Gobind Thukral

AMERICA may have escaped another terror attack after 9/11 2001, but the world has become much more perilous. The war on terror has caused the American economy a neat three trillion dollars according to Noble laureate economist Joseph Stilgitz.  We in the poor countries can not even guess how much that money is. There can not be any price tag on over eight lakh innocent lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan following American attacks. And the brutal terror attacks have claimed many lives world over.

Each passing day, this war on terror is not only causing bloodshed, but changing the way the countries are governed, their democratic ethos and economic and social patterns. Most countries world over are spending huge amounts of money on security forces and jails at the cost of other needs like education, housing and even dirking water. New harsher laws that often take away civil liberties and human rights are being promulgated. In some countries detentions without trial are the order of the day. India has enacted a similar law. We all know how POTA and NSA were earlier misused, arresting innocent persons and trade union leaders all over the country and detaining them without trial for months. A few thousand determined extremists are holding powerful states to ransom as we witness this in India. Terrorist acts clearly aggravate the vicious cycle of violence and counter-violence.

The scale and sophistication of the coordinated terror attack on Mumbai indicates the resolve of “Mujahideen” groups to change the very character of the Indian state. The Al Qaeda leadership, including Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, have clubbed India with the United States and Israel. Pakistan is already facing the brunt of Al Qaeda-linked attacks on daily basis. The Al Qaeda leadership considers the Pakistan government a quisling of America.  The Mumbai attack had the revealing marks of the Al Qaeda. Clearly terrorism in the Indian subcontinent is set to become more lethal.

The special relationship India has with America and Israel is not viewed favourably in much of the Islamic world. Israel’s occupation of Arab lands and America’s occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan is lading to deep annoyance with America and anyone closely associated with it.  This is one major factor responsible for the spurt in terrorism worldwide. The random killing of innocent civilians by American bombs in Afghanistan and Pakistan has only inflamed passions in the region. Several West Asian commentators sense that after the Mumbai attacks, India has been co-opted as an active partner of the U.S., Israel and the U.K. in the war on terror or is being “trapped” to join this inappropriate coalition. The situation may get worse as new American President Obama has pledged to increase the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan and pursue tougher counter-terrorism measures. Though everyone knows that a pure military solution is not possible in any of the troubled countries.

The U.S. has used the “war on terror” to interfere in the affairs of other countries while encouraging terrorism when it suited its national agenda. Did it not train the al Queda and Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan? They want India to observe restraint and not blame Pakistan for every terrorist incident.  Americans which have supported every Pakistani move inside and outside the UN Security Council for decades now are forcing themselves to be arbiters on Kashmir. The Bush administration has been actively encouraging back-channel communication between India and Pakistan. Obama does see a link between Afghanistan and Kashmir.

In India, these terror attacks have not only pushed back the peace process and people to people contact but brought India and Pakistan closer to war. These have forced us to reconsider our strategic interests, made us enact harsher anti- terror laws, create a powerful central agency and spend heavily on security setup and arms. Pakistan abetted terrorism and counter measures have nearly ruined Kashmir valley. The competing politicians have little interest in economic issues and are concentrating their energies on security. Leveling charges and counter charges, the competition rests solely as to how could we bring in harsher laws and deal with terrorism. No one has any clue to the deeper reasons for this upsurge in terrorism.  There is no doubt security of the country should take precedence over other issues, but the fight against poverty and injustice should be part of the agenda against terrorism. The political discourse should consider all aspects and should not concentrate on violence alone.

India is no longer looked upon as in the past in the Muslim countries as a neutral country. Its deeper defence engagement with America and Israel has set alarm bells. Israel is not the second largest supplier of weaponry to India but this relationship goes beyond that. Israel has trained India’s elite commando units. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, Israel has dispatched a number of its intelligence officers to India to assist in analysing the terrorist plot. In September, Major General Avi Mizrahi, Officer Commanding, Ground Forces Command, went on an unscheduled trip to Kashmir to review the Indian Army’s counter-insurgency policy in the Valley. Israel is helping India in its counter-insurgency efforts. The Israel Defense Forces is preparing a training plan in counter-insurgency for Indian troops. Under the proposed agreement, the IDF will send highly trained commandos to provide instruction in counter-terror and urban warfare.

