“There was no pause, no pity, and no interval of

relenting rest....
In the universe of fear and distrust that darkened the
time,
All the usual harmless ways of life were changed.”

-Charles Dickens, a Tale of two cities

It is almost insufferable to presume living in a world where a

person walking next to you on a mundane street or the mall
that you are visiting might just explode the next second,
where you feel unprotected, confounded and disturbed,
where quality of life is eroded and where life itself is a
negotiable commodity. These are just a few feelings which
remind you that the world you are living in is faced with
“terrorism”.
What strikes the mind almost instinctively after reading the
above statement is “why “terrorism? There has been a
constant wrestle to define terrorism. From being a means to
an end, terrorism has assumed a definition of being an end
itself. It has crossed boundaries now, starting with Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s El Al hijacking. From
being location specific, it has developed intertwined linkages
now in terms of technology, information, finance and action
and grown with increasingly meandering relations. Few
theories in the field of social sciences have attempted to
explain acts violence and terrorism, though none has
generated substantial framework perfectly befitting the
process and the underlying motives of the perpetrators.

The similarity in the backgrounds of perpetrators of terror,

be it social, political or philosophical in nature has led many
thinkers to opine that these individuals are characterized by
a consistent profile. The similarity of ideological bases in the
form of extremism adopted for seize of political power or
fanaticism for display of “terrorism as theater” to instill fear
or intimidate masses by acting out roles also lead toward a
theoretical groundwork for such violence.
The notion of “propaganda by deed” inevitably directs
towards a psychological motive behind such acts whereby
emphasis is placed on securing attention and increasing
numbed spectators who propagate the ideology more out of
fear of being exposed to the same. The media exacerbates
the situation at times as was the case in 26/11 where the
terrorists used much to their advantage the news
broadcasted on television. Lack of discreet restriction on
dissemination of information served to satiate the purpose of
perpetrators to a large extent.

Nevertheless, the point still remains as to what instigates

these individuals in the first place to carry out such acts. Do
they have a certain personality, a set of distinct traits that
enables them to execute such threats, rather disenables
them to live peacefully or is it other sociological factors of
deprivation, poverty and suffering which propel them into
action against a certain assumed imperialist power and
ideology. There also is a need to examine if this execution is
simply the product of increasing fundamentalism against
trends of globalization and modernity making terrorism an
act of will and steering it towards a nihilistic attitude.

Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest in development of

nations, races and empires and war and violence as tests of
a nation’s competence point to the use of aggression for
protection of one’s community, territory and attainment of
leadership status by humans. Lorenz has also pointed to a
rather bottled up notion of aggression in human beings, from
primitive stages, which needs expression that is healthy for
life. However, this form may simply point to a normalized
expression of annoyance and not necessarily “moral
equivalent of war” or venting in the form of terrorism. The
form that terrorism adopts is rather malignant in nature as
was pointed by Fromm. It is sadist in character. It is not
instinctive as described by Darwin but “learned” by
influences present in the society and through instruments of
socialization at various stages in life and reinforced by
repeated experience. These in turn are influenced by the
unique process of development during which an individual
grows traits specific to his endowment and experiences.
Thus, everyone will not aggress in the same manner or for
the same purpose. It justifies the fact that many people in
the population politically motivated will not turn to
occasional terrorism to vent out frustration against certain
segments.
A theory which was propounded by famous psychologist
Freud, however, emphasizes on “death instinct”, Thanatos,
which establishes death as the ultimate aim of life. Thus, the
malignant acts of terror are executed, according to the
theory, in pursuit of a death justified by some purpose.

The theory adds to Fromm’s conceptualization of

“vengeance”. It also brings to point the religious motivations
behind the terror acts as “acting out the role of an avenging
God” and executing such acts in a manner that “damage was
never done” to anyone but “the society was rid of ill that ails
it”. The propagation of fundamentalism in young minds
carefully selected for purpose of spreading terror brings out
the fact a rationale about “service to God” and avenging
against imperialists is made so compelling by a few
charismatic leaders, that they forego their life in pursuit of
it.

