Shadows of Terrorism Over South Asia

There is a common notion that terrorism in any location poses a threat to peace and freedom everywhere.

- PURUSHOTTAM OJHA

The culprits of terrorist actions do not limit themselves to the territorial boundary, religion, faith, or people. The objectives of terror attacks on people, property, physical and digital infrastructures may differ, but no logic or measures can justify such actions.

South Asia also faces the problem of terrorist attacks from time to time. Afghanistan has been a hotbed of terrorist activities since the formation of Mujahideen militants in the 1980s, which turned into a radical Islamist group of Taliban. It now rules the country following decades of its fight against outside and inside forces. Extreme forces undermine peace and security in the region.

Violent groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Tehrik-i-Taliban in Pakistan, Maoist and various insurgent groups in North-East India, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka (decimated in 2009 by the Sri Lankan government), and Jamat-e-Mujahideen in Bangladesh, which are based on radicalism, fight either to capture or disintegrate the state or impose their religious extremism.

Nepal experienced armed conflict staged by the Maoist group from 1996 to 2006. It was brought down with the negotiation between the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), aiming to turn the country into a Federal Republic from a constitutional monarchy.

India is facing a series of cross-border terrorist attacks, be it the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, the Mumbai train attack in 2006, or the attack at the Taj Hotel, Mumbai, in 2008. The latest in the series is the attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 this year.