No consensus on definition of Terrorism in World:
- Organisation of Islamic cooperation wants acts by national liberation movements to be excluded from definition due to Israel-Palestine conflict
- Latin American Countries want to cover “state terrorism”
- Western countries including USA want to exclude acts committed by military forces of states during peacetime.
Hence, need of a UN Comprehensive Convention Against International Terrorism
Looking at Pakistan’s continued tacit or overt support to terrorists campaigning against India, do you think India should start pursuing coercive diplomacy with Pakistan? Critically comment. (200 Words)
- While looking at the recent actions of the Pakistani judiciary and the govt., it can be said that they are not taking the issue of counter terrorism seriously.
- The release of a terrorist, apart from the various facilities given to him in jail, shows that the Pak govt. is still not able to go against the wish of the military. This calls for new measures to be taken by India, to make Pakistan realise, the gravity of the situation.
- Some methods which the Indian govt. can use are:
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- Usage of a software called STONE, which uses open source data to identify successors of captured terrorist leaders, as well as to predict how the terrorist network will reshape afterwards. This can help in shaping our own strategy afterwards.
- Denial of visas to relatives of ISI officials, who have been suspected to be involved in terrorist activities.
- Financial sanctions in trade can also be a strong message to the Pakistani govt., to rethink their strategy on terrorism. Also, India can advise other nations too, to impose some sanctions on Pak, until concrete proof of their fight against terrorism is seen
- But this kind of behaviour may be exactly what the terrorist organisations want, i.e. to isolate the Pak govt. from the world major powers, and make it weaker. Such sanctions may not lay an effect on the financial starvation of terrorist organisation, as they already have a nexus with the drug lords, for finance. Also, this may make the insurgent organisations stronger, as the govt. will have lesser power and outer help, to counter their activities.
- So, in the present scenario, the only way out is to continue peace talks, and devise a new method to counter terrorist activities on a world scale. Because, if the countries blame each other for acts committed by terrorists, it’s only the terrorists who win.