Return of Terror

When a cab exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday killing 13, its reverberations were felt far and wide. The impact brought back to memory the familiar feeling of fear not felt for decades. The last major terror attack in the National Capital was in 2011, almost 15 years ago. The blast, which has now been called “an act of terror” by the Indian government, is one of the biggest terror attacks in a major Indian city in over a decade. For long, Delhi had been the chosen site of serial blasts — 1997, 2005 and 2008. Reports suggest that the miscalculated and unplanned November 10 bomb blast was likely a part of an intricate serial blast plan aimed to rock the Capital and deliver maximum human damage. As a young reporter in the mid-2000s, along with the chaos and bloodshed unleashed by actual bomb blasts, there’d also be instances of bomb threats and hoaxes. Visits to crowded markets in Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar or Greater Kailash always carried with it a sense of foreboding.

And it wasn’t just in Delhi, blasts having become commonplace in India. You were lucky if there were no casualties, blessed if you weren’t caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, relieved if it was a flop. This cycle of dread, anticipation, sorrow and relief became routine. Terror attacks would often take place, politicians would visit the site, compensation would be announced, and security would be heightened for some time. For long, a terror-free India seemed implausible. But we made it happen. With the concerted effort of intelligence officers, vigilance and punitive action of sleeper cells, India finally broke the vicious cycle of terror.

Return of Trepidation

This year has been a return of the old trepidation. Have we let our guard down? Missed important intel, or complacently ignored them? For every attack our security forces foil, there are ones that sneak through the gaps and cause colossal harm. The dastardly terror in Pahalgam in April, followed by the Delhi car blast and unveiling of a possibly largescale coordinated terror attack, are ugly reminders of a gory past that we had left behind, one that is now being cruelly re-awakened by divisive and anti-national forces.

This year’s attacks have been audacious — be it the brutal killing of innocent tourists or the blast in the heart of the Indian Capital. These acts of terror, despite the war-like situation with Pakistan in May, might signal rising regional tensions. They have definitely led to a state of high alert across the nation, with both the Centre and the state tightening the security bandobast. It also marks the resurgence of the white-collar terror module, including an alleged women’s brigade of terrorists — a new profile that our nation’s intelligence forces have to deftly handle.

Crucial Next Few Weeks

These new-age attacks remain undetected within the community as doctors and other professionals craft these heinous plots and craft their lethal bio-chemicals — ricin — and stockpile weapons and bomb-making materials. The challenge that our security forces now face would also be to unearth this new breed of radicalized individuals before their planned strikes are implemented; for that responsibility would extend to innocents not being wrongly persecuted.

The next few weeks will be crucial as the Government plans its next moves, especially in the aftermath of its statement in May that “any act of terror will be treated as an act of war”. A harsh crackdown in Kashmir is on the cards, as is amped security presence across the nation. Increased raids, depleted tourist footfalls and lack of normalcy will yet again negatively impact the common Kashmiri.

Experts suggest that the Delhi blast was the remains of a botched terror plot. But what if it wasn’t? What if it is the start of a terror campaign to stymie economic progress and thwart tourism, especially in Kashmir? For now, the guard rails are back.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is an author and media entrepreneur