Experts assert. “Terrorists who gained their expertise under American guidance are now busy destabilising key regions in Asia. Al Qaeda-inspired terror networks carried out attacks in China just before the start of the Beijing Olympics; Kurdish terror groups have used northern Iraq as a staging point to launch attacks against Turkey and Iran; Al Qaeda-inspired Sunni fundamentalist grouping, with roots in the Iraq conflict, have carried out suicide bombings in Syria and Lebanon.”

Robert A. Pape, a well-known American expert on terrorism and the author of Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism, says”, My   research shows that what 95 per cent of all suicide bombings around the world since 1980 had in common was not religion but a clear, strategic objective: “to compel a modern democracy to withdraw military forces from a territory that the terrorists view as their homeland”. During a brief conversation, a terrorist holed up in the Jewish centre talked about the alleged atrocities being committed by Indian troops in Kashmir and Israeli forces against Palestinians.

In spite of vociferous demands by the Indian public, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has withstood the pressure to conduct cross-border strikes into Pakistan. Correspondingly, in spite of the bitter criticism by Islamic parties, Pakistan’s government has taken some action against the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the jihadist organisation that is behind the attacks. There is likelihood that another attack could push India over the fence.

Yet both India and Pakistan are victims of terror and, as such, should work jointly to combat the menace. Pakistan government must pick up courage and be more sincere to earn credit of its neighbours. The need of the hour is to strengthen further the anti-terror mechanism set up by both governments. Side by side we must ensure to protect our democratic values.

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Time to look within

Dr. Amrik Singh writes from Sacramento

AMID the din of Mumbai attack on November 26, 2008, the Manmohan Singh Government succeeded in getting bipartisan support for National Investigation Agency Bill and Unlawful Activities (prevention amendment) Bill. The way two bills have been passed without much debate and safeguards for minorities speaks a lot about militancy of the majority rule. Congress and BJP voices merged to pass draconian laws over and above the fundamental rights granted to citizens in the Indian constitution. The impression was given as if there were virtually no laws to prevent terrorists.

In spite of about a dozen radars in the distance of 500 nautical miles between Karachi and Mumbai, the Indian Navy and Maharashtra law enforcement could not wake up from politically-induced slumber, how can new laws ensure that these will prevent future terrorist strikes?
If the laws strengthen the same set of people, it is not hard to predict where it is going to be used and when it will become completely inoperative.
The kind of hurry shown to get the new law passed, points out that it will be exercised only on terrorists of certain kinds, whereas others will be allowed to preach hatred, disaffection and smearing against the people they don’t like. But what kind of terrorists? The only clue is that who threaten India’s sovereignty. In that case, terrorist are vaguely defined someone who are suspected to invade India. But the new law is silent on another kind of terrorists who use ‘terrorism’ in the name of India’s sovereignty; the kind of terrorism fallen cop Hemant Karkare was investigating. Their activities include the lobbying of bombs, destroying train and massacring minorities with ‘false flag’ covert operations. Radicals of this type assert that their violence is to safeguard the sovereignty of their country. BJP, RSS and Shiv Sena all stood behind Sadhvi, Swami and Col. Prohit to defend them as soldier of Bhart Mata.

The way Bal Thackeray’s inflammatory statement has been ignored is a pointer towards the intention of the lawmakers. The new law may make Indian constitution useless for certain groups of Indian citizens. Thackeray’s statement in his editorial that mini-Pakistans should be destroyed first amounted to demonizing Indians who happen to be Muslims. Indian Muslims not only condemned Mumbai attacks but also expressed their loyalty to defend India. But they will always remain suspect in the eyes of stalwarts in BJP and Congress. Tytlers, Thackerays and Modis will have free play of their hatred in the meanwhile. . If India is a secular democracy, why some Hindus are allowed rabble rousing? Should not the new law have made provisions to deal with such people? As a matter of fact, there is no dearth of laws, but the majority militancy always takes a back seat.

