Fidayeen attack in Punjab

The Gurdaspur terror attack has taken Punjab and the rest of India by surprise. Even though the loss of seven precious lives, including that of a SP, is painful, some consolation can be drawn from the fact that two major tragedies were averted due to the presence of mind of a bus driver, who sped away when signalled to halt, and an alert railway employee, who detected bombs planted on a track and stopped an incoming train well in time.

The Gurdaspur terror attack has taken Punjab and the rest of India by surprise. Even though the loss of seven precious lives, including that of a SP, is painful, some consolation can be drawn from the fact that two major tragedies were averted due to the presence of mind of a bus driver, who sped away when signalled to halt, and an alert railway employee, who detected bombs planted on a track and stopped an incoming train well in time. The pattern of the multiple attacks is similar to the ones adopted by terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba in Jammu. The global positioning sets carried by the 'fidayeen' links their movement to Pakistan's Shakargarh area which is close to the border.

It is more than a coincidence that terror attacks frequently happen prior to any India-Pakistan peace talks. The latest one comes before the NSA-level talks in August. Fortunately, the schedule for talks stands even after Monday's grave provocation. Obviously, there are elements who are bent on sabotaging peace efforts by both sides. It is imperative for the peace in the region that extremists and jingoists on both sides are not allowed to set the agenda.

The Gurdaspur incident did not deter politicians from playing petty politics. Instead of putting up a united face at this critical juncture, they chose to play the blame game -- in Parliament as well as outside. While the operation was still on and the identity of the terrorists was yet to be established, fingers were already pointed towards Pakistan. The Punjab Chief Minister lost no time in blaming the Centre for its failure to seal the international border. This was perhaps to deflect charges of his appeasement of hardliners and lack of preparedness on the part of the state police. Punjab has seen much bloodshed during the years of militancy and cannot afford to be lax. Mistakes made in the past at the police and political levels should not be repeated. Given the high level of unemployment, drug addiction and disillusionment among youth, politicians should desist from pandering to those pleading the cause of militants.