Terrorism: A Global Concern
Terrorism is one of the most challenging issues of India and the World as well. Today whole world is facing agonies of terrorism. No country of the world-whether superpower or underdeveloped – is devoid of ill impacts or terrorism. From the USA to China – all are in shadow of terror.
The word “Terrorism” comes from the French word terrorism, and originally referred specifically to state terrorism as practiced by the French government during the Reign of terror. The French word terrorism in turn derives from the Latin word terreo meaning “I frighten”.
Although “terrorism” originally referred to acts committed by a government, currently it usually refers to the killing of innocent people by a non-government group in such a way as to create horror among the public.
In November 2004, a United Nations Secretary-General report described terrorism as any act “intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organisation to do or abstain from doing any act”.
The terms “terrorism” and “terrorist” (someone who engages in terrorism) carry strong negative connotations. These terms are often used as political labels, to condemn violence or the threat of violence by certain actors as immoral, indiscriminate, and unjustified or to condemn an entire segment of a population. Those labeled “terrorists” by their opponents rarely identify themselves as such, and typically use other terms or terms specific to their situation, such as separatist, freedom fighter, liberator, revolutionary, vigilante, militant, paramilitary, guerrilla, rebel, patriot, or any similar-meaning word in other languages and cultures. Jihadi, Mujahidin, and Fedayeen are similar Arabic words which have entered the English lexicon. It is common for both parties in a conflict to describe each other as terrorists.
A very severe form of terrorism is religious terrorism. It is such type of terrorism which is performed by groups or individuals, the motivation of which is typically rooted in faith-based tenets. Terrorist acts throughout the centuries have been performed on religious grounds with the hope to either spread or enforce a system of belief, viewpoint or opinion. Religious terrorism does not in itself necessarily define a specific religious standpoint of view, but instead usually defines an individual or a group view or interpretation of that belief system’s teachings.
Terrorism is most common in nations with intermediate political freedom, and is least common in the most democratic nations. However, the suicide terrorism may be an exception to this general rule. Evidence regarding this particular method of terrorism reveals that every modern suicide campaign has targeted a democracy-a state with a considerable degree of political freedom. Democracies, such as the United Kingdom, United States, Israel, Indonesia, India, Spain and the Philippines, have also experienced domestic terrorism.
Terrorism, being the biggest menace of the present world, is one the most gruesome challenge the mankind has ever faced.
Handfuls of non-state actors, while using the humans as shield have yielded enormous amount of threat to not only the ordinary sovereign states rather the super powers of this world as well.
Bomb blasts, Improvised explosives, suicide attacks being the mainstay of the terrorists’ weaponry; have been effectively used by terrorists against law enforcement agencies as well as public. Primarily, it is aimed at deterring them from supporting each other. Besides bigger global players of the world, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been the biggest victims of the terrorism.
In all these countries, delineation of terrorists from the local populace has been the single most difficult task the law enforcement agencies have been facing since these outlaws usually camouflage themselves taking societal cover. Apprehension/execution of these terrorist in public places can be effective mean of deterrence for them. So for India is concerned, it is badly affected with terrorist activities.
Terrorism in India is primarily attributable to religious communities and Naxalite radical movements.
The regions with long term terrorist activities today are Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai, Central India (Naxalism) and the Seven Sister States.
Mumbai has been the most preferred target for most terrorist organizations, primarily the separatist forces from Pakistan. Over the past few years there have been a series of attacks, including explosions in local trains in July 2006, unprecedented attacks of 26 November 2008, when two of the prime hotels, a landmark train station, and a Jewish Chabad house, in South Mumbai, were attacked and sieged. Most recently, it witnessed a terrorist attack on July 13, 2011 which caused over 25 deaths and 10 injuries.
As a matter of fact, terrorism is something which all over the world is a major problem at the moment. Its effects are very much that it can deteriorate a country’s economy and can cause between the countries. Terrorists were not born but they were made in the name of religion. None of the religion preaches terrorism nor ask the followers to take the lives of other people but it was preached by wrong leaders and innocent people fall as a prey and lose their lives and kill other people as well.
Terrorism is in different forms in various countries. In Somalia, it is done by pirates who hijack a lot of ships every now and then and get a hefty ransom because of which UNO has asked the member countries to counterattack this by sending their respective force. India has been doing this for a long time wherein Indian Navy has done a great job having prevented lot of ships being hijacked. China is sending its ships soon to that region. In Afghanistan, it was in the name of Taliban who almost ruined their own country. In Iraq, it was in the name of one dictator in the name of Sadam Hussein who is no more but the effect he has created in his own country, will take a decade at least for that country to recover from its current position.
We saw the brutal attack on Twin Tower on September 11 in USA and did we not cry even though we were in different country. We saw people struggled and lost their lives right in front of our eyes and could do nothing which eventually led to attack in Afganisthan by USA to demolish Mulla Omar’s regime. If USA would have done this earlier, they wouldn’t have lost their own people and again on the other hand at the present moment they are funding Pakistan for various causes including purchasing armaments having known the fact that renowned theorists are very much based there. They haven’t done anything to curb these people who only made an attack on Taj and killed the people of US and UK. We can’t blame the Government of US or UK entirely because British Prime Minister Mr. Gorden Brown has condemned Pakistan and said it is done by them.
The attack on our own Indian Parliament was also one which again checked our patience. We were always united and doing action like these will make us even more unite and fight more strongly than ever against it.
Therefore, effective measures should be taken at national regional international level, so that problem of terrorism can be re-solved, and peace and security can be maintained in a state, region and world.
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