Ceaseless vigil

January 12: Someone in the Pakistan foreign office has a quaint sense of irony. Just peruse this succinct statement issued on Tuesday: P...

January 12: Someone in the Pakistan foreign office has a quaint sense of irony. Just peruse this succinct statement issued on Tuesday: 8220;Pakistan is opposed to terrorism in all forms and it will not allow the misuse of its territory for acts of terrorism.8221; Well, well. Whether this latest declaration of innocence will allay fears harboured by discerning observers about Pakistan8217;s sprawling jehadi diaspora is doubtful in the extreme; but one has to concede that there is much truth in the clarification. Certainly, Pakistan would not be desirous to use it territory for acts of terrorism when it can carry them out so audaciously in neighbouring lands, when it has already left a trail of evidence of ambitious plans for such acts of destruction on Indian soil.

And therein lies the ever-increasing challenge for the Indian state. The masked men of Kandahar have shed their monkey caps and melted away into anonymity, and a Lockerbie-style manhunt will demand tremendous patience and intelligence from the Indian authorities. Pursuing them is critical to an upturn in the psychological and tactical war against the forces of terrorism. But if the lengthening tentacles of Pakistan8217;s ISI and its involvement in an array of nefarious activities call for a more precise, more determined, strategic response from the authorities, a measure of panic management is also in order.

Post-Kandahar, as the government and media alike have focused on the ISI threat, as talk of the terror on the anvil becomes a national pastime, it needs to be iterated that panic itself is one of most lethal weapons in the terrorist8217;s arsenal. This is not to suggest that threat perceptions be hushed and withdrawn from public debate; on the contrary, a populace on its guard is as important to counter-terrorist strategy as the most well-equipped, well-trained security personnel. What this does suggest, however, is that the authorities must be seen to be cracking down on the multitudes of ISI operatives branching out into ever more activities, establishing new bases in thus far tranquil spots.

Gone are the times when the men patrolling the border would sigh in absolute relief at the first snowfall of the winter. Not only have recent times seen Kargil-like daredevil intrusions in snowy, sub-zero temperatures, but demographic changes wrought on the country8217;s more hospitable borders have given militants a wide choice of entry points on the long Indo-Nepal border.

It is a twin challenge. Not only does the free-flow of arms, ammunition, fake currency and propaganda material have to be stanched, but steps have to taken to preempt volatility on the international border in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. There is much talk of land being bought up along the border, of concerted attempts to whip up separatist sentiments among minority communities in this corridor. Truth has to be sifted from rumour, meticulously and fast. For the country can ill-afford to be hemmed in on all sides. For there are no time-outs in the vigil against the anonymous mischief-maker.