Militant Ideologies - Tracing the Roots in the Wake of 26/11

The terror attack was operated by one of the (many) sinister Jihadi groups. The face of terror in this instance was projected in the form of young armed men that targeted the economic capital of India, Mumbai. This attack was an attempt to crumple India’s image of a prospering nation. The fidayeen tactics were carried out in a way to target the foreign investors, tourists and thus jolted the Indian economy directly.

Mumbai Under Siege - 26/11

The militants infiltrated Mumbai by boats through the 'wide-open' seacoast escaping vigilance?! of coast guards and security agencies. This was clearly not the first time that terrorists harbored the oceans to sneak in. In spite of warnings from the intelligence agencies, no political leadership was responsive to this threat and here we stood to be struck.

Such a catastrophe has befallen Mumbai many a times in the past but the terror attack on 26/11 was one of the deadliest and radically distinctive from the earlier ones. The jihadis resorted to indiscriminate firing on people on the streets and persons were being taken hostage in five-star hotels. The modus operandi this time was not of 'hit and run' but to inflict maximum casualties on innocents. The Mumbai terror attack was a very well coordinated blow and struck at 10 places in Mumbai including major landmarks like luxury hotels, a restaurant, hospitals and busy train stations.

Queries that Better Stay Unanswered

What if the number of militants was 50-100? What if the gunmen had ammunition to kill 5000 people or maybe more? Can a possibility of such a planned execution be ruled out in the near future (in India or Internationally)? Is it possible to interrupt the security fabric of a city without local assistance?

The chaos created on 26/11 would only have been multifold if the terrorists were in numbers of 50 or or maybe 100 with ammunition like RDX, grenades and assault rifles. It would have been impossible to surmount the attack then. The bravery of National Security Guard (NSG) commandos, the police officers and firemen is definitely commendable. The creditable fact remains that the operation Cyclone was implemented in huge heritage structures without access to blueprints, which made the combat even more difficult. The militants knew the topography of the buildings, yet NSG advanced through obscure corridors towards uncertain outcomes in an attempt to release hostages and nab the militants.

Coping with the Global Impact of Jihad

Be it Mumbai’s 26/11, or the US 9/11 - terror attacks should be tackled by addressing its root cause. Powerful intelligence networks, disaster management, taking proactive steps in security scenario and stringent laws against terrorist, are the far-famed measures always suggested to fight terrorism.

However, a closer look into the whys and hows of the terror attacks all over the world will shed light on the broader picture. In this (or) (any) case, the young gunmen involved in the attack displayed unparalleled religious zeal in accomplishing the task of wreaking havoc on innocent people. They are the ones who fought honestly for the wrong reasons and were blindfolded by ideologies of their so-called preachers.

The very ideology that the militants cling to needs to be studied, checked, analyzed, corrected or destroyed - whatever it takes! So instead of targeting (only) the perpetrators, the primary postulators who brainwash and misguide people should also be punished severely. It’s these declarers who (mis)interpret the religious scriptures and impart ideologies to create a distorted mindset. Radical fundamentalism, extremist ideology, fanaticism or militant mindset whatever you call it ...these are different expressions of a common mythos.

In an attempt to curb the global war on terror one has to first figure out these radical views, understand and then eliminate them. Anything less would definitely be suicidal. Until that happens, the world will remain a silent spectator eventually to be shocked - time and again!