• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Sharad Joshi

WAR is in the air. Even if there is no outbreak of hostilities, the acts of terrorism may continue as part of the proxy war. The armed forces are reported to have taken comprehensive measures to protect the Supreme Court building. There appears to be little preparedness against agro-terrorism. Agriculture is the soft underbelly of the country. The impending war should make the Government and the people more conscious of the importance of agriculture.

Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks, is reported to have said in one of his interviews that the choice of the targets was influenced as much by the media value as by the strategic importance. The attack and its aftermath have to be spectacular, he said. Most people in the US expected the Golden Gate Bridge to be the most likely target for subsequent terrorists attacks. But, the terrorists attacked entirely differently — spreading anthrax germs through the postal service.

The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammand (JeM) that planned the attacks in India chose the Parliament House for the December 13 attack. It is reported that their next target is likely to be the Supreme Court building. Sansad Bhavan (Parliament House) is the symbol of democracy, a shining post-Independence achievement. The Supreme Court is yet another icon of democracy.

Most professional generals are known for their proclivity to prepare themselves rigorously for the last war. The hide-bound junta's presumption is that the next war will be, more or less, a continuation of the last war. Whoever planned the attacks in India appears more like the professional army General rather than a terrorist like Osama bin Laden.

It would appear that those who targeted the Parliament House were more keen on showing links with the September 11 attack than on causing serious damage to India and its democracy. In the eyes of Indian terrorists, the Parliament House or the Supreme Court building would rank low in the priority list of sensitive targets as the terrorists would prefer to cause economic damage to the already doddering Indian economy. And the vital points of the economy are not the Bombay Stock Exchange or the Nariman Point in Mumbai. Even the total devastation of these so-called economic centres would leave the quasi-totality of the economy unaffected. Anti-India terrorism is more likely to be agricultural in nature.

India needs to beware of agro-terrorists rather than the kind of terrorism that shook the US. India's finest accomplishment, since Independence, lies in the fact that it became self-sufficient in food and is not only able to feed its teeming millions but has godowns overflowing with foodgrains. Hence, the harshest blow against India would be in its stomach rather than on the head.

The Green Revolution was made possible by the irrigation waters of the Bhakra-Nangal canals as also of many other river projects and the water lifting pumps they powered. These are the vital centres of the economy. Even a small damage to one of the major river valley projects is certain to cause massive destruction by flooding and inundation. It would also negate all the gains of the Green Revolution and set the country back by almost a century in the most critical and vital agriculture sector. These projects may be well-guarded against terrorist attacks, but that may not be enough protection against the enemy in the event of unlimited war.

India is still largely an agricultural country; centred around its countryside. Paradoxically, we have a professional army that attaches primary importance to technological sophistication. We are a largely populated country with poor capital recourses. Our Army, on the contrary, is highly capital-intensive and has not even considered the possibility of a general mobilisation.

All the jingoistic enthusiasm for war is confined to political circles. The Common Man is watching in amusement as if the next war with Pakistan is another cricket test match. Only those families that have at least one of their members actually risking his life on the frontiers understand the stark reality.

The enemy is not likely to be impressed by pretensions of modernity and industrialisation. The enemy will try and hit where it hurts most, by attacking dams and canal works. It is more likely to try and organise locust swarms rather than the air raids.

New Delhi has been indifferent to the real Bharat. The threat of a serious war should force it to be more objective.

(The author is founder, Shetkari Sanghatana. Feedback can be sent to sharad@mah.nic.in)

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section
Problem packed

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line