Terror crackdown slackened in 2005

Congress President Sonia Gandhi may have congratulated the UPA government during the party8217;s just-concluded plenary for showing a firm ...

Congress President Sonia Gandhi may have congratulated the UPA government during the party8217;s just-concluded plenary for showing a firm fist in its fight against terrorism, the Home Ministry figures tell a different story.

According to official sources, the total number of subversive or sabotage modules busted by the internal security agencies declined drastically in 2005 8212; a mere one-third compared to the previous year.

These figures do not include operations conducted in the insurgency-hit Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern states.

While the Union Home Ministry chose not to comment to a detailed questionnaire sent by The Indian Express, figures indicate that the total number of cases registered by the security forces in 2005 declined to 15 from the previous year8217;s 45.

Busting of militant modules is an important exercise undertaken by the security forces to keep extremists on the run and deter them from planning major attacks. The recent bomb blasts in Ayodhya and Delhi, and the terrorist attack at IISc-Bangalore, were results of Lashkar-e-Toiba modules stabilising themselves in these areas to plan and carry out the attacks successfully.

8216;8216;Each militant or terrorist cell takes between one to three years to stabilise, after which it becomes extremely difficult to unearth them,8217;8217; a counter-terrorism expert said.

According to the Home ministry figures, since the year 2000 security forces arrested 780 persons, including 83 Pakistani nationals, in their drive against subversion, sabotage and espionage. These figures are shared with the Director-Generals of Police at the annual conference every year.

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According to figures available with The Indian Express, 77 cases were registered in 2001 after 60 sabotage and 17 espionage modules were busted. This figure came down to 63 in 2002, with 28 sabotage/subversion cases and 35 espionage cases unearthed.

In 2003, the total stood at 56, including 40 sabotage and 16 espionage cases, the figure tumbled to 45 in 2004, including 15 cases of espionage.

However, last year the total number of cases registered outside J-K and the North-East reportedly stood at 15 8212; one-third of 2004.

Though Home Ministry officials hide behind the fact that law and order is a state subject and that the states do not take action even after receiving specific inputs, this has a serious security ramification since it increases the deniability factor. Experts said that8217;s a major reason why it has been difficult to establish the cross-border links of the modules busted after the Bangalore or Delhi attack.