De-Talibanization of South Asia

Alas! The sacrifice of gallant Delhi counter terrorist M C Sharma may be frittered away unless we de-talibanize South Asia, the global hot spot today over taking West Asia or what is commonly known as the Middle East. What with religious extremists impacting the large swathe of nation states from Afghanistan to India and extending their reach in the North to Chinese Xingjian, Islamic terrorism has come to haunt the subcontinent over the past few decades. The most recent attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad just yesterday signifies the imminent threat which is not going to go away in the near future. While Afghanistan has been unstable for the past two to three decades, Pakistan’s western half is increasingly denoting such symptoms over the past couple of years. Most dangerously this could be the beginning of decades of strife and instability which would spill over across the Indus in the days ahead. The Marriott is another signal to the Pakistani establishment and the people to take notice. The choice is limited to fighting the Taliban and the Al Qaeda. It is when the nation makes the hard choice and accepts the inevitable is the question? While Zardari has already declared a war against terrorism, the tide will turn only when Nawaz and his ilk will join in. In any case some political leaders feel it safe not to stir the hornet’s nest of terror by opposing them. In India a new phenomenon of terrorism supported and supplied from across the Western borders but orchestrated by indigenous terrorist groups is increasingly making its presence felt with four seminal attacks in the heart of the country’s economic revolution, Bangalore (IT), Ahmedabad (Finance), Jaipur (Tourism) and Delhi (Policy Making) leading many commentators to denote it as a, “flailing” state. With the government beholden to a home minister whose shining image ends with his attire, there is not much hope that the country has of coming to grips with terror in the near future. While the people of Delhi have gallant Sharma to thank for a few more weeks and months of peace, remember terror struck the Capital only three years back almost in the same way as it did last Saturday, 13/9, other cities may not be as lucky. Mumbai and Indore are already in the cross hairs of terrorists, and with just one module busted there are many more sleeper and active who will be awaiting an opportunity to strike.Operationally we are sure that there would be many men who would follow Sharma’s footsteps to continually chase and maul terrorists in their dens, be it in Jamia Nagar in Delhi or the bye lanes of Kanpur, Ahmedabad and Vadodra. We wish them luck and request them not to place their life in danger for it is price less, for their family as well as the nation. A simple precaution of a flak jacket, some of those appealing ones seen in James Bond movies worn under the bush shirt would suffice. That would have saved our gallant hero of Jamia Nagar.Yet in the larger perspective the solution lies in de-talibanizing South Asia. The region is home to the largest aggregation of Islamic population in the world. Almost all of whom are pious Muslims following non violent traditions of a great region, seeking peace not just for them and their families but also their brethren across the Sub Continent. They are well aware how they have suffered over the years, be it during Partition or later. Now it is a few amongst them who are creating horror in their lives. These are the Taliban a new breed of terrorists whose influence is spreading across the region.Classically Taliban are identified as Sunni Pashtun rebels who are fighting non Islamic ideology and presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are from the Deobandi school of Islam spawned in India in the 19th Century but today the venomous poison that is breathing life in a large number of terrorist organizations such as the Lashkar e Taiyyaba, HUJI, Jaish e Muhammad and of course the Tehreek e Taliban, umbrella organization operating in the FATA.Most notably the SIMI and its sword arm the Indian Mujahideen also follow the Deobandi school of Islam. Here we have that bond of brotherhood which enjoins and networks terrorist groups in South Asia. Unless we de-talibanize the region as a whole there will be no light at the end of the tunnel of terrorism in the Sub Continent.Sadly with political differences overshadowing inter state relations in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is unlikely that we see the process of de-talibanization happening in the near future. Till then there would be many more Marriotts and fortunately also Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma’s in the Sub Continent. May his soul rest in peace.