India’s War on Terrorism and International Cooperation

The fortitude of cooperation and practical attitude in the investigation of transnational terrorist crimes is indispensable. Indian investigating agencies have been undergoing with many problems in trail of the terrorist related cases in investigations and checks in other countries. Consequently, cooperation between law enforcing authorities of different countries is a vital tool for fighting threats to security. It requires sustained cross border cooperation, coherent regional cooperation and specific global cooperation.

R. BHANU KRISHNA KIRAN

Government and Negligence: Are they Synonyms?

On May 25 an explosion was reported outside the Delhi High Court in the scorching heat of the afternoon. It led to terror and fear amongst the people and without delay authorities set off high alert in the capital and tighten the security at public places. This has been the scene after every blast. Fortunately, no one was injured. May 25 blast was the second in the preceding eight months that happened on September 19, 2010. Many security measures were taken and made sure that further no such explosions would take place.

MALLIKA SINHA

Terror and Politics: Lashkar-e-Taiba, HuJI and Assassinations in Bangladesh

Very often western observers play down the existence and influence of Pakistan based Lashkar- e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami inside Bangladesh’s territory. Investigations into number of terror strikes in Bangladesh occurred between May 2004 and December 2005 have revealed, rather unearthed, a lethal nexus between these two Pakistan based terror groups and couple of mainstream political parties (Pro-Islamic Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in Bangladesh. It also revealed how they teamed up to score a political point by assassinating rival political leaders.

Animesh Roul

Terrorism in South Asia: Impacts on Development and Democratic Process

Review by Niraj Kumar (August 28, 2010): The terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC on September 11, 2001, shocked the international community. Terrorism, which by and large was considered a phenomenon limited to the Middle East and South Asia, was threatening the world's most rich and powerful — the United States. The initial response to these terrorist acts was a knee-jerk military attack led by the US on the bases of al-Qaeda and its host Taliban in Afghanistan.

Terror Sans Frontier: Islamic Militancy in North East India

Review by S S Tabraz: Terror Sans Frontier: Islamic Militancy in North East India by Jaideep Saikia (Vision Books, New Delhi, 2004) is a book which deals with the issue of Islamic militancy in India’s Northeast region in general and Assam in particular. Saikia is an old hand in observing the affairs of India’s Northeast, and this time around, he has come up with an excellent analysis of the simmering problems of militancy in this part of India. This book is divided into five chapters in all.

Islam under Siege

Review by Niraj Kumar ( August 08, 2010):  The world has changed a lot since September 11, 2001. A new government under the leadership of Hamid Karzai is ruling Afghanistan, which was earlier ruled by the Taliban and acted as a haven for Al-Qaeda. Iraq is under US control, and Libya has agreed to mend its ways. The initial knee-jerk reaction of revenge for the death and destruction caused by the September 11 attacks by the Americans has given way to a desire to understand the reasons behind these attacks.

The Crimson Agenda: Maoist Protest and Terror

Review by Nihar Nayak: The Maoist insurgency in India (also known as Naxalite), which was started at Naxalbari in the Darjiling district of West Bengal in 1967, has now spread to 159 districts in 14 states. They have virtually spread over 20 per cent of the total districts in India. Till the end of the year 2004, Naxalite violence had claimed 518 lives in 1,140 incidents against 348 deaths in 1,138 incidents in the corresponding period last year. The Naxalite problem is, in certain respects, more serious than the Kashmir problem.

Challenging Pirates in Malacca Straits

India’s External Affairs Minister, Mr Natwar Singh, while attending the ASEAN - plus 3 meetings and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Jakarta in July 2004, had noted that India was ready to provide security in the Malacca Straits and stressed that it was in India's national interest to ensure that the Strait remained a crime-free sea-lane.

Dr. Vijay Sakhuja