In the midst of strained relations between India and Pakistan, media outlets have been showing irresponsible, provocative and contemptible behavior in covering the aftermath of Mumbai attacks. For instance Zee T.V meant for oversea Indians is most slipshod in choosing language that is an insult to journalistic ethics. Such coverage fails to inform appropriately and acts only to add fuel to the fire. The corporate media crosses all boundaries to serve politicians’ illegitimate, corrupt and hateful plans. Full length Editorials and Opinion pages were written to misinterpret suggestion of Union Minister A.R. Auntalay. They ascribed unthinkable motives, conspiracy theories and treacherous designs to the Minister’s statement. Corporate media simply reflected majority militancy giving a severe setback to India’s secular credentials. Auntulay’s episode has given early signs of how Unlawful Activities (Prevention) amendment (UAPA)and National Investigation Agency (NIA)will be used in times to come. If Hemant Karkare was not killed in the terrorists’ attack, wasn’t he on the hit list of Shiv Sena? Congress should have been proud of Auntulay for acting as a voice of conscience for the party. But to enlist support of BJP for new laws, Congress chose to endorse saffron agenda. Wasn’t it BJP only that bailed out Manmohan Singh’s government from Indo-US nuclear debacle?

Criminal Justice in Contrast

Congress I leader Jagdish Tytler continues to enjoy his party’s support in avoiding his direct involvement in anti-Sikh violence in 1984. CBI tried to close his case for the lack of witnesses who have also been identified in various inquiry commissions. But witnesses proved CBI wrong. On the direction of the court, CBI had to record statements of Surinder Singh in New York and Jasbir Singh in San Francisco. More than 3000 murder victims have been waiting for justice for 24 years.

H.S. Sabharwal was a professor in Madhav College Ujjain in Madhaya Pradesh. On August 26, 2006 he was murdered in broad day light in the presence of police and students by ABVP leaders. BJP government refused to arrest the criminals and started intimidating witnesses and Proessor’s son, Himanshu Sabharwal. Some witnesses turned hostile due to threats to their life. Himanshu approached Supreme Court of India for shifting his case from Madhya Pradesh to some other state. The court transferred his case to Nagpur in Maharashtra. Professor’s son is still fighting to get ABVP leaders punished.

Bal Thackeray’s name figures in Srikrishna Commission report for inciting anti-Muslim violence in 1993. But after that Shiv Sena came to power in Maharashtra. The Srikrishna report was shelved permanently. Bal Thackeray continues to escape any scrutiny of Indian Law.

BSP MLA from Auraiyya in UP Shekhar Tiwari was arrested for murdering Engineer Manoj Gupta on December 23, 2008 who had refused to donate hefty amount for state chief Minister’s birthday. BSP MLA and his supports indulged in his severe beating that led to his death. MLA and his supporters were arrested without any delay. National Security Act was invoked against him. CM Ms. Mayawati has agreed to CBI investigations also if it was ordered in similar cases. The arrest of her own party’s MLA immediately after the murder stands out in the backdrop of unscrupulous protection to criminals by Congress and BJP.

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Covering terrorism: Media as a spectacle

Gobind Thukral

FOR most television channels and some major newspapers too, the news is increasingly becoming a commodity. It has to be packaged and sold and money earned on it. Ethics, context and its impact on democracy is not the concern of these television or newspaper organisations. Their business is the business of news, selling to larger and larger audiences and increasing their ratio of audiences or readers and thereby attracting more advertisements and this making more money.

These news gathering and dissemination institutions are no longer neutral purveyors of information and opinions. What was once a mission is now a pure and simple business; whether it poisons the minds, builds war hysteria or leads to frustrations and undermines democracy is not their concern. They would not hesitate to make money on peoples’ misery and personal tragedies and even endangering lives would not stop them. Journalists and even newspapers owners who went to jails and even to gallows during the freedom struggle and later are considered downright dimwitted.

