The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : The Lashkar's message

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Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

The Lashkar's message

Although the Lashkar-e-Taiba will not be represented at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's round-table conference on Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow, the terrorist group has succeeded in delivering its message to all those who will be present. While its attack on a Congress rally in Srinagar on Sunday was not exceptionally bloody — at least by the macabre standards established in the course of the 18-year jihad in Jammu and Kashmir — it has achieved its purpose: to proclaim that violence could have a veto over whatever solution might emerge through dialogue. In addition, fond hopes that secessionist politicians would join the round table, and thus help strip terrorism of legitimacy, have been frustrated. All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, under intense pressure from terror groups, has said he believes the round table is an "exercise in futility." Even as Sunday's attack took place, the Mirwaiz was asserting that "political, military and diplomatic fronts" of the anti-India movement would continue to "work in unison" until independence was achieved. Underpinning this position is the stark fact that secessionist leaders have neither the influence nor the moral authority to persuade terrorist groups to accept a settlement. Round-table participants will have to demonstrate seriousness of purpose if rejectionists are to be prevented from undermining the dialogue process. They must put in place an agreed road map for the political reconstruction of the State, which can be realised with or without the participation of the APHC and the Islamist terror groups.

Two other lessons must also be learned. First, proximate security protocols need to be reviewed — and improved. Police officials at the fringes of the rally did well to bring down one of the two fidayeen even as the attack commenced. However, the second terrorist succeeded in entering the protected zone, a security failure that must be carefully analysed. Inspector-General of Police K. Rajendra was injured because of his extraordinarily courageous decision to remain in the open, rather than throw out the civilians who had taken shelter in his bulletproof police vehicle. The failure to provide him with a secure fallback area and the decision to evacuate him to a low-security medical facility instead of the nearby military hospital demonstrate an appalling remissness in crisis management. Police authorities in Srinagar must be held to account. Secondly, India needs to make clear to Pakistan that its continued support of terrorist groups is unacceptable. "I cannot," Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said recently, "have a meaningful dialogue with someone who is waving a gun at me." India needs to make sure his message is heard in Islamabad. Despite repeated promises, Pakistan has shown no desire to act against the infrastructure or functionaries of terrorist organisations such as the Lashkar, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Until Pakistan can be made to act against them, peace in Jammu and Kashmir will remain elusive.

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