10/17/2015

TerrorismandOrganizedCrimeinIndia|IASDream

TerrorismandOrganizedCrimein
India
Organizedcrimeandterrorismresultfromineffectivegovernanceandhavedevelopedasymbiotic
relationshipnevertheless,itisessentialtodifferentiatethem.Neitherareallterroristacts
organizedcrime,norareallorganizedcriminalactsterrorisminmostdevelopedcountries,
organizedcrimethriveswithlittleornoterroristactivities,andinmostdevelopingcountries,
terrorismexistsalongwithvaryinglevelsoforganizedcriminalactivity.
Thedifferencesbetweenthemrestonmeansandends.Terrorismaimstooverthrowtheexisting
governmentbyalteringthestatusquo.Organizedcrime,ontheotherhandaimstoformaparallel
governmentwhilecoexistingwiththeexistingoneanychangeinthestatusquoisonly
circumstantialandbornoutofconvenienceratherthanzealousrevisionistpolicy.Secondly,
terrorismprimarilyusesviolentmeans,whereasorganizedcrimepreferstobenonviolent
notwithstandingoddresorttobelligerence.Third,terrorismisdrivenpurelybypoliticalobjectives
despiteexploitationofregional,nationalandreligioussentimentstoachievetheirends
conversely,economicobjectivesaretheoperationaldeterminantsoforganizedcrime.
Whatarethelinkagesbetweenterrorismandorganizedcrimeandhowaretheyrelevantinthe
Indiancontext?Whileorganizedcrimeinvolvesmanyactivities,itslinkageswithterrorismstem
fromillegaltraffickingofdrugs,armsandhumanbeingsandmoneylaundering.Terroristgroups,
whetherindigenousorsponsoredbyoutsidestates,needarmsandmoneyfortheirfightagainst
thesecurityforces.Organizedcrimeconglomeratesneedaclienteleandcourierswhocan
smuggledrugs,armsandhumanbeingsacrossthecountriesandregions.
InIndia,thelinkagesbetweenthetwoexistatnationalandtransnationallevels.Atthenational
level,bothterroristsandthoseinvolvedinorganizedcrimearewithinIndia.Attheinternational
level,collaborationexistsbetweentransnationalsyndicatesandterroristsfrominsideandoutside
India.
InIndiasnortheast,almostallthemilitantgroupsrunaparallelgovernmentorhavetheirareasof
influenceandareinvolvedincollectingmoneydirectlyfromthepeople.Muchofthegovernment
fundsreachthemilitantsindirectlyduetomisgovernance.Governmentofficialsinconflictzones
areeitherthreatenedorbribedtoawardcontractstoindividualspatronizedbythemilitantgroups.
Contractsapart,essentialcommoditieslikericeandkerosenereachthemilitantgroupsdirectly
whicharethensoldtothepublicatmuchhigherprices.Thiscycle,thoughunnoticedinother
partsofIndia,isaclearexampleofthelinkagebetweenorganizedcrimeandterrorisminside
India.
Extortion,kidnap,contractsandblackmarketingstillfallshortoffinancingthenefariousactivities
ofthemilitants.Thisiswheretransnationaldrugsandarmssyndicatescomeintoplay.Terrorist
organizationsinIndia,especiallyinthenortheast,mobilizefundsbybecomingcouriersofillegal
drugsandarmsandattimesevenhumanbeingsfromonepointtoanotherwithinthecountry.
SomeoftheinfamousentrypointsfromSoutheastAsiaincludeMorehandtheentireChittagong
Hilltracts,especiallyCoxsBazaar.Initially,internationalcriminalsyndicateshadtheirown
networkhowever,withtheseroutesbeingtakenoverbyvariousterroristgroupsinthe
northeasternstates,thesyndicatesstartedusingthesegroupsinsteadofbribingthemtolettheir
consignmentsgetthrough.
InKashmir,thelinkagesbetweenterroristsandorganizedcrimeexistatadifferentlevel.Unlike
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thenortheast,relianceonfundsfromextortionandotherrelatedmeansisminimal.Thereisno

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10/17/2015

TerrorismandOrganizedCrimeinIndia|IASDream

parallelgovernmentinKashmirandgovernmentresourcesdonotreachmilitanthands.However,
externalfundscompensateforinadequateinternalmobilization.Externalfundsreachthemilitant
organizationsfightinginKashmirthoroughvariousmeans.Forinstance,enormousfundsthatare
mobilizedinPakistanandotherMuslimcountries,especiallyintheGulf,arechanneledthrough
variousorganizationsinPakistantoKashmir.MarkazdawaalArshad,forexample,mobilizes
fundsfrominsideandoutsidePakistan,tosupportitsmilitantwing,LashkareToiba.Besides,
externalfundsarealsoroutedthroughselectorganizationsandindividualsinKashmir,which
finallyreachthemilitants.Moneylaunderingplaysasignificantrole.Hawala(moneylaundering)
transactionstakeplaceswiftlyandeffectivelyinKashmir.Besides,itisalsobelievedthattheISI
usesdrugmoneytofundmilitantactivitiesinKashmir.
Anothersignificantrelationshipbetweenorganizedcrimeandterrorism,especiallyinKashmir,is
throughthespreadofcounterfeitcurrency.TerroristsarethemaincouriersofIndiancounterfeit
currencyinsideKashmir,whichthenspreadsalloverIndia.Evenguidesforthemilitantsfrom
acrosstheborderarepaidwithcounterfeitmoney.Infact,whensomeoftheindigenousmilitants
werealsopaidwithcounterfeits,itresultedinsquabblebetweenthemandthesocalledguest
militants.
BesidesKashmirandthenortheast,sporadicincidentsinotherpartsofIndialiketheBombay
blasts,forinstance,haveexposedtheconnectionbetweenterrorismandorganizedcrime.Thisis
distinctfromthetraditionallinkagesflourishingbetweenorganizedcrimesyndicatesandlocal
criminals.

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