This refers to the article, “ >Getting real about jihadi terror ” (Sept. 13). It was a bit perplexing to read this article after a succession of articles on the subject which included those by Professor Bernard Haykel and Shashank Joshi. Prof. Haykel’s article had at its core an assertion that the recent al-Qaeda video was more a “battle of brands,” between al-Qaeda and ISIS, and his advice was that we would be better off not paying much heed to them. In the end, his analysis was that it was more the flexing of imaginary muscles. The article, by R.K. Raghavan and D. Sivanandhan, presented the exact opposite in terms of analysis: as a former police officer and professional intelligence man respectively, they wanted the establishment to see the problem through the prism of enhanced and very high level of policing. It was almost as if they were suggesting a build-up towards an “Orwellian” or a police state.
A sensible reaction to the complex and as yet evolving situation concerning terrorism in the Middle East would be to have neither of the two views suggested, but an extremely calibrated, proactive and a middle-of-the-road reaction with a soberly thought-out solution that does not create any major upheaval within our country’s currently peaceful and stable internal situation.
Shahabuddin Nadeem,Bangalore
India needs to be vigilant at all levels against any sort of terrorist activity. There needs to be more coordination between the Central and State intelligence agencies. Of course, the State police constitute the weakest link, and the question that needs to be asked is this: what are State governments doing to upgrade the skills of police departments? Most State police departments in north India — including in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar — do not have any incentives to progress. Salaries are poor, funding is meagre, there is no periodic training and equipment is outdated. How can the police be efficient, as the writers want them to be?
Abhilasha Kour,Moradabad, U.P.
The article was a bit of a shock to read. By 2020, India will be among the top countries in the world with a young population. It should be able to enjoy the fruits of this demographic potential. Thus, special care is needed to ensure that young Indians do not fall prey to terrorism. We must be able to stand up as one and meet the challenge posed by terrorism.
Reshma Rajeevan,Kollam
Though there is no clear Indian connection as yet with either al-Qaeda or ISIS, the threat posed by jihadi outfits is serious. Instead of probing all movement to the Middle East from India, the government here must work from the ground level. Strengthening the police force for better public security, zero tolerance for communal disturbances and monitoring cyberspace to counter false propaganda by jihadi elements are the steps that need to be taken. The steps being taken by some in the Muslim community asking youth to shun such calls must be built upon.
Saif ul Islam,New Delhi
After al-Qaeda’s recently publicised “announcement,” the time has come to unite and sink our petty differences. Of course, the police and the State administration will play their parts, but the onus lies on us, the public, to accept this challenge and create an unfavourable environment for the spread of sectarian and violent movements.
Dheeraj K. Suthar,Bikaner, Rajasthan
It is clear that there is potential for Indian youth to gravitate towards some extreme fundamentalist organisations just for the “adventurous” elements they offer. It is this that needs to be looked into because as a pluralistic society with a well-established democratic structure, such extremist activities will only lead to religion growing larger than the overall national interest. The solution to this is to strengthen equal opportunities for all. This is indeed a testing time for the slogan, “unity in diversity”.
Vivek Sangwan,Bhiwani, Haryana