A theory which reasons pre-existing vulnerabilities in such

terrorists is the “theory of relative deprivation”. Such
vulnerabilities are exposed and made use of in conditioning
minds to execute acts of terror by increasing their
contingency on certain environmental benefits, rewards and
also punishments if succeeded by failure in accomplishment.
A relative scarcity of resources, deprivation in terms of civic
amenities and accessibility to services is channeled through
frustration and its expression in violent forms. The injustice
is made comparable and exacerbated during a sudden crisis.
Gurr’s, Why men Rebel, explains sufficiently as to why
discrepancies in what one thinks is rightfully theirs and
capacities of attaining it can lead to commission of violence.
The value of attainment here relates primarily to welfare,
power and interpersonal status, communality and ideological
coherence. The greater the motivation and incitation towards
rectification of this discrepancy, the more are the chances of
violence. Though the theory provides ample justification to
an aspect of terrorism, it fails to explain terrorism carried by
elites of the society.

Perhaps a way of feeling secured in an environment

threatened by terrorism is to know how one is being
protected and also by knowing how to make oneself less of a
target. Living in a country where citizens are assured of
security by the government, successful acts of terror like
26/11 can go a long way in devastating trust in the security
infrastructure boasted. Bombs, including human bombs and
automatic and extremely advanced weapons like hand
grenades, AK-47, rifles, high velocity bullets etc are now the
strength of terrorist arsenals. The minimal amount of
concealment required for them adds to the ease of their
transportation and easy availability and purchase through
benefactor states, theft and simple fabrication exaggerate
the quandary. This poses a massive challenge for any
country’s security infrastructure and demands intensive
surveillance. In lack of this, the quantum leap in a terrorist’s
capacity to destruct masses and disrupt lives remains
unimaginable.

The point also draws attention to a more disturbing query

about the resourcefulness of terrorist groups and of the
actual perpetrators of terror. Unchecked activities like
smuggling, drug dealing, circulating fake currency and even
sale of ammonium nitrate aid in slowly building up resources
for terror acts. The unlawful Activities Prevention Act also
seizes only the accounts suspected where the question
remains of those who are from its ambit. India needs to
strengthen the Act on prevention of laundering of funds to
curb such activities. Also, a monitoring of financial
transactions through credit and debit cards is essential and
stringent measures need to be taken to withhold suspicious
transactions. The technology used in almost all terror acts
carried out in India, be it Delhi, Jaipur or Mumbai, from
satellite phones to weapons, points out the resourcefulness
and strong financial backing of terrorists.

What is also of phenomenal significance is to understand

that it is not just “precipitous” government action that is
needed which makes room for errors and miscalculations, but
a well coordinated and directed action that is enabling and
preventive in nature. This perhaps entails a lesson well
learnt post 26/11 where three senior police officials
succumbed to death amidst much instructional chaos and
lack of guided procedure. In fact it will be prudent to point
here that a suggestion to the end of establishing flow of
command in terms of investigations required into a probable
terrorist activity, C.V. Narsimhan had pointed that a
legislation under Item 8 of the Union List of Indian
Constitution can be passed by the Parliament in order
channel such investigations through a central agency
discretely responsible for the purpose. Also, it has to be
taken into account that such agency will serve redundantly if
not backed by a mechanism enforced against terrorism.
Drawing from experiences of academia, administrators and
analysts, such body can continually review its strategic
planning on countering terrorism by channeling, in a correct
and timely manner, intelligence derived and processed
through various sources. With competent monitoring of
agreed action plans, any terrorist threat will then be possible
to deal with without having to wait for clearances from the
State government.

