The question is whether the Indian army and the government are ready to face a terrorist attack with the type of intensity that has been seen in Israel.
by N.S.Venkataraman
The sudden and unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas, who are viewed as Islamic terrorists by several countries, has shocked and surprised the world.
This is not the first time that Islamic terrorists have struck in the world, causing death and destruction. Of course, the most tragic attack was the September 11 attack on the Twin Towers in New York that killed thousands of innocent Americans. The next brutal attack by Islamic terrorists was the 26/11 attack in Mumbai, India, in 2008, when 175 people were killed, and later on another brutal attack occurred on Easter Day in churches in Sri Lanka, where more than 250 people were killed. In between, there have been many other brutal attacks, particularly in Europe and India.
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| Photo taken on May 15, 2021 shows rockets being fired from the northern Gaza Strip toward Israel. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) |
The fact is that the world appears to remain helpless in the face of such Islamic terrorist attacks.
Perhaps, next to Israel, the biggest target for Islamic terrorists is India. Almost every day, India witnesses violent attacks by Islamic terrorists in the Kashmir region, and the Indian army is yet to stop the acts of such terrorists, despite its best efforts.
The attack on Israel and other places shows that the terrorists have gained enormous expertise and possess tools and arsenals to hit wherever and whenever they want, without their acts being detected in advance. In spite of the fact that Israel has a strong intelligence system and a battle-ready army, terrorists had their way in sending thousands of rockets into Israel and invading the country by land, sea, and air.
Considering the plight of Israel in the wake of such a brutal attack, there is considerable concern in India about similar Islamic terrorist attacks happening in Kashmir and other places.
The ground reality is that India is much more vulnerable to such hate-filled brutal attacks by Islamic terrorists than Israel.
In India’s neighboring countries, namely Pakistan and Afghanistan, Islamic terrorists are well-entrenched and have built a strong base. There is a strong view in India that such terrorists receive some sort of support from the governments in Pakistan and Afghanistan, directly or indirectly. These terrorists have made no secret of their plans to enter and occupy Kashmir by force and also destabilize India by provoking religious conflicts. Unlike Israel, there are frequent reports in India about the recruitment of terrorists who are brainwashing Indian youth.
The question is whether the Indian army and the government are ready to face a terrorist attack with the type of intensity that has been seen in Israel.
There is now fear in India that terrorists could launch surprise rocket attacks and invade Kashmir in large numbers, particularly after being emboldened by the initial success in Israel. The terrorists are unlikely to be concerned about their loss of lives due to such a mob invasion, which is bound to be resisted by the Indian army.
Like Israel, India is unlikely to receive spontaneous support from the USA, Canada, and Western European countries in case of such attacks. This would be so because India has maintained its neutrality in international relations, and Western countries would not want to displease Pakistan and some Arab countries by openly supporting India against terrorists. Perhaps, they would end up providing lip service to India. Of course, China could indirectly support Islamic terrorists for their attacks against India, as it would meet China’s desire to weaken India in any way possible. China’s support and attitude would be similar to the response of Iran supporting terrorists against Israel. The Arab countries may also remain largely silent if India were to be attacked by Islamic terrorists since they would not want to antagonize Islamic extremists.
Prime Minister Modi has been the first person to condemn the attack on Israel and pledge India’s support to Israel in this difficult time. Mr. Modi has read the writing on the wall and appears to be of the view that what has happened in Israel may happen to India too. In the unfortunate event of such a terrorist act taking place, it appears that India would have to fight against the terrorists on its own. Israel could be the only country that would openly voice its support for India.
In recent times, there has been unrest in Israel due to differences on various issues, and strikes and demonstrations have taken place. It is said that even some military personnel could have been against the government for certain policies. Probably, Islamic terrorists could have thought that it is the right time to hit Israel when there are political dissensions in the country. The situation in India is also not much different. India has a noisy democracy, and with the forthcoming parliamentary election in the next few months, there has been considerable hate campaign against Prime Minister Modi by the opposition parties. Islamic terrorists could think that this will be the right condition to launch an attack against India.
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