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IB fears escalation of terrorism in South

Rajesh Ramachandran in New Delhi

Despite the home ministry team's clean chit to the Karunanidhi government, sources in the Intelligence Bureau fear an escalation of terrorist activity in the southern states.

"With the sharp polarisation of political forces in Tamil Nadu, fundamentalist elements could be used to settle political scores," a senior IB official told Rediff On The NeT.

"Even political assassinations cannot be ruled out. The next stage could be a spill over to Karnataka," he said.

The Coimbatore blasts in February are pointed out as a glaring example of how various political parties, notwithstanding receipt of intelligence, turned a Nelson's eye to the menace of terrorism in the state.

"Both the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and DMK are responsible for the growth of religious fundamentalism in the state. Now that terrorism is a fact of life any party can manipulate the forces to achieve their political ends," says the officer.

The catalyst for the fundamentalism was the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition. Fundamentalist rhetoric was at its worst in 1993 in Kerala when Abdul Nasser Madani floated the Islamic Sevak Sangh.

The movement fizzled out in Kerala as people with a higher level of awareness could not be easily lured into terrorism. But Kerala remains the ideological and logistical resource centre for the movement that has struck roots in Tamil Nadu.

IB sources reveal that unlike terrorism in the north, the southern variety depends on local talent. RDX, the favoured explosive for terrorists in the north, has not reached fundamental forces in the south yet. RDX usually arrives in the country through land in Kashmir and Punjab and via the sea in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Easily available gelatine is the cheap alternative for disruptive elements down south. The dynamite is usually procured in Kerala, mostly from stone quarries.

IB officials assert that there should be better regulation of explosives. Under the present system it is easy to siphon off dynamite meant for construction work or in quarries.

"The controller of explosives usually has a very small outfit, often for two or three states. It gives the license for the explosives. The end user testifies that he has used 'x' amount of explosives. There is hardly any manpower to countercheck this claim. So it is easy to beat the system," says an IB official.

The IB suspects the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district in Kerala offers sanctuary for fundamentalists. IB sources believe the terrain helps fundamentalist organisations hide their activists and explosives in various parts of the district.

IB sources say the arrest of the Coimbatore blasts accused from Kerala and Madani earlier this month have proved the Kerala link in the outbreak of fundamentalist terrorism.

EARLIER REPORTS:
TN government presents white paper on Coimbatore blasts
Was Madani the link between ISI and Al-Umma?
Kochi police arrest Madani
Nine youths arrested in Kerala for involvement in Coimbatore blasts

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