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Journalism of Courage
Since Bangalore has been attacked, let8217;s call this National Security, Version 2.0 NS, 2.0. In this version, the country8217;s government either 8220;equates politically correct liberalism8221; with mealy-mouthed responses to terrorism, or it wants to cash in on a softly-softly approach with 8220;the Muslim vote bank8221;. The strategy is, of course, hopelessly misconceived. You can be politically correct and liberal to the point of aggravation, as Tony Blair frequently is, and still be steadfastly hard on terrorism. As for the Muslim vote bank, it really doesn8217;t exist when it comes to anti-terror policies. Indeed, a political plan hatched on the presumption that Indian Muslims like governments soft on Islamic terror, is deeply offensive to the community. It ignores the fact that Muslims can become the direct and indirect victims of militancy. But the Congress-led UPA government seems quite chuffed with NS, 2.0.
The enormously serious implications of targeting Bangalore 8212; terrorists are trying to blow a hole in India8217;s biggest success story 8212; are unlikely to change that. After all, the attack on Ayodhya was scary in its scope 8212; had the terrorists not been stopped literally at the gates, the political and social consequences would have been catastrophic. The pre-Diwali and, 8220;secular fundamentalists8221; please note, pre-Id blasts in the Capital were a brazen challenge to national administrative authority. Neither made the Congress up its rhetorical and policy ante on terror. Just as the recent escalation in Kashmir militancy didn8217;t. Just as, in the matter of internal security, the dangerous spring in the Naxalites8217; step has gone officially uncommented on.
