The Centre on Monday released the country’s first comprehensive anti-terror policy, Prahaar, flagging threats ranging from cross-border terrorism and cyber attacks to the use of drones and emerging technologies.
India faces terrorist threats on land, water and air and has developed the capacity to protect key sectors of its economy — including power, railways, aviation, ports, defence, space and atomic energy — from State and non-State actors, the policy document says.
“India does not link terrorism to any specific religion, ethnicity, nationality or civilisation,” it says.
It, however, adds that the country has long been affected by “sponsored terrorism” from across the border, with “jihadi terror outfits” and their frontal organisations continuing to plan, coordinate, facilitate and execute terror attacks in India.
“India has been the target of global terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which have been trying to incite violence in the country through sleeper cells,” the document, released by the Union home ministry, says.
“Their handlers from across the border frequently use the latest technologies, including (the) use of drones, for facilitating terror-related activities and attacks in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Increasingly, terrorist groups are engaging organised criminal networks for logistics and recruitment to execute and facilitate terror strikes in India.”
For propaganda, communication, funding and the guiding of terror attacks, these groups use social media platforms as well as “instant messaging applications” and technology like encryption, the dark web and crypto wallets to remain anonymous.
“Disrupting/ intercepting terrorist efforts to access and use CBRNED (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive, digital) material remains a challenge for counter-terrorism agencies,” the policy says.
“The threat of State and non-State actors misusing drones and robotics for lethal purposes remains another area of concern, even as criminal hackers and nation states continue to target India through cyber attacks.”
The document dwells at length on how terrorist groups are trying to recruit Indian youth and how the country’s intelligence and law-enforcement agencies have been disrupting their designs.
“Once identified, these youths undergo a graded police response, aimed at comprehensively addressing the problem of radicalisation and violent extremism in a multi-stakeholder setting. Legal action is initiated against the individual based on their level of radicalisation,” thepolicy says.
It highlights the role of community and religious leaders and the need to engage moderate preachers and NGOs to spread awareness about the adverse consequences of radicalisation and extremist violence.
“Besides, youth are constructively engaged in ensuring that issues that may threaten peace and communal harmony are checked,” the document says.
“(To) prevent radicalisation in prisons, prison staff are cautioned from time to time to prevent acts of radicalisation of vulnerable inmates by hard-core inmates. De-radicalisation programmes are also undertaken.”
The policy suggests that to build strong cases against terrorists, legal experts must be taken on board at every stage, from FIR registration toprosecution.
“Terrorist groups based outside nowadays use the infrastructure, logistics and terrain knowledge of local outfits for launching attacks. National actions, coupled with international and regional cooperation, are key elements in addressing trans-national terrorism challenges,”it says.