Resolution on Terrorism

Terrorism acquired a new dimension when hijacked aeroplanes crashed into the twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York killing over 6000 persons from sixty different countries and injuring thousands of others. This dastardly attack on innocent people could possibly affect the future course of human endeavour.

The world has at last woken up to the reality of terrorism. India has suffered from this phenomenon for more than a decade. Thousands of people have died in the state of Jammu and Kashmir as a result of the periodic acts of terrorism planned and manipulated from across the border. Solid evidence of the involvement of agencies operating from or at the behest of Pakistan were presented to a number of countries but there was a marked reluctance to take joint action against terrorism. The Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan is known to have been behind the series of bombing cases all over India during the last several years. The same agency also supported those who organised the serial bombing in Bombay in 1993 killing more than 500 persons. The hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight 814 from Nepal was another case of terrorist activities conducted from across the border. Combating terrorism is thus nothing new to India. We have fought against it for all over a decade but the enormity of the crime committed in New York has made the whole world share our concerns. It is now widely admitted that punishing Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda organisation will not be enough and that all the related terrorist organisations like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul-Mujahidin etc. must be completely wiped out if the problem of terrorism is to be settled once for all.

The Bharatiya Janata Party completely supports the policy of the government on collaboration with all those who wish to form a coalition to fight terrorism. We firmly believe that this is a problem that can only be solved by collective action. We should be prepared to offer such assistance that can be rendered to the United States and other members of the coalition for action against terrorism. Needless to say India's assistance in this regard will naturally be in pursuance of our own national interest and in line with our established policies. The BJP would like to appeal to all political parties not to make it a partisan issue and extend full support to the government. We must remember that others are now supporting us in a battle which we have been fighting alone so far.

We know that Pakistan has been a principal source of terrorism in our region and that it has played a contributory role in the creation of Taliban. It is indeed ironic that Pakistan has now offered to join the battle against terrorism. We have reason to be suspicious of Pakistani offers of cooperation as Pakistan is yet to prove that it is ready to fight against Terrorism. We would be very happy to be proved wrong but would none the less, suggest to the government to be fully prepared to continue to fight our own battle against terrorism with renewed vigour. As the Prime Minister said in his letter to the US President after the October 1 attack on the J&K assembly building, Pakistan must understand that there is a limit to the patience of the people of India.

At the Agra Summit President Musharraf refused to admit the existence of cross border terrorism. Instead, he called it freedom struggle. After the attack on the J&K Assembly building on October 1, he not only admitted that it was terrorism but even offered cooperation in fighting terrorism. Given Pakistans record of involvement in terrorist activities, the international community must treat Pakistan's offer of combating terrorism with utmost caution, if not skepticism.

The Prime Minister has very appropriately cautioned the people against identifying terrorism with Islam, even though many individuals and organisations have spoken of committing the acts of terrorism in the name of Islam. We believe that they are the fringe elements of Islam and do not represent the true spirit of Islam. No religion teaches people to commit acts of terrorism. We hope Muslim leaders in India and around the world will appeal to their followers to dissociate themselves from the small group of fanatics who are committing acts of terrorism in the name of religion.

Our experience over the past decade has shown that the terrorists have received encouragement from the fact that our legal frame work as well as our judicial and legal procedures are not effective enough to suitably punish the terrorists. Quite a large number of them get away either with a token punishment or none at all. There is an urgent need, therefore, for an effective and comprehensive law to combat terrorism. The Bharatiya Janata Party, therefore, urges that the government may bring forth suitable legislation to tackle the problem of terrorism. In this context the recent ordinance on prevention of Terrorism is a step that needs to be supported by all.

A few days after the terrorist attack in New York, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution condemning all kinds of terrorism. The Bharatiya Janata Party welcomes this resolution and would like to request the government of India to take suitable steps for the early adoption of the UN convention on terrorism which India and several other countries had proposed two years ago. We believe that such a convention will serve a very useful purpose towards eliminating terrorist activities in the world.

The National Executive appreciates the determined stand of the Central Government to combat the terrorism unleashed by terrorist groups based across the border, aided and abetted by the neighbouring state of Pakistan by vigorously pursuing a pro-active policy which includes elimination of hideouts of terrorist groups. The US government aided by UK and with the support of many other nations has chosen to pursue the policy of hot pursuit crossing countries and continents in their fight against international terrorism thereby justifying their stand. India has rightly chosen for the present not to go in for hot pursuit as it has full confidence in itself to succeed by its Present Proactive Policy. But if situation demands, circumstances compel and national interest needs nothing should come in the way of the country in going all out to eliminate terrorism from both inside and outside the country. BJP also appeals to every citizen of this country to extend his or her fullest cooperation and support to all steps taken or to be taken by the Central Government in its fight against terrorism and in its efforts to bring about peace in the country and in our region.