India Exporting Terrorism in the Region

Sarah Khan

South Asian states especially those bordered with India have been suffering at the hands of terrorists, insurgents, extremists and separatists since decades. India, an extremist Hindu ideological state remains the exporter of terrorism in its neighbouring countries. Almost all neighbours of India to include Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh are suffering hard at the hands of India. The country ruled by extremists of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which mentors the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are sowing seeds of terrorism throughout the region. No country is safe from their nefarious infiltrations. Even minorities inside the Indian state are not safe from cruelties and unjust behavior of extremist Hindus of RSS. In the recent past, Hindu extremist Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has stated that India will use terrorism to counter terrorism from other countries. The statement of Indian defence minister is open and blatant admission and declaration of sponsoring terrorism. Indian defence minister specifically mentioned that regulation will not be used to quell terrorist activities and terrorism will be promoted instead. The statement of using terrorism as a tool in other countries by a government official of India is indicative of Indian involvement in spreading terrorism in the region.

Pakistan is the country which is most hardly hit by terrorism supported by Indian RAW and RSS. During visit to Bangladesh Indian Prime Minister Nerendra Modi himself confessed that “India played a significant role in creation of Bangladesh in 1971”. In June 2015, BBC published a report which stated that Indian RAW was supporting, training, arming and financing military wing of MQM which spreads terror in Karachi which was once economic hub of Pakistan. In Sindh and Baluchistan India is supporting separatists group to dismember Pakistan as it did in 1971.

In Nepal, India is arming and training Madhesis, Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepal's Terai region. They are protesting against division of their ancestral homeland. India has closed the main trading point near Raxaul, halting supply of essential goods from India, causing an acute shortage of fuel in Nepal. Similarly, in Sri Lanka India has supported the Tamil Tigers for long to create turmoil in the country. India became more actively involved in the late 1980s, and on June 5, 1987, the Indian Air Force airdropped food parcells to Jaffnna while it was under siege by Sri Lankan forces. At a time when the Sri Lankan government stated they were close to defeating the LTTE, India dropped 25 tons of food and medicine by parachute into areas held by the LTTE in a direct move of support toward the rebels. After decades of insurgency/ terrorism supported by India, Sri Lanka was able to defeat the insurgency with the help/ support of Pakistan Army.

Whenever Pakistan makes strides towards creating peace in Afghanistan, Indian extremists carry out terror acts on Pakistan and Afghanistan territory in order to create hurdles in the way of peace and prosperity in the region. This time RAW and its extremist even staged attacks in their own country (Pathankot Air Base) to halt the comprehensive peace process which was likely to be initiated after visit of Modi to Pakistan. The timings of attacks in Afghanistan and India are very critical. In Afghanistan, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff met President Ashraf Ghani to revive peace dialogues with Taliban and soon after its announcement Indian consulate was attacked by spoilers of peace. In India the attack on Pathankot air base occurred only few days after surprise visit of Indian PM Modi to Pakistan and revival of comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan. Indians extremist Hindus started to point fingers towards Pakistan which will again halt the peace process. Pakistan Army is putting its sincere efforts to revive peace in the region but extremists in the region remains big hurdle for which India and Afghanistan need to play their role.

Confession by head of government, statements by ministers and international media reports on Indian/ RAW involvement in terrorist related activities in Pakistan leaves no doubt that India is the biggest exporter of terrorism in the region and international organizations and US/ West take actions to penalize India.