The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Defeatist campaign to run down security forces seen

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Monday, Aug 25, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Defeatist campaign to run down security forces seen

Special Correspondent

Former RAW official says Arundhati Roy is to blame

— Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

Frank talk: Ex-RAW official B. Raman addressing a seminar on ‘Tackling jihadi terrorism’ in Hyderabad on Sunday .

HYDERABAD: B. Raman, former head, Counter Terrorism Division of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has regretted that a campaign was being run to create a feeling of defeatism in the minds of security forces fighting terrorists and felt this was as pernicious a trend as the ideology of jihad.

The defeatist campaign which was started by writer Arundhati Roy should be resisted before the “virus” spreads, he told a meeting on ‘Tackling jihadi terrorism’ organised by an NGO, Social Cause here on Sunday. Mr. Raman said the security forces had never shown signs of fatigue so far and this was the strength of the country.

Of late, however, people were falling for arguments questioning the utility of fighting terrorists. This was as dangerous as terrorism itself.

Lack of research

The former RAW official said it was unfortunate that not many studies were done about jihadi terrorists in India although extensive knowledge about the mindset of Army personnel belonging to Pakistan was gathered and incorporated in the training programmes for security forces here.

Understanding the mindset and ideology of jihadis was important to control the problem, he said. Some of the components of the ideology were – loyalty to a particular religion, religious solidarity taking precedence over cultural solidarity and religious beliefs have no national frontiers, he added.

Former Director General of Police T.S. Rao sought a stringent law to cut off support to terrorists. Andhra Bhoomi Editor M.V.R. Sastry said political support is leveraging terrorist activity.

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