Dezember 2001
Indien:
December 13 Attack on Indian Parliament - Initial Reaction
"Heart Attack!", "Democracy under Attack!" cried the Indian Newspapers. The immediate reaction of the people around the country was one of disbelief and panic. Ordinary people felt that the September 11th of New York was visiting India.
Jagadish Chandra
Though there was extreme confusion portrayed even on the TV screens, first it was announced that a few dozen armed uniformed men had entered the Parliament building. Then the number came down to six of which five were shot dead and one escaped. But later it was said that a suicide bomber had blown him self up.
Many of the M.P.s interviewed on the TV were shocked and panicking. Both the opposition and the ruling party members were echoing the jingoistic mood. Home minister, L.K .Advani, vowed on Thursday to "liquidate the terrorists and their sponsors - whoever they are, whatever they are".
The attempted attack on the Indian Parliament has come in very handy to the ruling clique. Though the attack itself has not led to any wide sympathy for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government amongst the ordinary people, it is bound to have far-reaching consequences in the administration. It may even lead to a realignment of forces within the different sections of the political establishment.
One effect of the 13/12 attack would be the strengthening of the Indian State machinery, which was already arming itself to the teeth with draconian laws such as the POTO (Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance). Yesterday's attack on the Parliament has come as a blessing in disguise to the right-wing communal BJP.
In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Vajpayee tried to imitate the American Bush administration in an attempt to drum up support for the proposed POTO legislation. One time Fabian socialist, George Fernandes, went a step further and chided the opposition for its irresponsibility and demanded unanimous approval of the POTO in the current session of the Parliament.
The wall of the opposition fort has been breached. Though formally there is opposition to POTO for its draconian content, the situation is bound to change after the 13/12 attack.
Congress Working Committee has reiterated its opposition to POTO in its current form. But there are already dissenting voices within it. Even before the POTO is passed by both the houses of the Parliament, the Naxalite groups such as People's War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Community Centre have been banned.
POTO will be used against all Left Wing opposition. The coming months would be crucial as the campaign for privatisation will move ahead more brutally.
Recently the Supreme Court ruled that the decision of the central government to sell BALCO (Bharat Aluminium Company) for a song to the infamous Hinduja's owned Sterlite Company is a shot in the arm for the pro-privatisation lobby. This Supreme Court ruling will have a crucial effect on the 13 more public sector giants slated for privatisation/disinvestment before April next year. Though the anti-privatisation struggle is not that strong, it is bound to pick up steam as the threat of job losses would push the struggle against privatisation to bolder manifestations. The arming of the administration with POTO is a warning to all the trade union and left-wing opposition.
It is likely that fingers will be pointed to one of the J&K based militant organisations as the perpetrators of this attack on the parliament. Even a few weeks ago when the J&K assembly was attacked there was talk of "hot pursuit" tactics being used against groups such as LET (Lashkar-e-thoiba) and Jaish-e-mohammed. With the rumour mill working 24 hours a day, the present act of terror is being put down to Al-Qa’ida. But LET has denied the charges as lies and baseless. The administration countering this denial has said that they have the technical evidence (they mean subversive intelligence) which they can not disclose.
The linking of the attack to the neighbouring country, that is Pakistan, is already taking place. One of the ministers, Pramod Mahajan, directly said that maybe the hostile neighbour sponsored the attacks. The spontaneous condemnation by Mushaaraf of the attack, though welcomed by the Indian Government, is being interpreted as a pre-emptive denial. This may provoke a communal backlash against the Muslim minorities.
Many newspapers are provoking the government for an extraordinary response to the attacks. The hawks within the BJP are pushing the cabinet committee on security to go for a hot pursuit policy as adopted by the US in relation to Afghanistan. "We should take a decision as early as possible on a pro-active policy against terrorists. There is also a need for the hot pursuit of terrorists and the destruction of POK terrorist training camps," Party spokesman V.K. Malhotra told reporters after a group of BJP MPs met Prime Minister Atal Behrai Vajpayee.
They said government should adopt the stand similar to the one taken by the US in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks. On the role the party saw for the US in the wake of the attack, Malhotra said, "The US should support India's fight against terrorism. Otherwise they will be seen adopting different standards on terrorism."
The threat of Indian troops crossing the Line of Control, separating India and Pakistan, if if implemented, could mean that events could spiral out of control. Another war, like the one in 1965 between the two countries could result.
US Imperialism and the ruling classes do not want this, especially at the moment. But they are not completely in control of events and are under pressure from the "fundamentalists" in both camps. The prospect of a new war, with both sides possessing nuclear weapons, is horrific to contemplate
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