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Abject surrender to ISI lobby
SHAMEFUL SURRENDER
By Dina Nath Mishra in The Observer December 2, 1994
The Nadwa episode exposes the extent of dilution that has sent in our
secular nationalism and patriotic sentiments. It also shows our
inexhaustable willingness to compromise national interests.
There cannot be any doubt left about Pakistan's inimical designs
and the ISI's activities on Indian soil. For the last six years, it
played a major role in J & K and virtually converted that state into
a theatre of low-cost war. During the last two years it has succeeded
in creating alarmingly large network capable of creating disturbances,
riots and various other subvrsive activities. The situation is alarm-
ing, to say the least. But are we as a nation ready to face the challenge
posed by Pakistan and ISI? The Nadwa episode should be an eye opener
regarding this.
The brief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) is to keep tab on foreign
agencies like the ISI and counteract its designs. The raid it conducted
on November 21 on one of the hostel of Nadwa Campus, which is Interna-
tional Center for Islamic Studies, is part of this brief.
Seven ISI agents were arrested, including one Abu Bacquar of Guyana.
Gazi Moinul Islam and Gulam Mohamad Dar were from Basti district of UP
and one from Bihar. Delhi Police had a fool proof case and IB has confirmed
information. The raiding party had police teams from Delhi and UP both.
The raid was conducted after due permission was obtained from home
minister SB Chavan as the procedure.
Nadwa officials had flately denied that any of the above-named persons
was ever there. In the case of ISI agents or terrorists, they have a
number of alternate names to hide their identity. Therefore, denial by
name does not hold good.
The Nadwa institution was under intelligence vigil for a year and a
half for suspected ISI agents. In Islamic theology, admittedly there
is no place for nationalism or secularism. Institutions like Nadwa may
well be the ideal cover for ISI agents. It was a confirmed ISI agent
Abu Banquar of Guyana who confirmed the photo of Khursheed, a Kashmiri
ISI agent, who at times taught in Rai Bareilly branch of the Nadwa
Islamic Institution. Rai Bareilly happens to be the home town of Ali
Mian. Khursheed was latter known to have died in police encounter
during the rescue of four kidnapped Britons. It may well be remembered
that till the terrorists had easy access to shelter among their co-
religionists, the problem of Punjab terrorism could not be dealt with.
In any normal society, the authorities of the Institute should have
rendered all help to the raiding party. The officials in Nadwa did not.
Rather, they tried their best to confuse the police, and the intelligence
officials. Students started firing on the raiding party.
The state government's response was shocking. Chief minister Mulayam
Singh got all the arrested setfree. The state government not only
condemned the raiding officials but gave one lakh rupees to the
college authorities for repairs and Rs 10,000 to each injured student,
including those who fired on the raiding party. Although the UP police
participated in the raid under one DSP, the state government criticised
the Center for not taking it into confidence. This led to frenzied
slogan shouting in the Muslim localities in various cities "Mulayam
Singh zindabad, Narsimha Rao murdabad". The mob even burned the effigies
of the Prime Minister.
Now, remember how brutally Mulayam Singh dealt with peaceful people
of Uttarakhand. In contrast how meekly he surrendered in the case of
the suspected ISI den.
It was a clear case of compromising national interest and putting vote
bank interest above constitutional obligation. IB and Delhi police showed
its anger, for they had to lose their catch - the arrested ISI agents.
But what demoralised them most was the Center's attitude.
Alarmed by the Muslim reaction, minister of state of internal security
Rajesh Pilot went into damage control exercise. Tension was built in a
number of cities in UP. The way the reactor of Darul Ulum Nadvatul Ulema,
Ali Mia, reacted, it was bound to be. He is an internationally respected
Islamic scholar. He criticised the central government in a threatening
language and a number of Islamic organisations demanded apology from
Prime Minister Rao and the central government.
Ali Mia also contacted a number of personalities of belonging to the
OIC nations. It is not unthinkable that the ISI, too, might have
contributed in creating tension. The Congress government was under
double pressure of happenings in UP and impending elections in the two
Southern States. Rajesh Pilot tendered an apology to Ali Mia and
ordered a probe as to how the raid was conducted. Further, railway
minister Jaffer Sharief was sent by the PM himself from Karnataka to
Lucknow to make amend and apologise. But the Muslim leadership
demanded a public apology.
If operation Blue Star can be conducted on the Golden Temple which
sheltered the terrorists, why can't a small raid be conducted in Nadwa
for arrest of the ISI agents? Because the latter happen to be a
Muslim institution, it does not have immunity. Looking back to the
contribution of various Islamic institutions of education in the
partition of the country, the nation can ignore the Nadwa episode
at its own peril.
Right from Rubia's exchange against dreaded terrorists, there has
been a number of incidents compromising national interests. It is no
secret that negotiations have been going on with the culprits of the
Bombay blasts, including Dawood Ibrahim and Memmon brothers.
In the Nadwa episode, the temper shown by Muslim leadership is
quite akin to that of the Kashmiri counterparts. Unfortunately, the
government reactions on these too, have had similar effects. It
brought demoralisation in the police, para-military forces and intelli-
gence agencies, as had been evident in Kashmir Valley.
The trend is fast reaching a dangerous point. A different type of
Kashmir problem may crop up in UP. Not a geographical Kashmir, but an
unstable societal Kashmir.
While Pakistan is preparing for full-fledged nuclear war with India,
it is simultaneously creting its ISI network in various sensitive parts
of this country so that, as and when needed, the whole of this country
can be set on chaotic convulsions. It would ese its task on the borders
as various paramilitary forces would be locked internally, to quench the
subversion. This would not be in the ultimate interest of each and every
Indian, Hindus and Muslims alike.
The immediate task before the country is to demolish the ISI network
well in time. Secularism should not be blind to the hard realities of
the situation. There should be a limit to vote bank politics. National
interest must prevail. And, in the final analysis, only people can
prevent surrenders like Nadwa.
