Mumbai attacks, an eye-opener

Terrorism has raised its ugly head again, this time in India's financial capital - Mumbai, killing nearly 150 people and injuring over 300.

The scale and sophistication of the Mumbai attacks - where dozens of terrorists were involved using assault rifles, grenades and explosives to simultaneously attack multiple targets - raise suspicions of more than one group, and an unprecedented level of coordination. This type of terrorist attack is something which is new to India.

The gunmen had arrived by boats at the Mumbai waterfront near the Gateway of India monument on Wednesday night. They had hijacked cars, including a police van, and split into at least three groups to carry out the dastardly attacks. Reports from India said the terrorists had arrived by boats in Mumbai on Wednesday, before fanning out and attacking luxury hotels, a landmark cafe, hospitals and a railway station, firing indiscriminately.

Hundreds of innocent civilians, including foreigners and Police officers, were mercilessly killed and injured. Even the head of the anti-terrorism unit of the Mumbai Police was amongst those killed.

Sri Lanka, which has been in the forefront to eradicate the terrorism scourge condemned the brutal acts most vehemently. The attacks on leading hotels, hospitals and public transport in Mumbai show that the terrorists are targeting an important sector of the Indian economy to destabilise democracy in India. The LTTE terrorists did exactly the same in Sri Lanka a few years ago, with explosions at the Galadari Hotel, Central Bank and aircraft at Katunayake airport.

These unfortunate attacks bring into focus the urgent need for concerted action by all countries to eradicate the menace of terrorism, wherever it is, and whoever the leaders and manipulators of such violence may be. Sri Lanka, which has suffered the most brutal forms of terrorism in the past three decades, is determined to eradicate terrorism, will gladly support all international anti-terrorism efforts.

Sri Lanka stands resolutely with the Government and people of India at this time of tragedy and remain firm in its commitment to jointly combat and eradicate terrorism in all its manifestations from our countries, as well as from South Asia. Five of the eight SAARC countries, namely India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka are threatened by terrorism.

The LTTE is the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world. They have shown no mercy, whatsoever, even to their own community and have brutally killed thousands of innocent people, apart from world leaders.

As fate would have it, our valiant Security Forces have done extremely well to wipe out the Tiger power in most parts of the North and East. Having achieved that success and first-hand experience in combating terror acts, Sri Lanka could indeed play a greater role in the international campaign against terrorism.

It was only last year that President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the United Nations General Assembly that terrorism anywhere in the world is terrorism and should be eradicated in similar fashion. There is no good terrorism and bad terrorism, though some countries show a soft corner. Unfortunately, there are a few countries and international organisations which turn a Nelsonian eye to terror acts and project terrorists as rebels, insurgents or freedom fighters. Terrorists only inflict misery on society and even to their communities. What freedom or liberation could they achieve by killing innocent people?

The latest incident in world terrorism which we witnessed in India last week, should be an eye-opener to all, including some extremist politicians both here and in South India. South Indian politicians Karunanidhi and Vaiko, who shed buckets of crocodile tears for Tamils in Sri Lanka, even at this very late stage should realise what terrorism is all about. The duo now sees it on their own soil.

In stark contrast, the Indian Central Government was well aware what terrorism is, even before the Mumbai attacks. That was precisely why the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government did not dance to the tune of extremist Tamil Nadu politicians such as Karunanidhi and Vaiko.

Politically, the support extended by the duo is important to the Congress-led Government of Dr. Singh which enjoys only a slim majority.

Neither the Indian Congress nor the Indian Prime Minister bowed down to pressure from Tamil Nadu and stood by Sri Lanka in its battle against terrorism. This was a commendable move and displayed Dr. Singh's statesmanship. It also taught a good lesson to some of our extremist opposition politicians who are resorting to various attempts to come to power by any means.

It was after the infamous 9/11 attack in the United States that a worldwide dialogue against terrorism was initiated. But that did not receive the momentum it really deserved. The Mumbai attacks have brought into sharp focus the need for a collective global effort to wipe out terrorism.

There are no different definitions to terrorism. There is no good terrorism and bad terrorism. Terrorists should not be labelled as rebels, insurgents or freedom fighters as done by certain countries and international organisations to suit different agendas. All of us should bear in mind that acts of terrorism are always deadly, ruthless, cruel and inhuman and that it also causes misery, pain and mental agony to thousands of innocent people across the globe.

Unfortunately, the so-called human rights activists, watchdogs and international organisations, which often raise a big hue and cry on human rights violations, fail to see the impact of these inhuman and terror acts. They are yet to condemn the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

That is why Sri Lanka has consistently called for a unified global effort to eradicate the menace of terrorism.