over the border and was, languishing in Indian Occupied Jammu jail was brutally assaulted by a former Indian soldier in the jail. His condition is said to be critical in Chindigargh hospital. It appears as if this is the state policy of India that after undertaking terrorist activities, the Indian terrorists once come back; alive or dead, will be given heroic reception. Kashmir Singh was another terrorist, who once freed by Pakistan after 35 years, was given extraordinary heroic welcome in March 2008. This indeed is the biggest incentive, probably India promises its terrorists, while sending them for conducting terrorism in its neighbouring states. They are promised huge financial incentives and heroic welcome upon return. While these terrorists are out on the missions, their families are given all necessities of life. In case these terrorists meet the fate of Sarabjit Singh, their funeral are given, heroic reception and their families are given huge sum amounts and employments to their children.

All these indicate that, India truly take care of its terrorists for killing citizens of its neighbours and destabilizing them to remain as a regional hegemonic power. Tracing the track record of India, one would find that, terrorism is being sponsored by India as a state policy. In the last four decades, this so-called secular state has “killed tens of thousands of Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other minorities.” Pakistan being a major target of its terrorist’s activities. Indian spying network, directly working under Premier has “created and supported the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),” in Sri Lanka and Maoists in Nepal, besides destabilizing other neighbours. According to ‘India Today’ report by of well-known Journalist Tavleen Singh “Indian government created the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),” which the US government has identified as a “terrorist organization”. Another journalist, Justin Raimondo, describes that, former Indian Defense Minister, George Fernandes, raised money and arms for the LTTE.

In its January 2, 2002, report, Tony Blankley wrote in the Washington Times that, “India is sponsoring cross-border terrorism in the Pakistani province of Sindh.” Canadian journalists Brian McAndrew of the Toronto Star and Zuhair Kashmiri of the Toronto Globe and Mail, wrote in their book, “Soft Target” that, “India blew up its own airliner in 1985, killing 329 people, apparently in order to blame Sikhs for the atrocity and create a pretext for more violence against them.” In yet another report, the US State Department reported in 1994 that, “the Indian government paid out over 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing members of the Sikh minority. It is reported by Indian newspaper Hitavada that the Indian government paid the late governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, and the equivalent of $1.5 billion to foment terrorist activity in Punjab and in Kashmir.” As revealed by a book entitled, ‘The Politics of Genocide’ “over 250,000 Sikhs have been killed by the Indian government’s forces” after murder of Indra Ghandi in 1984. Indian atrocities are unprecedented against Kashmiris.

There is nothing new and surprising in these incidents, as India does this all as a state policy. What in fact is surprising, the mysterious silence of international community. The international community is not quite only, but considers India as a civilized and secular state. Indeed, this very perception of international community is questionable. Giving state funeral to a terrorist by Indian authorities is a question; the civilized global community should ask Indian Government. If India has to continue its policy of supporting and sponsoring terrorists and terrorism, and declaring its terrorists as the national heroes and brave sons, the civilized nations of globe should reconcile their apparatus of judging the national character of states.

It is morale duty of all the civilized nations of the world to review their diplomatic and economic relationship with India, after it has given heroic status to a terrorist. After all, still there are nations in the world, which maintain their norms and reverence for humanity. Following the heroic reception of his body and state funeral given to Sarabjit Singh, even a layman can tell, as to who sponsor and promote terrorists and terrorism in South Asia.
(The writer is Islamabad based analyst of international relations)

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/category/40/
Reply With Quote