By  J N Raina     
New Delhi (Syndicate Features): Serial bomb blasts in Jaipur on May 13, 2008 is a wakeup call. The auspicious Tuesday for Hindus became inauspicious when the Pink City, which had so far been spared from such barbaric acts, was laundered into Red City, just within ten minutes of obnoxious happenings. One blast after another rattled the city. It might be the 21st blast outside militancy-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir since jihadis’ attack in Ayodhya in July 2005, but it will be more cringing if Indians in unison do not take up the terrorists’ gauntlet seriously.

The Frankenstein of terrorism has acquired a unique form over the decades, because the fidayeen, now styling themselves as “Indian Mujahideen”, openly clamour for “Indian blood”. The perpetrators of terrorism have challenged this nation with impunity. Their modus operandi has taken a new hue. They are dishonest and unsound.

The “Indian Mujahideen” have the gumption of issuing prior warnings of dire consequences. They are overwhelmingly emboldened and indulge in a hatchet job, making use of updated email technology. Now the dire warning is on our walls. One such warning was issued just a few minutes before the serial blasts in U P, in November last. It reads as follows: “The day is not far when we will slaughter you in the streets of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and other cities of India”. The warning has taken the real shape. It was not hearsay.

The Jaipur blasts, which followed on the heels of a major infiltration bid by terrorists on the international border in Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, is a grim reminder of what is in the offing. There was unprovoked firing from Pakistan in Tangdhar sector of Kashmir soon after Samba. But sadly enough, Pakistan continues to deny the fact. There seems to be no end to it. The jihadis sent video-tapes of the Jaipur blasts to the security forces. We may call them cowards, but this is their method of exhibiting madness, at the behest of ISI. They are trained to bleed India and inflict thousand cuts, till their motive is achieved.
The needle of suspicion got focused on the Bangladesh-based terrorist outfit Harkat-ul Jihad-al-Islami (Huji) and the radical Students Islamic movement of India (SIMI). The two organizations are blamed for masterminding blasts in the country. Illegal migrants from Bangladesh have been providing them a support base. In Rajasthan, there are said to be over 50,000 illegal Bangladeshi migrants. In Jaipur alone, there are 10,000 of them, who are engaged in different avocations. Most of them are rickshaw pullers. Several such migrants are linked to terrorist outfits, because of religious affinity.

It was during V P Singh’s government that Bangladeshi migrants were provided ration cards, voter identity cards and other documents, just for asking. In a way, it was a god-sent opportunity to catch votes. The UPA government has never woken up to the problem of illegal migration from Bangladesh, whether they are in Assam, Maharashtra or elsewhere. Neither there is any hope of throwing them away, till the existing political structure remains.

The Centre and the Assam Government have repeatedly ignored warnings from the Supreme Court about deportation of illegal migrants from Bangladesh. It was in 2005 that the SC had asked them to speed up detention of “illegal” migrants. But intriguingly enough, the warning was not taken seriously. When the SC quashed the IMDT Act and directed the Centre to set up tribunals under the Foreigners Act for quick detection of these migrants, the Union Government and Assam played truant, by inserting a provision that prevented giving effect to the SC directive.

The Court has deliberated that “there is a lack of will (on the part of the Centre) in the matter of ensuring that illegal migrants are sent out of the country”. As if the Centre’s disobedience was not enough, the Home Ministry issued a directive to the concerned states, including Rajasthan, to set up “centers” for the illegal migrants.

When Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia wrote to the Union Home ministry about the Bangladesh immigrants, she was sternly instructed to “kindly round them up and put them in a transit camp, which you pay for.” It is horrible to note to what extent the Home Ministry can go in dealing with most sensitive issues. The illegal migrants can straightaway be deported. But it needs a strong will. It is in short supply as the government is deeply mired in the vote-bank politics. In the process, democracy has been weakened. It is neither for the people nor of the people; but only for vested interests.  (Syndicate Features)