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 Lalit Mansingh,
Foreign Policy Expert
Ambassador Lalit Mansingh, India's former foreign Secretary and former ambassador to the US.
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| What is the difference between India’s and America's approach to terrorism? When America can react immediately upon terrorist activities, why can't India do so? |
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-Ravi (ravi.kaun@yahoo.com) |
Until recently the US was focussing on its war against international terrorism, while regarding terrorist incidents in India as local issues, linked with Indo-Pakistan differences over Jammu and Kashmir. The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai have, however, made the US aware that there is actually no difference between 'their' terrorism and 'our terrorism'. It emerges from the same sources in Pakistan, which promote, train, fund and sponsor acts of terror in the name of religion.
No country, not even the United States can today fight the menace of terrorists alone, because of the spread of their networks and their use of global communication technology. Fortunately, there are signs of better cooperation and coordination between India, the US and other countries post Mumbai terror attacks.
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| Other Q&As |
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Q: How can India punish Pakistan without adopting military option against them?
-Manickam(manickam301@gmail.com)
- The most effective method of applying non-military pressure on Pakistan is to expose to the world the extent to which the Pakistani state, specially the ISI and ‘non-state actors’ like LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba), JeM (Jaish-e Mohammad), HuM (Hizbul Mujahideen) are funding, training, arming and sponsoring the global terrorists.
India must also use its diplomacy both through the United Nations and multi-lateral organisations and also bilaterally with leading global powers to co-ordinate intelligence and take action in punishing the terrorists and eventually eliminating them.
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Q: I just want to know what does Pakistan want and why can’t we attack Pakistan, why are we waiting for the UN response even when we know UN will not help us?
-Vipin(vipinarora29@gmail.com)
- It is true that the action by the United Nations is only symbolic in nature since its enforcement machinery is not very effective. However, India cannot resolve the issue simply by attacking Pakistan. Our enemy is not the Pakistani nation, but the terrorists who are operating from Pakistani soil. We need to isolate the terrorists groups like the Let LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba), JeM (Jaish-e Mohammad), HuM (Hizbul Mujahideen) and their supporters within the Pakistani establishment specially the ISI.
Pakistan currently has serious internal problems including insurgency in Baluchistan, the growing influence of the Pakistani Taliban and a grave financial crisis. Attacking Pakistan may well lead to an army takeover or a disintegration of that country, which will not be in India’s interest. Besides, Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons and we need to be extremely cautious and responsible in considering the military option.
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Q: Can we really fight terrorism under the current political system? What can we hope from Ramvilas Paswan , Mulayam Singh, Lalu Yadav who are in favour of giving Indian citizenship o Bangladeshi migrants?
-Champak(champak1periwal@yahoo.com)
- If we are serious about protecting our country against terrorism, we need to overhaul the structure of the Home Ministry and plug the loopholes in existing laws which prevent better co-ordination among our intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
I feel that the government has already initiated action in this regard. The presence of illegal migrants in India from Bangladesh and elsewhere is a serious security issue.
I agree that some of our leaders are indulging in political opportunism and making it a political issue, here again I am encouraged by the fact that the government is thinking on the lines of fencing the Indo-Bangladesh border and issuing ID cards to so that illegal Bangladeshi migrants can be identified and expelled
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Q: If a pre-emptive strike is carried out against Pak, does it have the potential to flare up into a full-fledged war?
-Jehan(jehan.nathan@gmail.com)
- Yes, there is a real danger that even a limited strike, e.g on terrorist camps across the border can escalate into a full-fledged war. We need to weigh the consequences of such possibility very-very carefully. Pakistan has deep internal divisions and serious national problems like the insurgency in Baluchistan, the increasing influence of the Pakistani Taliban and a grave financial crisis. Any military action by India poses the threat of a military takeover of Pakistan and can also lead to Pakistan becoming a failed sate. We must be very cautious and responsible in considering a military option since Pakistan also possesses nuclear weapons.
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Q: When China is aggressively using its foreign policy to spread its influence, why is India lagging behind?
-Sanjay(sanjayjrawal@yahoo.co.in)
- India and China are both hold civilizations and great nations. However, India isn't in competition with China in its foreign policy or any other sphere.
In the past decade, the world has increasingly acknowledged India as an emerging global power. India started its economic reforms more than a decade after China, and needs to catch with China's economic progress.
Politically China has the advantage of being a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an acknowledged nuclear weapon power.
We have however, seen that India is being accepted at all the high tables of the world like the G8 meeting and the East Asia summit. The recent waiver granted to India by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) shows that India is also recognised as a de facto nuclear weapon power.
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Q: What is preventing the US and India from rooting out the terrorist camps based in the interiors of Pakistan?
-Ramandeep(ramandeepdr@gmail.com)
- India has considered the prospects of attacking the terrorist training camps in Pakistan many times in the past, but eventually opted against it.
Firstly, the camps are makeshift facilities; attacking these camps would be largely symbolic, since the same facilities can be created in some other part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or Pakistan.
Secondly, there is a danger that a military attack on Pakistan can escalate into a full scale war with a danger of nuclear weapons being used. Pakistan has in fact declared that it will not hesitate in using nuclear weapons if its territory is attacked.
Finally, even surgical or precision attacks carry the risk of collateral damage especially the danger of innocent civilians being killed lurks large. This action will cost India dearly in terms of alienating world opinion. Recent American strikes against militant groups in Pakistan have been widely criticised even by friends of the United States. While a military attack maybe necessary, if all other measures fail we should exhaust the diplomatic option before considering a military strike.
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| Join the War on Terror today |
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| You can also |
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SMS ‘WAR’ to52424
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| In case you come across any suspicious activity or have any information to tell the Anti-Terror Squad, |
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| Dial All India Toll-Free
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| Terror Helpline No.1090
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| The identity of the caller will be kept a secret.
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Here's a list of emergency numbers and addresses in 6 important cities.
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We bring together stories, videos and pictures on terror attacks across the nation.
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India Reacts
The prime purpose of the terrorists is to shatter the peace and unity of the country. The only way to defeat them is by defeating their mindless purpose-- stand with determined resilience with the people of the country irrespective of communal, linguistic and regional barriersn.
Swarnima Bhattacharya
, Lucknow
Much has been spoken by the leaders, but no concrete work has been done so far. The ministry should not be headed by any politician but by some retired police or preferably some military official.
Shailendra Vikrant , Chandigarh
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Headlines Today anchors pledge to fight terror
Are we safe anywhere?
