Politics in Terrorist Attack

India on 26th November, 2008 (Thursday) faced its bloodiest suicide squad attack. The series of attacks in South Mumbai unfolded into hostage crisis. As the Army, navy and national security guards engaged the militants in a gunbattle, the death count rose to 160 and the number of injured to around 400.


Hemant Karkare, head of the anti-terrorism squad (ATS), was known as a gentleman. A no-nonsense, soft spoken policeman, was a tight lipped intelligence man who was secular to the core and was known to have no enemies. That was partly why he was considered the best man for the tough task of heading the ATS.


Karkare died after the terrorists shot him three times in his chest and waist as he was outside the cama hospital. He laid down his life fighting terrorists from the front. Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi arrived in Mumbai to pay his last respects to senior police officers killed while fighting the terrorists who attacked India's financial capital. Modi also announced Rs 1 crore compensation to the family of terror victims. There are reports that Hemant Karkare’s wife refused compensation offered by Narendra Modi which proved to be a big blow.


India's political parties have swooped down on the tragedy to score points vis-a-vis their political rivals and consolidate their vote banks. It is not just laws, that will prevent attacks but the political will to prevent them. And the political will is often not there because politicians are constantly eyeing their vote banks even when decisions related to national security need to be made. With terrorism in India increasingly taking on an Indian face, India will need to focus on setting its house in order. Its politicians will have to stop playing politics with terrorism.