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| Sunday, April 11, 2004 |
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| Sunday, April 11, 2004 |
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South Asia 9/11: Searching for Stability
One incident changed it all. This was one of the worst terrorist attacks in the human history, that too against the most powerful nation—the USA. Terrorists targeted military and economic symbols of America on September 11, 2001. This was followed by bombing of Afghanistan, as the American intelligence agencies saw it as headquarters of Al-Qaeda, the group responsible for 9/11. This book is the outcome of an international conference, Pluralism, Democracy and Conflict Resolution: The Search for Stability in South Asia after 9/11. The book has 15 write-ups by experts highlighting religious extremism, pluralism, plight of democracy and terrorism in South Asia. With each passing day, heterogeneity in society is on the rise and the best example of any pluralistic society is India. The element of tolerance is essential to maintain harmony among all sections of pluralistic society and A. M. Khusro says democracy is an ideology of tolerance. However, he questions the actions of the USA, which defied the public opinion on Iraq. Discussing religious extremism in South Asia, Major-General Afsir Karim (retd) says no religion preaches violence, but when people start interpreting religious scriptures in order to achieve political ends, problems arise, which lead to terrorism. No one country can control such extremism and a joint effort at the international level is needed. The General highlights the US-Pakistan alliance, which overlooked Pakistan’s extremist policy because of strategic compulsions. Claudia Haydt defines the "new face of terrorism" and discusses measures to combat it. Imtiaz Ahmed, in Contemporary Terrorism, raises questions like how the 21st century terrorism is different from the 19th century terrorism of Bengal intellectuals and radicals. Analysing the concept broadly, he discusses narco-terrorism, money laundering and gunrunning. He says: "Contemporary terrorism has ceased to remain national. Instead, it has become transnational." Satish Kumar examines the spirit of the Indian Constitution and emphasises on the importance of the Preamble and Directive Principles of State Policy. He explains safeguards for weaker sections in the Constitution, but expresses his concern over the resurgent Hindu identity, which he says is proving a threat to pluralism in the 1990s. The book also carries papers on the status of democracy and pluralism in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Jayadeva Uyangoda says that acceptance of the idea of federalism is a solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. In An Imperial World Order, deliberating over the changing face of the world, Erhard Crome opines that theories of imperialism are under discussion again and with the USA as the sole remaining world power, war has again become an instrument of national policy. Amena Mohsin focuses on the increasing forces of fundamentalism within the nation and religion and stresses on the role of civil society for human security and protecting human rights. The changing face of terrorism and its threat to democracy and pluralism in South Asia is the focus of speakers and an attempt has been made to redefine terrorism. The discussion will help the reader grasp the ideas thoroughly. It is a useful book to have come at this juncture when the word "terrorism" is printed and heard more than the word "development", which all South Asian countries should be focusing on. |
TERRORISM is a method whereby an organised group or
party seeks to achieve its avowed aims chiefly through the systematic
use of violence. We have been facing this problem in India for more than
two decades. The Indian Government made many attempts, though futile, to
highlight this problem at the international fora so that the world
should join hands to root out this menace.