The coverage of the terror attacks in Mumbai from November 26 onwards shows that when the media has by and large become a pure business enterprise and news a commodity, serving the interests of the few. It has ceased to be the guardian of democracy or the protector of public interest. It was visible during hijacking of an Indian plane to Kandhar and also to some extent during the Kargil War.

Shouting Brigade

How media covered those 60 hours and continues to do so even after the terrorist attacks at four major places in Mumbai brings out clearly that journalistic ethics and values took a backseat as reporters strived to outdo each other to grab eyeballs and boost ratings. Concerned viewers who tuned in to get the updates on the vicious massacre had no choice but hear reporters shouting or crying out the news as the tragedy unfolded. Breaking l security cordons, and putting not only theirs but also the lives of other security personnel at risk, these journalists   demonstrated their self importance. Reporting live, many journalists spiced up their coverage by speaking in a panic stricken tone, provided less of hard information.  It was like a formula to create interest. Many reporters from the Hindi electronic media resorted to stunts like lying on the ground to relay the news as their very own camera crew was standing!

This media is now being squarely criticised for valid reasons for its bias towards the 'elite' class, by focusing on the operations at why was so much of Taj, Oberoi and Nariman House was being covered, when there were attacks at other places like the hospital and railway station. Was it just because it took a longer time to control them, because there were foreigners with links to US, UK and Israel, or just because big and "important" people with a lot of money go to Taj/Oberoi? What happened to other people who lost their lives? Some reporters have travelled to Israel to write about the sufferers there. How about those citizens  who died at the railways station.

 It is true that the media mostly revolves around the power centers, and hence is frequently pro-elite. Since most rich corporate have a stake in the media, journalists often tend to lose their freedom to money. Advertisers often dictate. That is why the Taj Palace hotel, which is frequented by the creamy layer of the society and foreigners, remains at centre stage even after five weeks of the tragedy. We do not know the name of even a single person who died at CST or VT. Is their life less important than those who died at Taj?  So much for being fair and objective. What the terror exposed was not just the underbelly of the Indian State but also the insides of the much of the media in India.

The ghastly attacks proved that the tragedy could be turned into a spectacle. It not only blurred the picture as we are seeing it now, it is letting some sections piggy ride the public mood of anger and disenchantment. This is further leading to suspicion and cynicism about politics. The middle class following the neo liberal economic policies that provided  the image of India being a super power has made this class fancy it was the backbone of the country[ forget the 70 per cent poor without any descent means of livelihood] and has the right to decide the course of politics.  There is a proposal that taxpayers union should be formed to seek more protection from the state. Does the country belong to tax payers only? This class has rejected the present breed of politicians without offering any alternative. Have not them come from the society we live in.

What should it do?

The press is supposed to be a guardian of democracy and the defender of the public interest. And this erosion is the inevitable culmination of the long process of the appropriation of the concept of public press for the private interests of a few, in short, the turning of the press into a business enterprise. The news here is like any other commodity in the market. Of course, the media in India has hardly assumed the scale and the depth of corporatisation in countries like the United States. But the signs are worrying and these are hardly encouraging for media outlets that seek to be a real public press.

One of the cardinal rules of reporting a conflict is to contextualize it. This is as important as the narration of facts. This provides the necessary meaning. Editorialising and opinionating the content should have little place. This assumes greater importance while covering a terrorist strike of such magnitude. It is the responsibility of the press to provide right information   and not to excite passions and build hate. Yet, it seems that in the ever competitive world of the media, the rules of the game have changed. The need of a code of conduct has gained acceptance.  Media is never tired of claiming privileged position as the fourth estate, but is forgetting it is required to be socially responsible and a watchdog of the democracy, and not merely a money spinning machine. Freedom of expression, which the media swears by, also involves being accountable to the masses.

But in the present day scenario, the words of Great Russian novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn ring true, hastiness and superficiality are the psychic diseases of the 20th century, and more than anywhere else this disease is reflected in the press.  Media did well getting into the line of fire, but from an ethical and responsibility point of view, it lost a great change. It ought to reflect on its role and take corrective steps.

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