Mumbai was paralysed with fear, 10 years ago with the petrifying terror attacks that took place on November 26, 2008; the Modi government declared this date as the Constitution Day (National Law Day), also known as Samvidhan Divas in 2015 by a gazette notification, celebrated every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. Now on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of 26/11, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi while mourning the incident at a rally in poll-bound Rajasthan’s Bhilwara did not miss out on the opportunity to take a dig at the Congress for its hypocrisy, stating that the party was allegedly busy in campaigning for the Rajasthan state elections during the attacks. However, the question arises that even after a decade, the Mumbai coastal lines were declared to have a tight security but it continues to be vulnerable, the perpetrators are yet to be caught and the theory behind the episode yet remains to be unfolded!
Pakistani mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, was linked with the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its associated group, the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) for the 2008 attacks and yet he continues to remain free with not even criminal charges against him. Saeed has been detained several times but mostly as house arrest, however, sooner or later, he was seen to be released and each time his outfit was banned, it re-emerges under a new name. It comes as a surprise that despite international pressure, he continues to enjoy the support of the Pakistani state and the country’s military. Also, it casts doubts as to what makes Saeed and his Jamaat-ud-Dawa so powerful? How is he able to get away with such serious charges, each time? Why, despite the threat of US sanctions, Pakistan has not been acting against him?
Immediately after Imran Khan sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, it was observed that our Prime Minister Modi expressed India’s commitment to build good neighbourly relations between the two countries and pursue meaningful and constructive engagement for benefiting the people of the region. It is believed that it was a step to cajole Pakistan in the name of friendship to gain international benefits for the nation. Looking at the current scenario, it seems unclear as to what the immediate implications had been done so far for the same. Since the government claims India to be nuclear weapon power for almost two decades, yet it hasn’t been able to take any action against Pakistan!
Accusing Pakistanis as liars and defending his party, BJP spokesperson Prof. Suhas Pharande stated, “BJP is trying to get the masterminds behind the 26/11 terror attack. According to international law, it is very difficult to bring them into the country. Pakistani minds are very prejudiced towards India and we don’t trust Pakistan, be it the people, the President or the Prime Minister.”
Pakistan is already reeling from US President Donald Trump’s threat to sanction it for supporting militants. After the ban was lifted from Saeed’s organisation JuD and FiF, the United States in early November, asked Pakistan to enact a legislation to formally ban both organisations. The US also said that the removal of the ban would jeopardise Pakistan’s ability to meet its commitments to fight terrorism under the UN Security Council resolution, but no action has been taken yet.
In a statement at the end of the BRICS summit last year, the five major emerging powers, including China and Russia, have for the first time identified Pakistan-backed militant groups as a regional security threat.
Congress leader and former minister Raja Pateriya commented, “Both Congress and BJP governments have failed to keep their commitment. The international platform should protest against these communal forces such as extreme Hinduism, Christianism, Islamism, etc. and should work towards that.”
Pakistan has been under increasing pressure to cut all help given to terrorists operating from its soil. Even after entering the 10th year of the 26/11 attack, none of its seven suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that the case had never been in its priority list. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was captured and hanged after handed down death sentence by an Indian court which created a major hype amongst the citizens across the nation.
The United States on Monday announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual who committed, conspired, aided or abetted the 2008 Mumbai attack.