The undermanned police force also depicts a rather

sympathetic picture of demotivation. However, a peek behind
the picture will clarify an evident lack of a specific chain of
command pertaining to a terror attack. The police force
needs to capitalize on and be equipped with man and
machine power which renders them capable enough of
putting up a fight against well trained and armed terrorists.
Besides, there needs to be a systematic demarcation of
functions beyond maintenance of law and order, the lack of
which also goes on to defend a few slackening officers on the
pretext of “guarding their turfs” as against the required
stepping up to the larger and graver summoning national
duty. This timely dispensation of duty makes coordination
with other departments like customs, intelligence and income
tax a prerequisite for the police department.

The high density targets in cities that are most vulnerable,

specifically in mega cities, need to be populated into a
priority list for prompting communication channels between
them and the police and other local agencies and to bring
them under the surveillance network. Along with this the
local espionage networks should be strengthened to fill gaps
in information. Almost all senior officers of the Indian Police
Service have agreed, post 26/11, in a unanimous tone to the
need of having a special force well equipped to deal with
terror attacks in a free and fair manner.
The weaknesses brought out after 26/11, whether in terms of
lack of trained personnel, improved equipments as basic as a
collapsible ladder, bullet proof clothing and helmets or
processed intelligence, much underline the need for all
suggestions mentioned above. The Ministry of Home Affairs
declaration of setting up National Security Guards centers at
kolkata, Mumbai or Nagpur and Hyderabad may offer some
consolation but the pertinent question remains about filling
up these additional posts with trained personnel and also
about employing innovative and unpredictable methods of
training them.

Where the lack of proper equipment is in point the condition

of Indian Army also shows lack of integration of hi tech
warfare. In fact the Indian army, navy and air force need to
be made integrated into the decision making processes for
the nation through Ministry of Defense to bring about the
required changes. Incorporation of Public sector undertakings
to local defense ventures through Raksha Udyog Ratna is a
viable suggestion to enhance security against terrorist
threats.
A clear stance on Sino and Pak border issues instead of
frustrating time to time mobilizations needs to be taken to
enable the forces to plan against potential adversaries and
non state transnational actors.

However, just the above will not be a sufficient solution. The

crisis management approach to terrorism opines a more
involved citizenry. It calls forth the citizens to be preemptive
and monitor group activities and their probable
consequences. A small change can be brought about by
being aware of the national and international development
pertaining to terrorism, be it by following news, newspapers
or more active involvement in discussions at school or
familial level. Being aware is being prepared. By
acknowledging our duties as citizens of a country, we can
bring the change we want. For instance, acknowledging that
“justice delayed is justice denied” and just being present on
hearings of important trials might enable an informed public
opinion which may facilitate speedy and just dispensation of
trials. The amendment of Unlawful activities Prevention Act
and National Investigation Agency Bill [2008] point to the
infant steps towards legal reforms, though with evident
anomalies. They provide for holding a suspect for terror
activity under custody without charges for six months with a
possible extension of thirty days if required. This interim is
double of the days provided under POTA and is also much
debated currently. The admissibility of confessions made
before police official as evidence is another much debated
issue. It has to be kept in mind that at no point in time the
legal framework for enhancing security of nation be allowed
to jeopardize human rights.

Thus, to move forward towards a larger change in out

inventing terrorists, there is room for a lot to be done on an
individual basis. The ideologies of such groups are known to
wide extent and their modus operandi remains common on
some grounds. Their creativity in many aspects has been
unscratched. Therefore, with systematic planning and
coordinated strategies they can be mooted out.

Bibliography:

 Alexander, Yonah, David Carlton, and Paul Wilkinson, eds.

Terrorism: Theory and Practice. Colorado: West view, Inc., 1979.
Print.
 Clutter buck, Richard. Living with terrorism. London: Faber & Faber, 1975. Print.
 Sanghvi, Vir. 26/11 the attack on Mumbai. New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2009.
Print.
 Puniyani, Ram, ed. Religion, Power and Violence: Expression of politics in
contemporary times. New Delhi: Sage, 2005. Print.
 Gupta, Dipak K. Understanding terrorism and political violence: the life cycle of
birth, growth, transformation ad demise. Rout ledge, 2008. Print.