December 13 2001 is a day in Bharat’s history which no one can forget. This day democracy was challenged when terrorists stormed the Parliament building and staged one of the most audacious attacks.
There were several developments in the aftermath of this attack. While Pakistan proved yet again that it can never be trusted, the attack also witnessed the birth of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, one of the most lethal terrorist organisations in the world.
In the attack nine security personnel made the supreme sacrifice. At around 11.40 am five heavily armed terrorists, disguised as official personnel drove into the Parliament complex in a white Ambassador car which bore fake stickers and a red beacon. The Winter Session of Parliament was on when the attack took place. The terrorists wanted to create mass destruction and also target the parliamentarians.
While the attack witnessed some success the larger agenda was however thwarted when the car was intercepted by the security personnel. This was followed by a fierce gun battle that lasted 30 minutes. Five terrorists who were armed with AK-47 rifles were finally killed by the security forces.
The pre-cursor
It all began with the IC-814 hijacking when an Indian Airlines flight was diverted to the Taliban controlled Kandahar in Afghanistan. The hijack was carried out to secure the release of Masood Azhar who was lodged in a jail in Jammu and Kashmir. He had come to Bharat as a reporter, but his real intention was to oversee the setting up of terror groups in Kashmir.
The hijack and Parliament attack were not linked says former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, C D Sahay. The hijack was only aimed at securing the release of Azhar while the Parliament attack was to destabilise the nation, he also says.
The investigations into this attack was extremely challenging. There were many blind spots and all the five terrorists had been killed and hence there was none to speak. One could say that the probe into the Mumbai 26/11 attack was relatively easier as the police had Ajmal Kasab in their custody who went on to reveal a lot.
The probe was based on information that was gathered through which the agencies managed to reach the planners. The Jaish-e-Mohammad did not exist at that time and hence the suspicion was on the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. The probe eventually led up to Afzal Guru who was accused of orchestrating the attack. He was finally hanged in 2013.
What made the probe even more challenging was that the Intelligence levels at that time were not up to the mark. When it came to terror related cases all the burden was on the Central Intelligence agencies. The state hardly played any role in it. Today the state agencies too are potent and the information sharing has gone a long way in cracking terror related cases.
Eyeball to eyeball confrontation
The Parliament attack almost brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war. Many felt that Bharat should attack Pakistan and make them pay for this attack. However the opinion was divided as the word was a different place.
At the best Bharat could have waged a 20 day war as the international community would started to interfere had the war lasted longer. Hence the idea was dropped and it was decided to put immense pressure on Pakistan.
There was a strong message that was sent out to Islamabad at that time. The kind of mobilisation on the border was like one had never seen before. Sahay says that Pakistan was really worried and realised that they could not match us.
Moreover what worried Pakistan most was the mobilisation that took place in such a short span of time. This was one of the biggest mobilisation of troops on the border in independent India.
Birth of the Jaish-e-Mohammad
A big low point was that the Parliament attack led to the birth of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. When Masood Azhar was released the then President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf had assured New Delhi that he would keep Azhar under check. He had said that Azhar would lie low and he would not be a cause of concern for Bharat.
However that promise was short lived and the moment he landed in Pakistan he took out a massive rally declaring his arrival. All this took place under the watch of Musharraf and he did nothing about it.
It was around the same time that Azhar began planning the setting up of a new terror group. They felt that a new group could be launched only after carrying out a spectacular terror attack. Azhar’s brother Rauf Asghar who had planned the Kandahar hijack decided to carry out the Parliament attack.
The Parliament attack was so audacious in nature that it gave Masood Azhar a platform to set up a new terror group. Following the attack Azhar and Asghar had become heroes in Pakistan and this led them to form the Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Azhar was the establishment’s blue eyed boy. Pakistan has never taken any action against him. In fact Azhar had once had a problem with Musharraf and even attempted to assassinate him. The ploy failed and all the establishment told Azhar to do was to lie low for sometime. He was a never punished and even till date continues to be one of the best assets for the Pakistan deep state.
Lessons learnt
One of the biggest lessons that Bharat learnt was never to trust Pakistan. Even till date the scenario remains the same.
The attack on Parliament underscored the vulnerabilities of the most secured institutions in the country. It marked a major turning point in Bharat’s counter-terrorism strategy and led to increased security measures at critical infrastructure. The attack also led to the strengthening of the anti-terror laws, including amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).
The attack will always remain a reminder of the threats posed by terrorism. Further the geopolitical challenges for Bharat were highlighted in the aftermath of this attack.
A lot has changed since the Parliament attack. Today we live in a new Bharat and will not take anything lying down. The Pulwama attack and the response in its aftermath is a sign of what a new Bharat is. Balakot one of the biggest training facilities of the Jaish-e-Mohammad had been mapped by the Research and Analysis Wing over 20 years back. However it took guts to hit in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.
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